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That's fine if you're in a club/private group, I just would like to know that why if you, phobos, and I are regulars at our gamestore, we're there for 40k night, skirmish game night, ladies night, etc... and you all know that I'm a decent chap, not too immature, etc... Why do I get excluded from 30+ night?

Because, presumably, you're under 30?

 Alfndrate wrote:
That's fine if you're in a club/private group, I just would like to know that why if you, phobos, and I are regulars at our gamestore, we're there for 40k night, skirmish game night, ladies night, etc... and you all know that I'm a decent chap, not too immature, etc... Why do I get excluded from 30+ night?

Hmm, I do take your point. There is something a bit more divisive about it being at a public FLGS, but sometimes the older guys just want some time to themselves. It would probably only work at a FLGS where there is enough gaming space that a section can be set aside for veteran gaming without taking up all the space. It would be easy to do at a place like Games Plus in the Chicago burbs which has lots of space and even some movable partitions.

Different stores have different standards I guess that are enforced with greater or lesser degrees of flexibility. We ended up ceasing our playing at a different FLGS here in Chicago based on a different kind of exclusion. Our club had been gaming their bi-weekly for a year or so but when we had to change our club meeting night to the night that was their boardgaming night they were unwilling or unable to allow us to reserve one or two tables out of 25 for our club night. If anyone asked for those tables we'd have to give them up. It was annoying, but I understood their reluctance to make an exception on a very popular night, lest others ask for the same accommodation. They did lose our business, but I don't hold it against them. We're much happier as a club that meets at member's homes (and occasionally Games Plus) anyway.

 Alpharius wrote:
Because, presumably, you're under 30?

Come on Alph, you know that such creating an age limit like that is to stymie the louder, more boisterous members that tend to be between the ages of 10 and 21, an attitude that (hopefully) gets tempered with age, and there really isn't a major difference in the maturity of a 29yr old and a 30 yr old. The reasons for turning away those under 21 is generally for the inclusion of alcohol at an event. Saying, "this is 21+ night because we break out some alcoholic libations" is one thing, but saying, "No one under 30" doesn't make sense because you effectively limit adults (as Phobos did say 30+ adult gaming night) that might like a quieter setting but are grouped with the youngins for one reason or another.

If it's a private gaming club/organization then that's one thing, they as a group of members can state, "no one under 30 on Thursdays, but the other 6 days is everyone" (Thirty Thursdays! ), but at a game store such a thing would serve to be extremely divisive amongst the people that frequent the store. If a store said, "30+ night tonight Alf, sorry you can't play here on Thursdays anymore." then what's to stop someone from going, "Fine can we reserve Tuesdays for people 20 to 29?" As soon as an age bracket gets told no, then you've got people that are being shown favoritism by their establishment, and will probably find somewhere more accommodating to them. If my FLGS said that Fridays (the only time I can game) was 30+ night, then they wouldn't see me again, because I wouldn't want to be excluded from something by my age. If Board Game Night was on Fridays, then I'd start playing board games because I can still play games, but if I'm being told that I can't do anything on Fridays because some old grognard doesn't want to share the table with me due to when I was born then it's not a place I want to play at anymore because it's an old boys club and not an inclusive gaming community.

Phobos is right, here is the gnashing of teeth

Eilif, I do agree that if partitions can be set up and the space can be reserved so that people can still have use of the space to play games, then it's a bit of an easier pill to swallow.

What you need to be a successful gaming store in my mind is pretty simple. A clean well lit store that your mother would be happy to be seen in. This mean functioning heat/AC, clean bathrooms, clean floors, etc. You need stock on the shelves and those shelves should be presentable. You need polite knowledgeable staff. Drinks and snack of various types. Drinks doesn't necessarily include beer since in the US you'll need a license to sell that as a business. Space for the card gamers, board gamers, and tabletop gamers to avoid each other. Rules of conduct and hygiene that are enforced by you and your staff. A loyalty program or rebate card of some sort as in buy $200, get $20 off seems to produce reasonable results locally to me. Advertise your business. Make sure if your store front isn't visible to traffic to have a professional looking sign that is.

See I knew this was going to draw these kind of responses.

