Is there a way to course correct the game store business model? Or is gaming in public just fricked long term?
>Stores are mostly distributors and spaces for publisher events
>Stores generally require sales of the product they distribute to stay afloat
>Buying products at stores is (usually) a far worse experience than ordering online.
>stores end up losing out on sales overall and closing
obviously, this has a side effect of reducing the number of places where gaming can actually happen in public, which could be detrimental to an /tg/ hobby overall.
Is there a way to fix this? Maybe instead of modeling it as a "store" it you model it more like a gym. Monthly dues for access to equipment (tables, terrain, board game stock). You could have pricing plans to include guests and etc. You still get to sell snacks under this model, and possibly retain the few distributor benefits, but you make your money from the people in your store, not pushing product.
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The word you're looking for seems to be "club".
Perhaps, but a semi-public club. You can run a club of 6 dudes out of your house, but that doesn't do much for the wider local community.
>Meanwhile, at any other game store in the area, employees ignore people walking in, don't face you, really doesn't feel like they care.
This is the standard experience, and you're paying the distributor premium
see above.
>semi-public club
Yes, a club.
>6 dudes out of your house
That's a group of mates, not a club.
has the right idea; call it a club operate the business send as a not for profit. There's some tax/salary restrictions you have to follow, but other than that the business end runs more or less like any other (the major difference being profits need to go straight back into the business).
That's not a bad idea. Though finding people willing to actually operate such a thing could be tough, if there isn't pay involved.
It's odd because we have volunteer associations for hiking trails and things in the US, but nothing like a wargaming club.
That's the brilliant part about NFPO as opposed to NPOs; you can still pay people a wage. There's just restrictions on what you can do with business earnings.
Depends on the game store. My FLGS owner runs his store as family-friendly, so family friendly games (board and card) up front as you walk in, with the heavier stuff way in the back.
He stocks Warhammer in a closet, keeping it out of sight of the hapless 8 year old who wanders in.
He's also got a few tables and aggressively runs card tournaments each weekend, charging $5 admission, and gives store credit as a prize, and he's raking in way more per event than he's handing out in store credit, and really goes out of his way to make sure employees greet people who walk in, which isn't hard for the one up front to do at all. It's really simple, you just position your body to face the incoming individual, and look in his or her direction.
Meanwhile, at any other game store in the area, employees ignore people walking in, don't face you, really doesn't feel like they care.
Nice to hear that you have at least one decent store in your area, all of mine that I've been into lately have been like the latter: Awkward, unpleasant atmospheres, dust everywhere, a handful of regulars being off-putting with bad hygiene (odor and wearing pajamas in public), no knowledge at the register of what they do and don't stock and why, it's frustrating when I try to spend money locally and get basically shit on for it. I have no problem with people shopping online if that's their alternative.
>it's frustrating when I try to spend money locally and get basically shit on for it. I have no problem with people shopping online if that's their alternative.
Exactly, people get butthurt about this, but it is the reality. It's the results of this reality that I'm wondering if there's a realistic way of addressing.
Step 1: take down Amazon
>Buying products at stores is (usually) a far worse experience than ordering online.
Weird claim
>talking to an actual person in your local community instead of sending signals to a server.
Not him, but around the time Amazon came around I had my LGS owner suddenly get very passive aggressive, mark up prices to make up for lost sales, and put notes in people's store bags that would start by thanking them for shopping there and then shift to saying it's the fault of people who don't buy stuff that game stores are dying.
I wonder how he would be if he was still running one now with the major companies giving ridiculously bad contracts to force stores to carry shit products
OP here, my old shop became a skate shop after amazon. Same owner, just switched to a more profitable grift.
Not a bad idea, you could also rent out space and equipment for painting sessions and birthday parties, like shop supplies everything to play an easy to learn game for six hours of birthday fun and a cake and ice cream or pizza and rootbeer served in ice cold mugs etc chuck e cheese type place for older customers, or make it like a gaming bar or whatever, like a pool hall like a mikes and busters or whatever where you could serve drinks and chicken wings. You'd just have to make the game pieces washable, a game parlor basically, chess in one corner, darts, cards, war games, dnd rpgs, schedule each night different games so everybody playing competitive and winner of the night gets a prize
Also painting lessons are really important. People don't understand how so aren't interested. Put models and diorama in store windows to draw people in. Sign says we have citadel paints, why? Because people will think they are rare. Sign days we play games here. Free painting classes on friday etc. Anything to draw them in. Also carry everything but limit floor space to openness designed, nothing blocking entry or view of checkout so doesn't feel scary, near front one rack citadel, one rack Vallejo, etc the rest are in the rear of the store or in another room, hand painted color swatch book near front display another in back for easy reference, no blocking views of people smiling faces. Tables for play and painting demos always up. Come here kid I'll show you how to throw some contrast paint on a goblin or how to roll the dice. Brighter lights, clean floors, no dust. Every customer gets a free goblin one piece model made in china shit throw in bag so they'll use some paint. Quick one page game rules as free flyers near counter goblins attack! Can you survive? Grab your goblin. Pick a number 1 to 30 if your friend guesses number within 5 of yours he survives your attack. If not he is struck and has one chance to defend. Etc. Just anything to get them to play a game. Whet their appetite. Also build better websites. In stock items, upcoming events, sales, put web site on all printed material and receipts. Sign up for email newletter friends, get discounts.
Stores are finished. Make it a venue. All you can play board game library for x amount per person. Parties. Escape rooms. Terrain and tables. Kids room to separate annoying children from the rest of patrons. Adult nights with liquor if you can get a license. Serve higher quality coffee, drinks, and snacks. Constant game demos. Subscriptions. Etc. main thing is that it has to be a cool place that people want to hang at as an outing. Don't focus on MTG or else it will just be a smelly mtg lair.
My LGS is trucking along fine.
All it really took was a clean inviting environment with free space to play, consistent organized events, pay for use rooms, and for the comic side of the business to implement a subscription model where you pick an ongoing and pay the store a bit on top each month to set the book aside for you to pick up.
Its been going fine and all it took to reach that point was some MTG Investor types buying in 50/50 with the old guard owner and using the funds to modernize.
*laughs in British*
None of this happens without the hard work of the club volunteers though, respect to them
Frick silly me
Hull's Angels?
Aye, there's Humberside Wargames Club too.
Sounds like you just have shit stores locally. Thats a you/the store owner problem. All the LGS's around me are booming, TCG is literally free money for them. The only stores that really fail are the ones with shitty and or dumb staff that refuse to acknowledge or foster that.
retail is dying form of business, its final demise is now question of when, not if
I agree. I don't want to also mean the inevitable death of public gaming spaces.
Interesting. Then it just becomes a matter of start up capital and networking. Not easy things, especially in the /tg/ world, but not impossible.
The only reason for LGS shops to exist now is to hold tournaments and for people to hold public game nights while they might be tempted to buy a booster pack or dice while there. Unfortunately the hobby has been infested with the most obnoxious morons. Unlike the previous generation of nerds who are just socially inept and a bit creepy these people just play the game to socialize and scream at people for using the wrong pro-noun as they browbeat the GM into letting them use a combat wheelchair. Then you got the grognards who shit where they sleep and end up pushing away the most normal people they are ever going to be able to play with and either stay out of stubbornness or leave because of how obnoxious the unicorn gender people are.
If you want to save LGS games you have to make sure like minded people are in their own groups and that nobody will bend the knee when somebody accuses somebody else of being a bigot when they don't want that person in the group.
True same thing happened to libraries homeless hygiene issues
Dilate and drop in value.