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In my area, we have 5 game stores. One is out in the willy whacks, there is a new one in a local mall, one a few blocks from where I live, another on Main Street the next town over, and another over by some college housing, in the middle of some restaraunts. All have been running for a few years, with the one on Main Street being in business for over 30 years and doubling as a comics shop, the one by my house is a sister shop to it. The one that is in the willies is run by a fairly savy businessman who has been around about 10 years. The one by the college does orders, but is mainly Magic.
There are different things that pull people to these stores, with some bypassing closer businesses to go to some of the other stores. Tournaments are a big draw for a couple, location for others, and price breaks for a couple more. The people that frequent these places are also a factor.
In your areas what is it that is the draw and what is it that made you, as someone who had never been into a game store take the first trip in?

Location. If it isn't convenient for me to get to, why would I go there in the first place?

2. Stock carried. If they don't carry stuff I play or want to play, why would I go there?



Store as playing venue has little interest to me (as most of our gaming clubs AREN'T based in stores).
Tournaments are not a draw for me, either.

I'm with Chromedog!

Location, stock carried are really important. Price is also important, but really only in the sense that in our area, there are 2 stores within 2 blocks of each other, and one has a better price on everything by enough to matter. At least to me. So....

1. Gaming crowd/group/suitability for play
2. Events
3. Prices
4. Location

For me its mainly the people who frequent it and the staff. Don't mind going a little further for a more pleasant atmosphere. As far as stock goes, I've gotten used to finding it online when stores don't have it.

Attitude of the staff is #1.

After that comes the stocking of stuff, room to play, other customers, etc. If the owner and his/her employees suck, I won't go there. Regardless of the stock and/or other people there. Bad customers will make you choose who you get games with. Bad owners you hope to see go under. I know one store that I keep my ear to the ground in the hopes to hear his store closes down. And since he just lost his bread and butter FNM crowd to a competing store...the timeframe should be measurable in days.

For me, I've usually only had one option so I can't be picky. But if I was...

1. Dedicated space. Some kind of "40K day" with plenty of reserved space so we don't have to fight the magic players for a table (same for any other gaming system).
2. Adequate resources. Good terrain, enough tables that people aren't all waiting for one or two places to play.
3. Competent management. Ideally the storekeeper plays the game, but even if not they still encourage it.
4. Community. Who plays there? My favorite store to this day remains TBS Comics in Pensacola, FL, because everyone was friendly and no one was a stereotypical basement dweller (at one point 50% of the regulars were Navy pilots/WSOs along with a couple Marines). It also meets the other criteria.
5. Clean/organized. It shouldn't look/smell like a dump.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Attitude of the staff is #1.

After that comes the stocking of stuff, room to play, other customers, etc. If the owner and his/her employees suck, I won't go there. Regardless of the stock and/or other people there. Bad customers will make you choose who you get games with. Bad owners you hope to see go under. I know one store that I keep my ear to the ground in the hopes to hear his store closes down. And since he just lost his bread and butter FNM crowd to a competing store...the timeframe should be measurable in days.

A good staff is crucial. Their helpfulness and the environment they create separate a store from a community center. My local store has great staff that make you feel appreciated. I've had other stores jerk me around and be rude about stock, play times, etc. There are always other places to purchase and other places to play. For me to invest my time and money, the store has to earn it.

Clearly it's the women. I love going to the store and seeing it packed wall to wall with hot women.

convenience, got to be easy to get to

staff, no pushy salesmen (hello GW), but staff who will either leave you alone if you want to browse or help you out if you want to chat

stock, they need to carry stuff I'm interested in

Special Orders, If the offer to do special orders (they don't have to) they MUST keep them for you for a reasonable peroid rather than sticking them out on the shop floor or selling them to the first person who comes in and asks

Cusomers, they have to be prepared to get rid of the terminally stinky, the racist/homophoic/just plain nasty etc even if they do spend big bucks in store

I don't game in store so facilities and tournaments are not important to me but if I did they'd be on the list

The people.

I want to play games, talk rubbish and generally socialise. If the club is full of snobs intent on looking down on certain systems, unfriendly cliques and unaproachable staff, them I'm out.

The stock.

I want to be able to walk in and buy stuff. I have a decent disposable income, and like being able to turn up and spend money.

Facilities.

I want to be able to game. Plenty of tables, and space to walk around and watch others if I can't be bothered to bring stuff. And the option of store stuff, nothing better than bringing some Malifaux, and getting a new player into it by using one of the store crews. It's how I learned, and I've spent hundreds on the game now. And fresh air, seriously. I can't make people shower, but a flow of air means I'm not swimming in sweat from others.

1. Devoid of kids or homestuck teenagers
2. Good selection of stock and helpfull staff, alongside sufficent tabels to play at.
3. The crowd that plays there.
4. Location

 chromedog wrote:
Location. If it isn't convenient for me to get to, why would I go there in the first place?

2. Stock carried. If they don't carry stuff I play or want to play, why would I go there?



Store as playing venue has little interest to me (as most of our gaming clubs AREN'T based in stores).
Tournaments are not a draw for me, either.

Basically. Although I would consider going to tournaments if they are for systems that aren't played locally.

I like to see a lot of different people in a store. Yes, even kids.

The gaming store I used to go to was much more a hobby shop. It had war games, and it had trains, and it had puzzles, and it even had brio and toys for kids. It could get busy and loud, but the owners had a good sense of how to organize the place, so it was never overwhelming.

