> I think the Friendly Local Game Store is nearly a thing of the past. (What > someone needs to do is build a chain that can offer Internet pricing in First, there are stores doing this in my area and it seems to work out great for them. Sci Fi Genre was once Internet-only, but they found a warehouse space with frontage (in a small strip mall) and did a little remodeling and are able to be both brick-and-mortar and Internet-driven. Second, I think the key, going forward, for the FLGS is value-add: * Knowledgeable service - Fire the snobs who think there's one true way or who push their favorite games to the detriment of other games. Instead, you want folks who know most/all of your products and can help guide a customer to what best serves the customer's expressed desires. (It should go without saying that service reps shouldn't ignore customers to play games.) * Community - More than just a few tables in back, supporting the local game community means promoting events, posting a schedule of events, having playtest copies of your games, getting to know your customers personally. Go to EVERY local convention and demo your latest, greatest products. Donate to local schools or youth centers (being sure to put your store name on donations!). Host tournaments and secure product support for them. * Opportunity sales - If you have a gaming space, you BETTER have snacks and drinks (better still if you also can offer alcohol or tobacco). Consider stocking a few "key" office supplies like sheet protectors and dry-erase pens, pencils and lead, lined and unlined plain paper, Zip-loc storage bags, etc. Look at your game stock and your players and figure out what sort of things someone might forget to bring but end up needing, or what folks might need immediately after buying a new game/product that they're going to go to Wal-Mart to get because you don't stock it. * Synergies - As much as possible, offer a broad product range for a given intellectual property. If there's a DVD and video game for Product FOO, stock it as well. If there's T-shirts and hats for I.P. BAR, stock them. Try to be more of a one-stop shop than a specialty shop. * Comfort - Good AC, warm ambient light, padded chairs, attractive space, reconfigurable tables, pleasant but not distracting music, sparkling clean. I have never been in a FLGS that has all of those elements (but Sci Fi Genre is CLOSE--need some nicer chairs and a bit better air flow and non-florescent lights). Third, one of the issues FLGSs face versus the Internet is bulk pricing, particularly with regard to collectible games. Someone who's into HeroClix or Pirates is, generally, going to want to buy boxes of new releases, not individual boosters. Allow them to do so, and be willing to share some (or nearly all) of your volume discount. In closing, the FLGS can survive the Internet so long as it works with the Internet while still providing a strong reason to leave the house to buy. The FLGS needs to become an attractive destination that encourages folks to stay for hours, not merely a (inconvenient) marketplace. David