The Wholesale Forums

[bigdavecox90]

I've been through the whole, 'lets try and sell games on eBay business' Doesn't work.

So now I've thought about maybe actually opening a shop?

What advice would you people give me?

All comments welcome.

Thanks, Dave

[Beneddie1112]

A lot of the smaller retailers, especially around here, have been forced to close due to the prices that the supermarkets now sell them for.

[PT]

What makes you think a brick and mortar store would be any different? In my opinion, it would be harder!

You're then competing directly with the likes of GAME and GameStation (as well as the other high-street stores stocking games, and there are lots). Selling at a better price isn't going to guarantee you success either, the over-heads are a lot higher than selling online. You still need to sell in volume too, which isn't going to be easy. Unless you have a store in a prime location (which doesn't come cheap!).

I think your time and money would go further if invested elsewhere. Sorry to be so negative, but better to figure this out now than later down the line.

[bigdavecox90]

Originally Posted by PT

What makes you think a brick and mortar store would be any different? In my opinion, it would be harder!

You're then competing directly with the likes of GAME and GameStation (as well as the other high-street stores stocking games, and there are lots). Selling at a better price isn't going to guarantee you success either, the over-heads are a lot higher than selling online. You still need to sell in volume too, which isn't going to be easy. Unless you have a store in a prime location (which doesn't come cheap!).

I think your time and money would go further if invested elsewhere. Sorry to be so negative, but better to figure this out now than later down the line.

That's fair enough mate, I would rather have honest opinions, than be given false hope.

[Tango34uk]

The problem with selling game in this day and age, I would feel would be as follows:-

Price - How do you make a living when Asda / Tesco / Others can sell at massively under RRP.

Brand Name Shops - Game / Gamestatation / others already have the market for the people that don't mind paying full price.

Internet - A lot of people now purchase from eBay / others, and already runnning games shops due to the price they can get the games for.

Internet (PC) - PC Games have been selling less and less offline, dur to a mixture of online sales (steam and others) as well as the darker side of torrent.

I would agree with PT have a look into another market place, or find something you could do that would make your shop better then all the rest?

We used to have a game shop in Exeter that would always sell all games the day they came into the shop, at the RRP rather then the day they were ment to come out.
Once the game was then released in all the other shops, they then got rid of all their stock on the internet. As they wern't linked to any groups they got away with it.

regards

[Andy777]

Originally Posted by bigdavecox90

So now I've thought about maybe actually opening a shop?

Thanks, Dave

Offline? Forget about it

[Costaconsoles]

Do some research about what current indies say about the market - i dont wish to sound like I am having a go at anyone on here but see what people that actually work in the industry are saying. I do know that with the Tesco thing alot of indies go there on release day and buy up all the games as some are cheaper than wholesale.

[Costaconsoles]

http://www.ninjagames.co.uk/default.asp?showpage=about

[YNWA]

You can succeed at it but prices are not the problem, its location, location, location!

You need a location with no competition and something extra on offer.

I have a location in mind for myself if I ever wanted to give it a go. But the main problem with my location is the people around it, a lot of gamers for sure, but also drug dealers, scallys, smack head and so on, so security would be costly, although I could just find a few mates to put there name down on the security and that would go along way.

But location is key, you can give games away but if you have no one to give them to then you wont give any away!

[Saajan]

Popular location = high potential = high fee's = most likely to get out of business