It's still there, I think, but I moved.

Not beating the same three people every match... My group of friends is small, and more often than not they use my spare armies. So I go to the store to play against people that I don't just walk over...

And I'm lucky enough to have a LGS that stocks nearly every bit of terrain available. Last time I was there they had a Forge World Mortis board in the terrain cupboard. Dozens of Aegis, about four Bastions, fantasy and 40k terrain of all types. Much better than my aging styrofoam and plastic plants...

Never really gamed in a store, it would take really nice people and a nice clean environment to get me in one.

I guess its a pretty different situation in the UK to the US though.

1. games I want to play
2. good stock of products
3. Friendly and knowledgable staff
4. store that will special order products
5. Support for the games I play such as tournaments and game nights
6. Safe neighborhood that the store is located in. Since I game in Youngstown Ohio this is very important don't want to be mugged walking to my truck.

For me it's..

1) Have what I want in stock when I want it
2) Cleanliness
3) Friendly staff who will leave me alone and let me shop, but there if I need them
4) Ample space for instore playing and events (even though I rarely am able take part)
5) Easy to get to with ample parking (I'll go out of my way to find a good shop, but I don't want to park on the street 3 blocks away)
6) Convenient restaurant / junk food store choices for when I'm there a while and need a snack.

1. Decent gaming tables/scenery.
2. Close to a pub

Yeah I think that's me.

Good question, and I really needed to think about it.

1. Stock- Does it have the games I want to play, plus similar games for me to browse through?

- I rarely interact with the staff, so that doesn't bother me.
- Location is not a big deal for me as I live in the sticks and have to travel to get anywhere anyway.
-Discounts? I don't care about those. I go and pay money at the stor eto support the infrastructure of gaming.
-I rarely play any games with strangers so I don't care about the gaming or the crowd either.

Mostly, I watn to go an indulge in a bit of casual browsing and buying stuff that seems cool to me.


Edit: A store cat is a plus for me. However, you rarely see tha tnow-a-days due to allergies and such.

 Rayvon wrote:

I guess its a pretty different situation in the UK to the US though.

Used to be certainly although things are definitely changing; the dirty and cluttered shops of yore are becoming a thing of the past. My nearest indy looks very similar to a GW; although its GW section is tiny.

There are definitely a few of the old man child caves still around but with GW's grip loosening there seems to be quite a few new shops opening up and they seem to be based on the US model for the most part.

The owner's wife's double Ds. Damn I miss that store.
Location.
Parking. There are places that I like but will rarely return because parking sucks ass.
Friendly and not pushy. We don't get to me saying "I'm just looking right now" a third time.
Good game group.
Clean.
Plenty of room to play.
Hosts gak I want to play.

 mattyrm wrote:
1. Decent gaming tables/scenery.
2. Close to a pub

Yeah I think that's me.

Mattyrm! Good to see you writing, old son.

 Chute82 wrote:

6. Safe neighborhood that the store is located in. Since I game in Youngstown Ohio this is very important don't want to be mugged walking to my truck.

Eew, Youngstown. My old CO was a cop in Youngstown; he had some stories...

1. A good selection of stock.
2. Friendly staff and an owner who understands his business.
3. A good crowd of people playing a lot of different games.
4. An open gaming area with well-made tables and terrain.

Nothing is worse than seeing an empty store with patchy stock and a disinterested owner. It's like watching someone's dreams slowly die.

 the_Armyman wrote:

 Chute82 wrote:

6. Safe neighborhood that the store is located in. Since I game in Youngstown Ohio this is very important don't want to be mugged walking to my truck.

Eew, Youngstown. My old CO was a cop in Youngstown; he had some stories...

The stores in Youngstown area all are in safe locations thankfully. I have to drive through the east side to get to the shops and had a guy throw a brick threw my windshield one night coming home. Cost me $300 to get a new windshield but thankfully my wife or I didn't get hurt.

 Rayvon wrote:
Never really gamed in a store, it would take really nice people and a nice clean environment to get me in one.

I guess its a pretty different situation in the UK to the US though.

It really is.

Staff or managers who understand the hobby and the people involved in it. There is very little in a store I cannot get cheaper online, even with loyalty discounts. But you can't buy attitude and you can't buy good conversation.

There was a LGS in my home town, and in the past and I would get the train to another city because the owner was a complete tool. It's since changed, but convenience to me is secondary to being treated like a person.
I'm up against it for that to happen at the best of times, but if anyone makes the extra effort, I'm a happy commissar.

I don't mean the saccharine atmosphere that some store chains train staff to cultivate, I mean someone who may not always remember your name, but they remember what you came in for last, what you care about, and what turns your wheels.

1: Attitude of the Owner. Staff I could give a damn, they are not getting my mony, he is, If the owner is rude or shady, they are unlikely to get my business.
2: How much you carry, no, I dont care that you can order it, if its more that 75$, i can get it from GW and have it bee here in short order. I wanna pick it up, look at the box, take it home and unwrap it
3: Food, are you withing walking distance of a Food place? Convienence

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
1: Attitude of the Owner. Staff I could give a damn, they are not getting my mony, he is, If the owner is rude or shady, they are unlikely to get my business.

This

If I don't like the owner, they won't get a cent. I do care about the staff, just not to the same degree.

And price, availability, and accuracy/dependability of special order items are also important factors.

The way I see it, staff could be new, a mistake, or having a bad day. But if an owner doesn't attempt to make it better, or at least offer sympathy or apoligies, yeah no.