It's nothing personal, truly it isn't. Alf I'm sure you're a great guy to play a game with, and a great guy in general. And I don't doubt for a moment that there are many people 30 plus who are complete idiots and should be beaten unmercifuly. But statistically and in general the odds work in my favor.

The easiest way to explain it is with a rather condescending but truthful statement - you will understand when you're older. It has a lot to do with overall life experience. When I think back on my life the difference between 35 and 25 is much much greater than that between 25 and 15.

Call it ageist or whatever you want, but its how I feel.

Ok as this topic has come up again at a time when I am working on a business plan for a store I will run this past you guys. I am so far planning to stock a full selection of ccg's and boardgames plus comics and comic books. Also for the war gaming side all the usual suspects plus a selection of the less well known games such as Relics and Deepwars .
There will be plenty of table space of various sizes for all types of gaming, plus a small area with some comfy chairs and sofas just to sit and chill while having a snack or drinks which will be for sale.
However I am currently considering not stocking GW as they require me to take on a large amount of for a lack of a better term dead stock as part of the first order.
This effectively ties up a lot of capital that I feel could be better spent elsewhere, so what do you guys think.

Sean, nobody here can give you any sort of meaningful opinion on that.

Of course it sounds great. But I see from your flag that you are in the UK, so how do you feel about taking on Games Workshop?

I will give you this advice. Make sure that you have enough money saved up that you can pay all your bills both personal and business related if your shop does not make any money for at least 6 months, a year would be much better.

And consider how you would feel after having spent all that money and the shop still isn't doing well. Will you be able to walk away?

Well thanks to the uk economy being in the craper I have plenty of experience of things going tits up, after having been made redundant twice in the last 6 years, so I know how to suck up a loss.

As for taking on GW the shop next to the local store is available but sadly the rent is stupidly high, but in reality I am not taking on gw I am taking on the local store, which is staffed by people with little retail experience or training beyond buy this new kit now, has no atmosphere or anything that is different from any other GW store thanks to company policy and despite being the manufacturer cannot even compete on price.

Also it's less about taking them on and more about not wanting to deal with there crap, if I did deal with them the amount of hobbit and fantasy stuff you have to take in an initial order, would offset any sales made of 40k and the actual popular stuff for months.

Basically I want as diverse range of stock as I can while still remaining a flgs, so that I can try and have as many different revenue streams as I can get.

I think the things that I would love to see in a gaming store could be summed up as:

1. Location. I had a store once that I LOVED, but gaming nights ended right about the same time that the college bar next door got wild. If it wasn't for that it would have been great. You need to be in the right place the be convenient for customers, without having nearby bullies. Also, parking falls into this category. I hate having to park a block away and haul a heavy case.

2. Staff. Kind, courteous, and at least a decent understanding of customer service.

3. Cleanliness. Nothing ruins a store for me like having sub-standard bathrooms. Clean, and functional will do it. Not something that looks like a truck stop from the 1960's.

4. Stock. A decent line-up of models of whatever range you decide to carry. If something isn't in stock, either have it ordered soon, or have it be able to be special ordered.

5. Atmosphere. Painted walls, carpet, and a generally pleasing to the eye.

6. Gaming space. You don't need tables that are 40k-specific 24-7. Just some general use tables. Something that can be used for Magic on Sunday, 40k on Tuesday, and Heroclix on Saturday.

7. An online presence. While not necessary, having a website with a chat board can more easily facilitate games.

8. Event organization. Have gaming nights. However, make it clear WHEN this is. I've seen many stores with "gaming nights" that newbies never new about. Also, it stinks when you want to come in for a pick-up game only to find out that the place it packed with kids playing a Pokémon tournament that anyone outside the niche would not know about.

My preferred gaming store (although there are several within reasonable distance) is AC models in Eastleigh, Hampshire, they cover the cost of rent etc through their model trains and scaletrix ranges so wargaming is and added extra for them, however they are in the centre of town meaning vital food/drinks/pizza stops are only a short distance down the road, offer a "preferred member discount" to members of my gaming club on top of any other discount they offer. It's a social hub for many of us as well games can be arranged outside of our normal club nights and he has 3 tables that can run separate games or be pushed together to create a larger table if needed. He's also starting up once a month late night openings for longer sessions and regardless of what time of the week i pop in i'm almost guaranteed to see someone i know and get a game of 40K or X-wing/ Attack wing in.

