Why do bookstores flourish, while board game stores close?
by GeorgiaBoardgamer on Aug.29, 2007, under boardgame articles
I’ve read and asked and read about why local game stores close. But if the Internet pricing is a large reason why (and I don’t know for sure that it is), then why do book stores keep opening? The prices are twice that of online, but the stores are always packed, at least the big name stores (Barnes and Noble, Borders.)
Could it be the coffee shops? Some of it probably
Is it the variety? Lots of stuff for everyone
Is it that folks just don’t like board games that much or at least not enough to keep an industry store afloat? Then I read a small article about board games being a number one seller:
And I’m thinking, “but those games are the traditional games,” so it’s not that people hate board games.
I’m not asking about the online versus flgs debate; I don’t think so anyway. At least that’s not what I’m interested in here. It’s more about what would work.
I’m really wondering what combination of things would get someone to go to a game store. What would make them get off their behind and go somewhere? Would a coffee shop game store work? Is the population of board game lovers so sparse that nothing can attract enough of them to support a local business? If Starbucks started selling board games or having game days what would happen?
I really wonder if most folks are just too lazy to learn something new.
