Monday, March 9, 2015

Play before you Pay

This was our motto in 2006 when we began 8 years ago, we have never strayed from the plan. Everything we do in store and out leads towards the belief that if you try it before you buy it, you will be more then satisfied.

In the last 5 years we took it upon ourselves to prove our Industry wrong. You see there were many naysayers out there who think that games can't be borrowed without terrible tragedy befalling them. Here in Sheboygan WI, we knew people were up to the challenge!

We built a program that gave back to our community.  Rent the game at 10% the cost of the game and that 10% is a credit to the future purchase of the same game, when bought within 30 days. Rent and you love it, you get a credit.  You didn't enjoy it, it was a low fee of $2-8 dollars overnight.  Then we upped the ante, if you rent on Saturday you get it 2 days for the price of 1!

So in 2009 we rented our first game.  We rented out 14 games that year,  in 2010 it was 18 games and in 2011 it was only 11, but we doubled down our efforts and in 2012 we rented 22,  in 2013 we rented 45, and in 2014 we rented 186 games!

That's what we are talking about.  Not only is this a great way to spend an evening but its a great way to try our product before you invest.  Demoing a game in your home, with your friends also leads to others trying the product.  Which leads to more folks enjoying this hobby, this industry and loving the wonderful products that are released every month.  WIN!

I recently was describing to a visitor why you should rent and this was how I explained it. Imagine that a new movie is being released...but instead of going to a theater where you can see a trailer. Movie theaters and video rental places no longer exist.  Now movies are being sent directly to DVD/Blue ray, why would you buy it?  Plus without the theaters to drive the sales and gather the sales, costs of those DVD's is going to be much higher.  Probably $50 for a movie. It would seem ridiculous.   Yet that is what the game industry wants us to do.  Sell a $50 game without a showing, preview or rental.

It is up to us to reinvent the ways to sell, but I for one am a huge fan of renting!  Play before you Pay!

See you on Saturday when you pick up that rental!
Love, Lynn

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