SeanDrake wrote:
However I am currently considering not stocking GW as they require me to take on a large amount of for a lack of a better term dead stock as part of the first order.

This effectively ties up a lot of capital that I feel could be better spent elsewhere, so what do you guys think.

If you can project more potential GW sales than the cost of the stock do it.

However, you will need numbers, and I'm not entirely sure where you can get that, perhaps 3rd party distributors can give you an idea of the volume of GW that is sold? However, it also varies a lot by area. Since, you wil be going in near anothe rlocal, take a closer look at their stock and see if it is moving.

However, I think starting you want low overhead costs which means not having everything right away. This will give you time to gauge what your customers are interested in, and try to maximize on other buying factors. Keep in mind their are five priamry motivations to buy:

1. Save Money
2. Save Time
3. Convenience
4. Security
5. Build Status

Think of which of these factors your competition is playing too, and which ones you will be playing too. Being right next to your competition it will be especially vital to differentiate yourself early and forcefully!

By the way, my ideal gaming store is one that can stay open first, carries the toys I want second, and has a decent "vibe" about it.

Also a store that helps gather the community multiple different games.

For example Warhammer and Warmachine may be the most popular games.

I may love the idea of playing infinity but if there is no chance of getting a game of infinity I am not going to bother buying anything for it except for painting.

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

Knockagh wrote:
Maybe not completely related but it bugs the life out of me that GW stores won't carry, even a small amount of FW stock. It would be a great draw to gamers who have been in for a while and are thinking of progressing. Even a few blisters on a rack at the till. Sorry if this is off topic!!

Sadly this will never happen. FW doesn't give retailers discounts so they can sell it, so if a store wanted to stock FW they would have to buy it at cost with shipping.

Never happen? US GW corporate stores used to do it(I picked up some of mine from a couple of their mall stores in early 2000's), then it moved to Bunkers only and now I believe no longer those.

The store closest to me is a pretty decent store

http://www.firestormgames.co.uk/

They have decent prices due to a small discount and friendly knowledgeable staff (even if they do get a little to excited at times and tell you all the details of their armies.) but its a nice place to be. The actual retail area isn't that big but they have a huge gaming area out back with plenty of space for all sorts of games and a bar.

This is easy, no magic

 Igloo wrote:
This is easy, no magic

Spoiler:

I say this because every wargaming table at my flgs is overrun with magic players. That, and because the magic players support the store mainly, the store owner doesn't give a feth about wargaming players

Sadly Igloo, here is your ideal game store then:


Look! No magic players.

 Alfndrate wrote:

 Igloo wrote:
This is easy, no magic

Spoiler:

I say this because every wargaming table at my flgs is overrun with magic players. That, and because the magic players support the store mainly, the store owner doesn't give a feth about wargaming players

Sadly Igloo, here is your ideal game store then:


Look! No magic players.

Yes, I know that few stores could be supported without magic, but they just really piss me off. I go in the morning after fnm, and you can barley see the floor through all the cards and junk food trash.

 Igloo wrote:
Yes, I know that few stores could be supported without magic, but they just really piss me off. I go in the morning after fnm, and you can barley see the floor through all the cards and junk food trash.

Then that's a problem with the culture established by the store owner. My FLGS has FNM and you barely know they're there because he makes sure they clean up after themselves because if they abuse the space they lose it (same holds true for the Wargamers).

 Alfndrate wrote:

 Igloo wrote:
Yes, I know that few stores could be supported without magic, but they just really piss me off. I go in the morning after fnm, and you can barley see the floor through all the cards and junk food trash.

Then that's a problem with the culture established by the store owner. My FLGS has FNM and you barely know they're there because he makes sure they clean up after themselves because if they abuse the space they lose it (same holds true for the Wargamers).

Yea, the second in command just quit stating the awful store owner as the cause.

 Igloo wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:

 Igloo wrote:
This is easy, no magic

Spoiler:

I say this because every wargaming table at my flgs is overrun with magic players. That, and because the magic players support the store mainly, the store owner doesn't give a feth about wargaming players

Sadly Igloo, here is your ideal game store then:


Look! No magic players.

