Help me help my LHS - new stock in the store now, and I helped him rearrange to promote the new goods

Mike,

I gave most of my business to both a wargame/roleplaying store with a few models and lots of miniatures, and a hobby store that was models/wargames/roleplaying/miniatures.  The first store was mainly for wargamers and roleplayers and it was awesome to see huge napoleonic battles being played in the store, or you could find a booth in the back and do roleplaying.  I played a lot in the store and as a result I spent more time looking around and dreaming about what game or book to buy.  The second store was a lot smaller, but there was a place to play.  Such stores gave me a place to buy, and to hang out and meet people with similar interests.  They were my second homes

Dave

djrost_2000 wrote:

Is there enough floor space to have a gaming table? Dave

He's got a huge pair of wooden boxes that he has in his only open floor space.  It was used for gaming at one point, now has become a central display of sorts that is used for everything from building an R/C airplane, to storing items while they unpack shipments, to displaying a 1/32 slot car set like it is presently.  There's a ton of stuff packed underneath it presently that's mostly gaming obstacles.  If he had a bit more open floor space, it would benefit him for sure.  He's admitted he needs a slightly larger store.  Either that or a new layout of the floor.

Is there enough floor space to have a gaming table?

Dave

djrost_2000 wrote:

Mike, if the store caters to wargamers maybe suggest that the store have a gaming table so guys can play right in the store.  It helps keep customers in the store for a long time and allows people to meet new opponents.  My former LHS was quite small but he still had a table in the corner.  Those who have never done a tabletop battle might become interested and start buying more merchandise. Dave

He actually has the best selection of Warhammer in the area and there are are a ton of Canadians that come down and spend money.  Even though they've got a Games Workshop store in Winnipeg.  We're trying get a model club going, this will include gamers etc. who build figures as well.  Our hope is to grow the market we have outward as well as attract new blood and recover the "core" group that he's lost. 

The owner of my old LHS did it with large binders too.  You came in with a request and he'd flip through the binders to find a match.  I think he had to do it that way because his floor space was quite small, but he could get you practically anything you needed.  I believe he put in a lot of hours of research when he got home as he had to cater to several different hobbies.  But there was never a lack of customers.

Dave

if he wants to do special order

may be a bit time consuming, but make him a couple of those large binders that sit on the counter.... in them you list models by mfg.  say as an ex. the revell fw 200 condor  1/72 scale

then you list all the special parts avail by various mfg like edward or lion etc..

aftermarket decals

maybe paint need  (if the box does not list it)

i know there were times that i wish i had that info at hand while at my lhs

Dunno about vehicle-specific screens and parts since I don't use 'em, but I wish hobby shop owners would pay attention to what's in some craft stores and auto parts stores that modelers/diorama builders like me use every build... Fine-mesh Copper screening, casting resins, RTV rubber (NOT that cockamamee model railroader stuff for making rocks),  craft paints, oil paints regular artist's pastels and charcoal (Ya, I KNOW about model manufacterers like Tamiya's powders and stuff, fuggedaboudit... It's too expensive), fiber optics, bagged wood pieces of varying shapes, LEDs, fine solder, bagged factory seconds of basswood and balsa (if they don't have RC aircraft supplies) strips and planks,  dyes, and the list goes on...

Frankly, 20% of that stuff would be a good start and would guarentee a sale from me every time I stepped in..

Damned craft stores, I can't get out in time to dodge the blue-hairs pouncing on everything wth a sale sticker and then movin' like pond-water in the checkout line..

That's interesting; I often pop in to Internet Hobbies when I go to myparent's house in Pennsylvania, and over the Holidays, I was there and I was kinda miffed at the big switch in inventory to a lot of trains and planes.

I'm on a pretty good par with the owner, and I asked him 'Hey, where's all the Armor?!" and he said that me myself and another guy were like, his only reliable walk-in Armor guys who woud come in and actually buy something off the shelf.

Most of his business was through the Internet now, he said, and so he found ot much more prifitable to switch to train stuff--big in NE Pa. 

Te problem right now with Armor is that a ot of the new releases are getting really ridiculously expensive; that makes it reallyhard to bring in new, young modelers to the genre. And the economy rightnow isn't heloing anyone afford the hobby.

