PLAY N TRADE: Franchisee Shares Secrets of Success; Blasts "Whiners"
November 21, 2008 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
Robert Meyers has had it with the Play N Trade detractors and franchisee “whiners” commenting on Franchise Pick and elsewhere.
He’s decided to set the record straight… and share the secrets of his success at building a profitable Play N Trade retail units used video game
Meyers is CEO of Gamers Guild Holdings Inc., the “largest franchise holder in the PNT family.” In a comment left on a lively Franchise Pick post (IS PLAY N TRADE A GREAT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY?), Meyers defends the Play N Trade franchisor, acknowledging that they have made mistakes, but also that they are working hard to correct them.
One of those mistakes was franchisee selection. Meyers says that “Play N Trade let people buy a franchise that had no business having a franchise,” and that many “went into the franchise underfunded.”
Meyers has stinging criticism for some of his fellow franchisees. These franchisees, says Meyers, “whine and cry and expect Play N Trade to make it all better. Fact of the matter is that you are a self employed business owner. Stop your whining and ‘make’ your business work.”
Franchisee Meyers lists his key tips for building a successful used video game retail store:
As a business owner it is “your” responsibility to make “your” business profitable not corporate PNT. We run 60-70% margins because we are smart and make our business work. I will give you all a few tips on how to do this.
1) Advertise! Advertise to your correct demo first and foremost. Young new age rock stations are perfect. Sustain your marketing efforts.
Second, when you advertise give a call to action. When you first open advertise the fact you are a local business that wanted to invest in your community. Advertise 50% more on trades for a week when you open. This will stock your stores up and allow you to get butts in the door so they can see just how great you are.
Don’t do live radio remotes. They do not provide a good ROI (return on investment).
2) Even before you open your store get yourself a great commercial broker. Interview the hell out of them. Want to know how much we pay to open a store right now? 15,000 max. Why? The landlords are hurting terribly bad and need to fill their space. so we make them pay for almost everything plus give us 6-12 months free rent per location.
3) Don’t hammer on new merchandise. You don’t make money on new. You make money on used. Used comes from trades. Get the picture? Pre orders should be pushed by giving 20% more on trades when they pre-order.
4) market your niche. Trade in cell phones, more for trades, repair systems, disc repair, try before you buy, local business.
5) People People People! No one can get a job… you have the pick of the litter. Look for personality first, game experience second. People come to stores not to just buy games. You can do that all over the place. They will come to interact with the people they enjoy interacting with. Hire a dynamic personality and watch your customer base grow.
6) Hammer your memberships. Membership e-mail and cell phone databases give you free marketing directly to your base.
7) Sign walkers. We use them at every store at peak hours. We hire a sign walker for 20 hours a week at every store. It is well worth the 7.15 an hour you have to pay to get butts in your store. It is simply effective.
8) Signage! Negotiate for the big pylon space on the monument signs! You will get it. If they can’t see you they can’t shop you.
I would be happy to assist and advise any struggling franchisee in the system.
For the rest of you guys smearing play n trade… They are not perfect. The economy is terrible and I frankly don’t know any business that is doing well right now. My corporation is making money even in this environment and I am in Michigan, the worst ecoonomy in America. If we can do it anyone can. SO stop whining and take responsibility for your own failures and shortcomings and stop blaming other people.Robert Meyers
CEO
Gamers Guild Holdings Inc
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Related: PLAY N TRADE: Video Game Franchise Played Out?
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People!!! Read 1-10, memorize it, eat it, drink it because everything he wrote here is correct.
One addition!
11. Take part in your community – If an event is planned be part of it. School functions, fundraisers like cancer walks, relay for life, little league and other sports events. Don’t stand on the sideline “Get in the game”. Your community will recognize your commitment and recognize your brand. “Out of sight, out of mind”
sorry i though there were 10!!!
Uh, Robert appears to have been open for around a year or so.
Most of these “suggestions” are exactly what you expect of some suffering from cognitive dissonance – the gap between expectations and reality.
In general, people would be wise to mark this as an outlier.
Robert explains nothing about why PT should be a franchise system and indeed makes the case that you are better off as an independent as virtually none of his suggestions require a franchise system.
I own Play N Trade stores myself and I will tell you it has been all fun for my team. Success is not made over night and owning a video game store does not mean instant riches. You have to work hard and you have to have the fire inside you to make your stores successful. Every market area is different and you must work to find your home within that market area. When someone becomes successful they take all the credit, when someone fails they blame everyone else. Success is there for everyone and anyone the difference is if you have the heart and soul to make it work.
Sounds like his expectations are a reality. [Deletion] is it not true that you used to work for Play N Trade until they fired you?
Ed. Note: Please direct comments toward the concept and the company and refrain from personal attacks. Thanks.
I’m thinking of opening a franchise, Gamestop was my first thought, but Play n Trade are becoming popular, and I saw one in my Hometown. Have to say, it looks dead everytime I go in, and the used games seem very low. I don’t really like shoping there. I have never even made a purchase. I definitly prefer shopping at Gamestop. But truthfully, I rarely buy there too, as I buy most of my stuff from Amazon sellers. Having said that, I love videogames, and wouldn’t mind opening a franchise store. I would put my MBA degree into use, and put my best foot forward, and just make it work. If I failed, I could at least say, I put my best effort forward. More later.
You can’t purchase a Gamestop, they are not a franchise, they are all owned by one big corporation. When you walk into a gamestop nobody there owns it, and they never met the owner.
What Robert Meyers says is true of any business. So I have to agree with him. But it begs the question Robert – with all that energy you have, and the business acumen you clearly have, why oh why are you giving away >4% of your gross revenue?
Anyhow, what Robert says is true of ANY business – people can shop anywhere. Your store has to be an inviting fun place for a stranger to walk into, cause that’s how you build a customer base – with strangers, who become regulars, and even regulars want to know you care about their business, so don’t forsake them.
Tough day for Robert and the system,
http://www.corp.ca.gov/ENF/list/p/default.asp
California is pretty upsets with them.
Two posts on the Play N Trade enforcement action. Comments welcome:
PLAY N TRADE: CA Revokes PnT Franchise Registration
PLAY N TRADE Franchise Registration Revoked
California is a bunch of of liberal bungholes!!!!
Why do I care what happens on the LEFT Coast? Please stop telling us California is gay and is against games or whatever…who cares…bunkhole!!!
Rober Meyers just closed store in Knapp’s corner. He owes many landlords’ money and contractors’ money. He is in seriously trouble. His company is in the middle of bankrupcy filing.
He is a mean spirit person: Take as much as he can, owe as much as he can. He enjoys the nice car from landlords’ ” paying up front of development cost”, but refuses to pay contractors for the jobs done. Now he suffers sequences and the bad reputation.
What a waste!
Be sure to check out: PLAY N TRADE Forum Gets Spammed N Slammed
Also, the article links at:
PLAY N TRADE: Overview & Links