Yes, I know that few stores could be supported without magic, but they just really piss me off. I go in the morning after fnm, and you can barley see the floor through all the cards and junk food trash.

Unfortunately, it is true. My partner and I are opening a store and one of the hardest things that I had to swallow was just how much MTG supports game stores. Our numbers have MTG as almost 77.5% of our profit over a month. The only thing that even gets close to that is Warhammer 40k at 4.2%.
If you look at the numbers for US Games Workshop stores, they shouldn't even exist. The only thing keeping them alive is the massive amount of money Games Workshop makes loaning their IP and the stores in the UK.

 mikhaila wrote:

f2k wrote:

 the_Armyman wrote:
Those of you asking for deep discounts don't know much about the hobby B&M business. These retailers typically operate on a pretty thin profit margin of between 5-10%. Offering you even a modest discount means they don't make money on that product. They can manage this for special occasions and special customers, but not every day and not for everyone.

Indeed. Which is why I suggest that brick'n'mortar stores are going the way of the Dodo.

Deep discounts - preferably 25% or better - is pretty much required to make me buy anything from Games Workshop these days. The price is just that bad. Sadly, as more and more players look to the internet for that kind of discounts, the local stores are shutting down.

Sad, but entirely predictable...

I laugh and you and will dance upon your grave. Lots of people look for more in a store than just a discount, and those are my customers.

My, aren't you the nice guy to talk to?

I won't dance on anyone's grave. Nor will I dance on the "graves" of those local stores that have died in my town. True, there's more to it than just prices, but prices were certainly the major reason why people who had been looking at the games walked out again. And I know that several of the owners complained that the prices were making it increasingly hard to sell the game. Even veterans were beginning to balk at the price, so what do you think new players felt? More than one parent looked at the total for starting in the game and then promptly dragged the kid out of the store again, one mum even asking her child if he wouldn't rather have an Xbox as that was cheaper.

SeanDrake wrote:
Ok as this topic has come up again at a time when I am working on a business plan for a store I will run this past you guys. I am so far planning to stock a full selection of ccg's and boardgames plus comics and comic books. Also for the war gaming side all the usual suspects plus a selection of the less well known games such as Relics and Deepwars .
There will be plenty of table space of various sizes for all types of gaming, plus a small area with some comfy chairs and sofas just to sit and chill while having a snack or drinks which will be for sale.
However I am currently considering not stocking GW as they require me to take on a large amount of for a lack of a better term dead stock as part of the first order.
This effectively ties up a lot of capital that I feel could be better spent elsewhere, so what do you guys think.

With GW's current trend, you may absolutely be right. I've carried them for 25 years, but their sales are dropping and the cost in stocking them is skyrocketing. I can put a box of 10 plastic witch elves on a shelf or a huge, heavy and very cool Board Game. I'm putting more dollars into other games now.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/gamestore

I recommend this forum. It's to ask questions and post your business plan and get advice from people already in the business. Not necessarily what you want to hear. Possibly what you need to hear.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

f2k wrote:

 mikhaila wrote:

f2k wrote:

 the_Armyman wrote:
Those of you asking for deep discounts don't know much about the hobby B&M business. These retailers typically operate on a pretty thin profit margin of between 5-10%. Offering you even a modest discount means they don't make money on that product. They can manage this for special occasions and special customers, but not every day and not for everyone.

Indeed. Which is why I suggest that brick'n'mortar stores are going the way of the Dodo.

Deep discounts - preferably 25% or better - is pretty much required to make me buy anything from Games Workshop these days. The price is just that bad. Sadly, as more and more players look to the internet for that kind of discounts, the local stores are shutting down.

Sad, but entirely predictable...

I laugh and you and will dance upon your grave. Lots of people look for more in a store than just a discount, and those are my customers.

My, aren't you the nice guy to talk to?

I won't dance on anyone's grave. Nor will I dance on the "graves" of those local stores that have died in my town. True, there's more to it than just prices, but prices were certainly the major reason why people who had been looking at the games walked out again. And I know that several of the owners complained that the prices were making it increasingly hard to sell the game. Even veterans were beginning to balk at the price, so what do you think new players felt? More than one parent looked at the total for starting in the game and then promptly dragged the kid out of the store again, one mum even asking her child if he wouldn't rather have an Xbox as that was cheaper.