You know what I would resommend? Stock some basic accesssories and PE items--PE engine screens for Tigers/ Panthers, King Tigers, etc. maybe some of the Eduard PE kits for popular kits like those mentioned. go for some Stryker and Abrams kits--lots of veterans  nd current service members out there. Get in some plastic indy-link track kits. Get some Verlinden 'Tentrolls and Rucksacks" to accessorize those Shermans. I always look for, and am thrilled to find these "staple extra's" when I go to an LHS, and they always make my wallet lighter.

Rob Gronovius wrote:

Times are tough in the world of knowledgeable armor modelers. It used to be a store could carry the Sherman tank kit, the Tiger tank kit, the Jeep kit, etc. Today, there are over a dozen of each type of Tiger, Sherman, Abrams tanks models. Some better than others, many of them are specific versions, i.e. M4A1 Sherman as used in N. Africa; M4A2 as used by Russia; M4A2 as used by the USMC in the Pacific, etc. If today's modeler is looking for a model of a Sherman used by the UK during the D-Day invasion in 1944, only that specific model will do and any of the other dozen high quality Sherman kits won't be acceptable. Many of the high-end kits are ultra expensive as well. These are kits that fit a niche market and if a modeler from that niche does not show up, he's going to have an expensive kit sitting on his shelf getting obsolete because another manufacturer probably has a better version in the works. If he's got a lot of beginner/kids coming in, I'd suggest stocking up on the Revell Star Wars kits. These aren't re-pops of the old 1977-84 MPC/Ertl kits, but a new line initially released by Revell of Germany for the European market around 2000. I've picked up a couple of these "easy kits" for my sons, and they are happy with them. I'm just happy they have an interest in modeling.

EXACTLY.  It's hard to keep military in stock just due to the breadth of the variations of planes, tanks, etc.  Prime example the other day, he had a customer in the store looking for a specific kit.  He had the "other" version of it and the customer left with nothing.  He does have the new Star Wars kits in that include the glue kits.

WE DO SPECIAL ORDERS! This is great, a LHS which will order the items you want but don't normally stock. However there is a catch for the LHS owner...though they want to service their customers there is a cost associated with this. Many of the vendors they order from have minimums. As a former LHS manager, I am very familiar with this. A customer walks in and wants to "special order"  a couple of items...no problem. The customer wants say $30.00 worth of stuff, yet the minimum order is $50.00 or even higher in many cases. If the LHS doesn't reach the minimum there are penalties...such as having to pay shipping or even a lower discount allowance. 

Now the LHS has to make a decision...pass along the cost to the customer or order more stuff that really isn't practical to stock. In the past this was an acceptable practice, you could always pad your order with a few items that would sell. Today, it is a very poor business practice. 

The customer will probably gripe if suddenly he's paying more for the items from his LHS than if he himself ordered direct...yeah this is a reality...there are those distributors who offer lower minimum order levels than they offer their LHS customers. Hence one of the reasons many LHS started to trim their selections and inventory levels.

A LHS that tries to be all things to all customers isn't clearly thinking...why offer plastics if you don't have a market for them. Why offer aftermarket accessories if your clientel doesn't purchase them...looks good in the display cases but does do any good for the bottom line.

Also, many LHS limit their resources for product...one or two distributors. This keeps the bookkeeping easier and less salesmen calling asking you to order. As the distributors trim their offerings, so does the LHS because it is "no longer available" from that distributor and they aren't necessarily keen on finding a new source...more paperwork, more time for little incentive ($). 

The sad fact is many retailers do just this...I worked for a hardware store...we were the exception because we ordered more direct from various sources than within our "own" distribution channels. Many industries promote "steamlining" or product sourcing...one stop shop. Problem with this is the retailer is limited to the items (SKUs) that the supplier stocks. Thus it eventually limits your customer base as well. If you don't have it they'll shop elsewhere to get it. Just another example of a business decision the retailer has to make.

I'm off now to the local Technical College where I am a guest speaker. Today I'll be giving a presentation about starting and operating a "small business" to the students in the Business program. 

Times are tough in the world of knowledgeable armor modelers. It used to be a store could carry the Sherman tank kit, the Tiger tank kit, the Jeep kit, etc.

