Game stores have an odor problem. They smell and the problem is often blamed on gamers themselves and their poor hygiene. While there are such olfactory offending characters in our stores, the real problem is the game store itself.
Game stores are not meant to be assembly areas and most are not zoned or built for a large number of individuals with their body heat and natural odors. I'm on my high horse because I just spent six figures and six months bringing our store up to code, an unreasonable expectation to be sure, since I don't even own my own building.
So game store owners spend time masking odors, purifying air and otherwise embracing toxic chemicals to hide the stench, rather than doing the work to fix the problem. Now, if I were consulting for a prospective game store owner, would I be budgeting in a $10,000 HVAC upgrade and a bathroom remodel for typical assembly requirements? Heck no. At least not at first. However, those whose business model includes tables for hundreds of people, not dozens, would be wise to include such upgrades on their wish list.
This of course just adds to the impossible requirements of running a small business like this, the fact that nobody at the bottom could possibly afford such upgrades while everyone in the middle will have such expectations forced upon them. It's another example where it's good to be small and good to be big, but the middle has the expectations without the resources.
 |
| Our project board, so we know what to buy during the rare times we have money |
No comments:
Post a Comment