I own a Game Store for 25 years. Plan to for another 20 at least. You voicing your opinion that stores are becoming extinct is sort of like me saying "Your army sucks". What sort of reply would you expect?



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Igloo wrote:
This is easy, no magic

Spoiler:

I say this because every wargaming table at my flgs is overrun with magic players. That, and because the magic players support the store mainly, the store owner doesn't give a feth about wargaming players

MTG is not the problem, any more than boardgaming, or miniature games would be a problem.

You take the time to schedule events, make players behave and clean up after themselves, co-exist with the other gamers, and set up your store to have room for all of them. I get about 30 people for FNM each week. They are next to about 25 wargamers and a a dozen people painting or playing boardgames. We stay open until about 1am on Fridays.

It takes more work. The main problem i see with game stores are owners who haven't trained themselves and don't put in the needed work, and this is then reflected in their staff.

 mikhaila wrote:

I own a Game Store for 25 years. Plan to for another 20 at least. You voicing your opinion that stores are becoming extinct is sort of like me saying "Your army sucks". What sort of reply would you expect?

Well, a good start might be to try to have a civil discourse...

Secondly, would it harm you to admit that there are other stores in the world?

Yes, I know you and your store. We've had debates on WarSeer previously. And my opinion remains the same.

It might be that you're an all round decent guy and a great salesman. It might be that your store is the only place to play within a thousand miles. It might be that you have an uncommonly loyal customer-base. It might be that you're simply lucky...

But in my local area, within a decade or so, a handful of hobby stores have shut their doors. I used to do freelance work for three of them, and in all cases the answer was the same: the prices were simply too high. Games Workshop products weren't selling and every year seemed to bring more draconian trade-agreements and more trouble. No, this is not the only reason why those stores shut down, but it played a major part,

We used to have a host of hobby stores covering scale modelling, railways, dolls, tabletop wargamming, and so on. I think it's pretty telling that the only surviving store was the one that branched out in time, spreading their investments between various hobbies.

We used to have several thriving clubs. Now we might be able to gather a handful of 40K players once a month or so. Fantasy? Forget it - that's as good as dead.

Incidentally, my current boss is the owner of one of the aforementioned stores. In fact, that was how I met him. We've talked this over many times - there's nothing we would love more than to be able to open a brick'n'mortar store again and gather the guys for yet another round of battles. But the fact remains that this just isn't feasible. He can just about keep his online store open, turning an okay profit. But only by offering a flat discount to all customers. And even with that, he still can't compete with the big online stores in England.

And that's the sad state of tabletop gaming in my area now. No matter how nice the owner of the local store is, getting my stuff from England at two-thirds the local price is just too tempting. Particularly since Games Workshop products are now so hideously overpriced that I can't get myself to even look at them unless I they're at some 20% discount. And even then I feel dirty for putting money into it.

It's now an open secret that many of the codex in use among those I play with are less-than-legal. And no-one bothers to hide the fact that they make good use of Chinese and Russian recasters. Had someone tried to do that just a few years ago he would have been told to stop being a jerk and get a legal product from the local store. But now...? No-one cares as no-one feels good about paying the asked retail price.

If you can keep your store open; well, good for you. I wish you the best. But in my local area, local stores are all but extinct now. And, as you said yourself, sales are dropping. And what do you have left in your store when the price becomes too high for even the most diehard fanboy?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
A thought occurred to me, just as I hit Submit.

One issue in my local area might be that the currency is quite strong in relation to the Dollar and Pound, making the English stores a very good place to bulk-buy from. And that goes not just for Games Workshop, but for many things. And the high local prices are certainly not helping the local stores.

Well, a good start might be to try to have a civil discourse...

Learn to lighten up a little and take a joke. "Dancing on your Grave" means "i'm not going anywhere".

If you remember a conversation from Warseer, that's a long time ago. I don't think I've gone to the site in over a year.

Secondly, would it harm you to admit that there are other stores in the world?

I will readily admit there are other stores in the world, Probably the heart of our problem is you see things from your point of view, and i see them from mine. This statement applies equally to you.

