I went to a scrapbooking store today with my wife. Real niche audience, and I have no idea of the niche population difference between scrapbookers and boardgamers, but some of the game store owners should go in one of these stores. It was so nice and clean that I wanted to stay, and I hate scrapbooking (well, I kind of like Photoshopping.)
http://www.archiversonline.com/
Aside from the selection, it had a large back room with tables for scrapbooking. They had cutouts or whatever, machines that did “stuff” and fellow scrapbookers to help you. There was a “scrap to you drop” Friday’s for $15.
They also had classes, some free, some not, but most free. You could have substituted everything boardgame there and you’d have a great store. They even gave you dinner for the $15. Read demos, playing, etc.
And I’m sure there’s differences in the business as far as products and prices, but stil….
Of course, there’s that money thing and all that, but uh, besides that, stores could learn a thing or two about niche business from them (no I don’t work there.)
But I still don’t want to scrapbook. I bet my wife will be back, though.
2 users commented in " Want to Start a Niche Board Game Business - Look at other industries "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI agree with you to a point. I do think game stores do a poor job in maximizing there revuene streams. Though there is a big differnce between scarpbooking and boardgaming, you create something in scrapbooking. At any type of arts and crafts store workshop people are paying for the experience of making their project and the final product itself. Stores can offer supplies that people wouldn’t normally be able to access to. Most workshops you will have a finished product to take home.
Boardgaming is experience based only. Yes you can buy the game you played but that purchase allows you to play that game “forever”. So there is no reason to go back to buy more paper, glue, or binders that would need to do in scarpboarding. This is probably why miniture games make money for game stores. People always need more paint and brushes.
A better business model to look at might be a teatre or casino. These business are strickly selling experiences.
These are interesting points. I think I was more amazed by the store layout than the business model itself. I had just been in so many grimy game stores that this niche made me think of what could be a nice board game store. It was clean, open, and had nice people who would demonstrate their products. Perhaps it is only superficially a good board game store model, but the basic professionalism could be learned from.
I agree with you on the craft versus game though. I hadn’t thought of it that way. But instead of them coming back for paper and glue, they’d come back for the experience and for the learning of something new. That’s something both store would share in common.
Leave A Reply