I've had a lot of conversations with retailers about adding or growing games, and the hesitations almost always are some form of the following three. Here's my straight take on each.
1. "People don't come to us looking for games."
You're probably right! And it's because they're going to the stores that have already noticed them.
There's a growing base of customers turning to games to connect with family and friends in a screen-free way. They know game and toy stores exist, but many buy from Target or Barnes & Noble anyway, simply because they feel more comfortable there. The customer who picks Target over a game store would pick your store if you gave them the opportunity.
Need proof it's gone mainstream? Wingspan now pulls nearly as many Google searches as Ticket to Ride — it's reached an audience well beyond the hobby.
Watch: Target is capturing your customer
Watch: Wingspan is as much of a household name as Ticket to Ride
2. "Games are more time-consuming and harder to sell than toys."
Yes.. but the gap is smaller than you think.
Not everyone I hired in my retail days was a natural at selling games off the shelf. So we used a short acronym that kept shelf pitches quick and effective, even for complicated titles. Reach out and I'll teach it to you.
Reducing that friction is my whole job. No single approach fits every store, so the more I understand yours, the better I can help.
3. "My staff and I aren't really gamers."
There are two kinds of people: those who love games, and those who haven't found their type yet. The category is enormous, and it really comes down to each person's "why."
Most owners who say this don't realize they already have gamers on staff. One store I work with had their team take a quick five-question survey. We found:
- Every staff member had a favorite game the store wasn't carrying.
- A few employees turned out to be gamers the owner never knew about.
- With those answers, I could recommend titles for each employee to try and get excited about. I know how it is, your staff chooses your top sellers.