The difference is, my statements pertain to my store. Your's was a global statement. I have no info on your boss's stores, I hope he's successful in whatever way he chooses to run them. He was forced to close and sell online. Online stores have to discount to compete. But that doesn't mean that all stores are going away, or that we need to discount to compete.

Anyway, end of arguement from my side.

f2k wrote:

Well, a good start might be to try to have a civil discourse...

Secondly, would it harm you to admit that there are other stores in the world?

Wait a sec, at the risk of extemding this ridiculous line of thought, you live in a tiny country in Europe, and somehow that's represenative of the rest of the Eurozone or any other place in the world? And then you have the audacity the relate how you and your circle of friends either outright pirate game materials or make your purchases somewhere other than your local store, and you're dumbfounded when they go out of business! On top of that, you commiserate with one of those local businessmen who you and your pals put out of business.

Did I get all that correct? *Prepares for the inevitable reply that it's all someone else's fault/greedy coporations/blah blah blah...*

 the_Armyman wrote:

f2k wrote:

Well, a good start might be to try to have a civil discourse...

Secondly, would it harm you to admit that there are other stores in the world?

Wait a sec, at the risk of extemding this ridiculous line of thought, you live in a tiny country in Europe, and somehow that's represenative of the rest of the Eurozone or any other place in the world? And then you have the audacity the relate how you and your circle of friends either outright pirate game materials or make your purchases somewhere other than your local store, and you're dumbfounded when they go out of business! On top of that, you commiserate with one of those local businessmen who you and your pals put out of business.

Did I get all that correct? *Prepares for the inevitable reply that it's all someone else's fault/greedy coporations/blah blah blah...*

Nope. Fail on all points...

I never claimed that my store was representative. All I'm saying is that neither is mikhaila's. There're good stores and bad stores - some survive, some don't. That his store is doing well does not invalidate my observations that the local stores in my area does not, mainly due to the price.

But don't take my word for it. Go look at Games Workshop's own annual reports. They paint a pretty bleak picture of a company that's bleeding customers left and right.

And yes, I have the audacity to point out that the insane prices that Games Workshop is asking for a few grams of plastic have driven quite a few players to either quit or find other ways - sometimes Ebay, sometimes less savory places - to fulfill their need. It's something that needs to be said. Just as it needed to be pointed out to the music industry that on-demand streaming of individual songs was what people wanted.
It's a crying shame, it really is. But what can you do? It's their choice to do so. As for myself, I prefer to either buy what little stuff I want legally - though as cheaply as I can find it - or not buy it at all. But I can certainly understand why some might take another route entirely.

As for putting people out of business, I hardly claim to be so important that what little me and my friends buy - or not - made much of a difference. What made a difference was the inability to recruit new players - the in-store price was too high and the local clubs were shrinking as people quit and sold of their stuff. I kid you not, I was in the store when the example with the Xbox happened. She wanted to get her kid started in the game, so of course she was offered a starter box. Was that all the kid needed? Well, no. There were rulebooks, paints, glue, more models to make a "proper" army, and so on and so forth. Once she had done a quick calculation of what this was going to cost her in the long run, she turned to her son and asked if he wouldn't rather have an Xbox. Which, as it turned out, he did...

See, this is the issue. The buy-in cost is now so insane that new recruits are increasingly hard to come by. And with the veterans dropping out, one after another, there simply isn't a reliable customer base anymore.

Also, why do I have to buy my stuff in the local store? I owe them nothing. Well... Okay... I owe my current boss some loyalty and thus prefer to make my purchases from his on-line store. But that's it. Why should I use the local store when their prices are higher than what I can get on the net? What do they offer me that should make it worth that extra money? Well, they've been talking of doing game-nights now, in which case I will begin buying from them if I play in their facilities - fair's fair. But until then, I get my stuff elsewhere...

And no, I'm not surprised that the local stores went out of business. Nor am I surprised that the clubs shut down. The writing was on the wall for years. With every pricehike you could see turnover drop for Games Workshop products. It became a vicious cycle that the store could not break out of. Every time the price went up, it became harder to retain the veterans and to recruit new players. Fewer players resulted in less turnover, So the stores were forced to start selling other products to make up the shortfall. Which drove away more players as they couldn't get what they wanted. Then the price went up again, and so it went...