Today, there are over a dozen of each type of Tiger, Sherman, Abrams tanks models. Some better than others, many of them are specific versions, i.e. M4A1 Sherman as used in N. Africa; M4A2 as used by Russia; M4A2 as used by the USMC in the Pacific, etc.

If today's modeler is looking for a model of a Sherman used by the UK during the D-Day invasion in 1944, only that specific model will do and any of the other dozen high quality Sherman kits won't be acceptable.

Many of the high-end kits are ultra expensive as well. These are kits that fit a niche market and if a modeler from that niche does not show up, he's going to have an expensive kit sitting on his shelf getting obsolete because another manufacturer probably has a better version in the works.

If he's got a lot of beginner/kids coming in, I'd suggest stocking up on the Revell Star Wars kits. These aren't re-pops of the old 1977-84 MPC/Ertl kits, but a new line initially released by Revell of Germany for the European market around 2000. I've picked up a couple of these "easy kits" for my sons, and they are happy with them. I'm just happy they have an interest in modeling.

Mike H wrote:

True.  However there is shipping to consider which will balance the price out unless you're buying in bulk.  One other thing is my LHS will have stuff inside of a week when I order it.  Faster than any online store I've ever dealt with.  Plus I don't get charged any extra shipping on special orders.

Yep, that's part of the service and convenience they can offer.

padakr wrote:

RadMax8 wrote: Put signs up saying he'll order special. I work at a LHS and the guy who runs the show has been doing it for 40 years. He's very savvy and the best guy I've ever seen as far as customer service goes. If you want it and it's not in the store, we'll do our best to track it down. The internet is here to stay.  Just about anything you can buy at a local shop you can almost always get cheaper online.  What any local store (hobby or otherwise) must offer to stay in business is convenience and service

True.  However there is shipping to consider which will balance the price out unless you're buying in bulk.  One other thing is my LHS will have stuff inside of a week when I order it.  Faster than any online store I've ever dealt with.  Plus I don't get charged any extra shipping on special orders.

RadMax8 wrote:

Put signs up saying he'll order special. I work at a LHS and the guy who runs the show has been doing it for 40 years. He's very savvy and the best guy I've ever seen as far as customer service goes. If you want it and it's not in the store, we'll do our best to track it down.

The internet is here to stay.  Just about anything you can buy at a local shop you can almost always get cheaper online.  What any local store (hobby or otherwise) must offer to stay in business is convenience and service.

DesertRat wrote:

Sounds an awful lot like the LHS I had when living in Anaheim. They were mostly into the Cars genre too. I could never figure out why the cars genre was more popular there than miltary subjects. All demographics, i guess

i have an opinion on why the car was/is more pop.than the military not demographics. i think it is more that you can do anything to a car custom wheels paint etc... anything goes where as a military model has to be more exact.  ask any of the (rivet counters)

Mike, if the store caters to wargamers maybe suggest that the store have a gaming table so guys can play right in the store.  It helps keep customers in the store for a long time and allows people to meet new opponents.  My former LHS was quite small but he still had a table in the corner.  Those who have never done a tabletop battle might become interested and start buying more merchandise.

Dave

Mike H. wrote:

Thank you for the assistance guys!  I will forward the information on the trade pubs etc. Greg.  Much appreciation.  I have considered volunteering a night etc. but that may come after I get a family schedule thing happening.  LOL   My friend and I have tried to start a club up here, with minimal success.  Perhaps it's the day of the week/evening we chose and may have to change that.

More about trade pubs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh2zoaNyFPE

The key point...store owners can subscribe to them for FREE!

Mike H. wrote:

Here there are plenty of war gamers, tons of R/C guys, and a few plastic modelers.  Unknown about train guys.  It is a good mix of builders though.  It's a matter of getting them out of the house and to the store.

My LHS guy is one-man, three aisle shop that caters to mostly model RR guys... The kit builders such as muself have one side of am aisle that's "ours"...  The Rail-heads get most of the store simply because that's where the numbers in this area.  However, Doug's a great guy and will order whatever you ask him to, with the understanding that you'll actually buy it... Ask him for a certain kit, and then blow it off, you won't get another chance...

