by Sara Erickson, owner, Rook’s Comics and Games
Sitting in my game store on a warm Saturday afternoon, I watch as customers stream in with tote bags full of games they plan on playing during the next three or four hours. I know most of them by name and would consider many of them my friends. They’ve been shopping and playing at my store for the past nine years, and I’ve seen them grow from awkward teenagers into professional adults. Many have even outgrown my store and are now shopping at the local toy store across the street for their own kids. Eventually, the cycle will repeat and I’ll be selling the newest hot game to the next generation.
On the surface, game stores such as mine are similar in many ways to toy stores, so I was recently surprised to realize how differently we operate. I think there’s a lot we can learn from each other; and with the growing threat of online sales and big box stores, it seems like a good time to share a bit of knowledge.
What I’ve Learned from the Toy Industry:
• Game Stores Have a Ways to Go: My store is a lot like an old pair of jeans on a dorm room floor. It’s very comfy, but smells a bit on hot days. By comparison, toy stores always seem to be brighter, more colorful, and more organized than most game stores. Their staff members are well trained and there are procedures in place for most situations. There certainly are professionally run game stores, but for the most part, we simply haven’t been around as long and the barrier to entry is lower. As such, we still have a bit of growing up to do before the average shopper will take us seriously.
• Retailer Trade Organization Are Important: I attended the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy for the first time this year, and was overwhelmed by how well it was organized, how much help I was offered by other attendees, and how much information I gained from the seminars. There is no retailer-specific trade organization in the game industry, so we are really missing out. Both ASTRA and the Toy Industry Association (TIA) are doing some really cool stuff to promote their members. I really look forward to getting more involved with both of them over the next year.
• Plan Ahead: I was very surprised to find store owners placing orders for the holiday season in June. I order products each week, and I have very little information about what products will be available beyond that time frame. Because of this, it is difficult to plan purchases far in advance and my customers expect brand new products every week. So I think it would be worth it for game stores to take note of how toy stores budget for the holiday season to avoid missing out on fourth quarter sales due to cash flow issues.
What Toy Stores Could Learn from Game Stores:
• Engage Through Events: I host at least 10 weekly, organized events in my store, plus extra special events. Most toy stores do the occasional sale or holiday celebration, but few do regular weekly events. While many toy store shoppers are crunched for time and fear that their kids will bankrupt them if they stay any longer in wonderland, I think there’s room for a bit more customer engagement. Afternoon board game events, weekday morning science kit demos, or Saturday scooter races in the parking lot can all give parents an excuse to stop by and support their favorite local business.
• Not Just Products, but Play Space: About 3,000 square feet of my 5,300 square-foot store is dedicated play space for my customers. If you buy a game in my store, I want to make sure you have a place and a community to help you enjoy it. Events and play space are the reasons why I can charge full MSRP when the same games are deeply discounted online.
• Promotional Exclusives Add an Incentive to Shop Offline: Many of the games that we sell have some sort of a collectible aspect or accessories that are used to upgrade the product. This allows manufacturers to create brick-and-mortar exclusive items that we can use to add value to the products we sell. If you are considering purchasing King of Tokyo online, you’re going to miss out on that extra game card you could get by driving down to your friendly local game store instead. While it might be challenging for toy manufacturers, many game publishers would probably send you a ton of free exclusive items. Just ask!
• The Board Game Revolution Is On: Board games are undergoing a transformation in the U.S. right now, and are spreading like wildfire through social groups. People are looking for a way to spend time together face-to-face and board games a great way to do that. Unfortunately, most old school games just aren’t fun—four hours of rolling dice to randomly decide who should own a railroad doesn’t appeal to the Y Generation, which was raised on deeply strategic video games.
Right now there is huge potential in strategy games that kids and adults both enjoy. Parents love the educational aspect of strategy games for their kids, and these titles are also suitable for grown-up dinner parties. More of these types of games are coming out each week; however, they are strangely absent from most toy store shelves.
Personally, I feel that I’ve only uncovered the tip of the iceberg for things game stores and toy stores can learn from each other. Toy stores may be the older, wiser sibling—and game stores are the crazy, creative younger child—but with pressures mounting against all brick and mortar retail stores, we have a lot to gain by sticking together.
Sara Erickson owns Rook’s Comics and Games in Bozeman, Mont. She is also the sales and organized play manager for Iello, a board game publisher. Erickson served on the retailer board for the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) from 2011 to 2012, and enjoys organizing exciting events and mentoring new game stores.