Sad? Yes. Surprising? No. And yes, it is Games Workshops fault to a very large degree. Quite simply, they have pushed their customers too hard and are now reaping what they have sowed.

There is a caveat though. Games Workshop might have all but killed the Games Workshop Hobby Stores, and these are what we were talking about. They have not, however, killed hobby stores in general. A few survive, hidden away in the dark corners of the city. But in the main, the internet has proven to be a very tough competitor.


EDIT:

Just to clarify: with Games Workshop Hobby Stores I mean not only the company's own stores - of which I have none nearby - but every store that has Games Workshop products as it's primary source of income.

in no particular order

1. Fully painted tables, fully painted terrain, kept in good condition
2. A variety of game systems with no bias towards game type
3. Accessories from new and upcoming brands
4. Demo tables, demo games, game days, and tournaments
5. Ability for the community to participate as organizers, donors, etc.
6. Well merchandised, free flowing shopping space
7. RPG section
8. Card section w/singles for popular games
9. Snacks and drinks (w/caffeine free options)

My ideal store:

Gaming space for at least 3 tables
At least a soda machine, if not also a snack machine
A full selection of games: board, table, card, RPG
A discount schedule something like: 5% off orders of $50+, 10% off $100, 20% off 200+(this allows competition with websites at least for larger purchases, and compels players to bundle orders together to get to said discounts)
Staff that knows at least how to demo 75% of the games on hand, who also are not pushy about sales
Air conditioning that works
2 toilets that are well maintained(you'd be surprised at the condition of many a game stores lavatory)
Some manner of loyalty program beyond the regular discount, perhaps for specific purchases or other sales promotion
Painting space for at least 4 people with chairs and lighting provided.

Ultimately, I want somewhere to hang out while painting and discuss geekdom with friends, a place to play, and a place to buy that isn't some warehouse on the east coast. The Warstore should be viewed as the competition, not the game store a few towns over. And if you can keep me in the store, and your prices are competitive, then I'll gladly spend my money there.

I don't feel that retail pricing for "core" items is viable for LGS's anymore(GW, MtG, and PP games). The internet has claimed those sales heavily.

It might be asking a lot, but without these amenities I'd just as soon order online and play in my house or at a friends, even if it's on the dinner table.

 Trondheim wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
If I owned a game store I would love to have the following in my store:

1) A thriving Magic the Gathering community, without card gamers, it becomes really tough for game stores to keep the lights on, though I would want them relegated to their own section of the store as it is best for all parties involved. This section would be open and available for magic and card gamers to play any time the store is open, which allows for a casual community and then hosting tournaments for the community.

2) A space to contain 3 to 4 40k games at once. That means three to four 8x4 tables with places to stow terrain and gear during the game. This allows the store to easily break the number of tables in half to accommodate games played on a 3x3 or a 4x4 table as well as keeping it clean for your 40k, Fantasy, or Flames of War players. These tables would be open at all times for Open Play during the day, but on specific nights would be reserved for a specific game.
2.a) Terrain of various scales, manufacturers, all painted and sealed. Nothing too extravagant because I wouldn't want someone to break it and feel bad. Theme boards possibly, but not needed.

3) New releases in a prominent section so I don't have to go searching for the latest space marine kit, or that new Warmahordes faction, etc... Keep these near their main lines so you don't have to travel far to pick up other things.
3.a) Gaming literature available in an easy to peruse section providing a large variety of gaming and hobby magazines
3.b) Hobby Supplies near the front of the store by the counter so you see them on your way in, and on your way out with purchases (to maximize impulse buys)

4) Schedule of Events so that all of the players in my store know what is being played on what night, make this available via a calendar at the front of the store as well as online through w/e form of media my store uses (website, facebook, twitter, etc...)

5) Demo Table near the front that would have a board game, tabletop game, or card game available to try. This might only be available during certain times, but it would be a way for people to quickly learn a new game. I'd work with various volunteer programs (henchmen, pressgangers, sarges, etc...) to work out days of the week when they can come in and demo as having them be excited to demo means they do better demos and we both get bigger communities

6) Hobby Workshop, a small garage/slightly open air place where I could house a store spray booth for priming models, airbrushing, or working on some hobby related things
t.

This describes my FLGS perfectly