I'd suggested to him on a couple of occasions to post the fact that he'll order kits for ya... He does it now.. Every aisle has a couple signs that read like, "Don't see it? Ask for it."  He's also gone from having a latest releases to keeping the classics in stock... He's got a great selection of the "old" kits with a smattering of the new, ridiculously over-priced "new" stuff, but only keeps one or two on-hand... The old kits are still his best sellers, and in a town as small as Ames, with it's proximity to Des Moines and the larger hobby shops, it's a better deal...  I hang around in the shop a couple hours a day with a couple other modeler-buddies, and we pretty much treat the place like "Floyd's Barber Shop"...    Doug's an honest guy, and if he doesn't think you're buying the right stuff for what you wanna do, he'll tell ya where to get it, or suggest an alternative... He doesn't steer anyone to the high-end kits that obviously hasn't built anything in that area, or a mom wanting to buy her son a kit doesn't get hammered with a 60.00 kit for her 10-year-old..

He also sells kits on consignment... He takes a 15% cut from the selling price and in return, you get the space to sell your unwanted stuff... Only rule he has is that they have to be inventoried and complete...

I'd have to agree with previous statements about demographics.  My old hobby store in NY worked because there were scale modelers, role-players and wargamers.  In some other parts of the country such a store would not fly.

Dave

Mike H. wrote:

What's new, exciting, anticipated, and getting repopped in the world of military modeling?  Thank you!!!

I can help you a bit. To know what's new/coming soon in the modeling world you gotta check out this webpage every so often: http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/newkitnews/new.htm.

If you want know how a specific kit gos together and/or what's included in a kit, you have to check out this webpage: http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/revafv.htm.

Hope these links help. 

Hopefully this LHS owner is taking the time to read the trade publications such as Model Retailer which is published by Kalmbach, as well as Hobby Merchandiser which is published by Hobby Publications. In these he will find articles geared towards him and his business to run and manage it more effectively. He will also want to become a member of the various associations relevent to the hobby industry. Each works to help provide resources for the LHS success. Those that do find themselves out in front of their competition.

Problem is many LHS say they don't have time to read the trade pubs...or further their knowledge base on running their businesses better. They need to serious consider attending industry tradeshows, there they can attend seminars keys to making their businesses more successful.  They also need to review the basics http://www.hmahobby.org/pdfs/HMA-Handbook.pdf

Many a LHS owner has be lured into decisons they learned to regret later..."expand and they will come." Owners have expanded categories within their store based on the suggestions of their customers. Only to find that once the capital outlay was made and the expansion complete...sales declined to nill. The owner must know his customer demograhics, the market share he/she can expect to attract and keep. Loading up a store with kits and accessories doesn't necessarily mean success...it might turn out to be a waste of capital and square footage. The owner needs to ensure there are sufficient customer interest before commiting to such a plan. 

Find ways to bring potential customers into the store. Work with area clubs to hold and host their meetings and special events in/on the property. This might mean closing an hour early one night a month, but it is cheaper advertising that taking out an ad in the local paper...establish a relationship and you'll have the best customers...all you have to do is meet their needs. Promotion is probably harder work than stocking shelves or helping customers, but it is a necessity for survival.

On the subject of having a staff diverse in all areas and categories...it is a must. Here is an article I did for the HMA newsletter:

One way you can help your LHS is to volunteer one evening a week, I'd pick the night when the least expertise on plastics is available so you can fill the void. Also consider one weekend a month, you can help stock shelves, answer customer questions, help novice modelers with technical issues and even sit and build a model which might spark interest of the patron to purchase a kit and return to the hobby. It is also a way to recruit new members to the local clubs.

Before I moved to NH I lived in NY.  My LHS there was diverse in that it catered to modelers, wargamers and the fantasy crowd.  The good thing about having a store like that is there is overlap between all three genres.

A young guy might start giving the store business by buying role-playing items.  Then he starts painting fantasy miniatures and maybe makes scenery for tabletop battles.

A wargamer might see a model kit of a WWII tank that has intrigued him for some time, so he buys the kit and becomes a scale modeler.  Or he might make 1/72 models for tabletop fights.

A scale modeler might find the place even more interesting when he can try his hand at painting fantasy miniatures, or maybe try a wargame that incorporates a WWII tank that he modeled some time ago.

I think a good way to stay in business as a hobby store owner is to stay diverse.  Oh, and I forgot to mention, the customer service at that place was fantastic and the owner would go out of his way to find what you needed if he didn't stock it.

Best Wishes,

Dave