What would you want from a FLGS

[Ascanius]

If you were in the US, my advice would be different because of their backwards banking system, but since you're in the UK:

 

If you go with a vending machine rather than selling snacks or drinks yourself, get one that accepts chip-card payments, even if the card has to be inserted rather than waved over a contactless sensor.

 

I don't normally carry cash with me, and I really don't carry change. For me, a vending machine may as well be empty if it doesn't accept card payment. Even when I do get cash out of a machine for some reason, I don't keep the change around from day to day - it comes home and ends up in a jar.

 

If machines that can take cards are too expensive or difficult to set up, you're better off stocking the snacks and drinks yourself.

[Kisada]

I'm sure its been mentioned before ... sorry didn't read all the advice ... but I'll say it because I feel its that important ...

 

Be friendly ... not fake friendly ... not friendly just to the regulars ... not friendly just when I'm buying something ...

 

Genuinely friendly.  There are 2 shops in my town, and many more within 45mins away ... the store I most often find myself going to is a GW store 45mins away.  

The 2 employees there are genuinely friendly guys.  The manager is a damn wizard in remembering people's names.  It's a small thing but man it makes a difference when people walk in and he's able to greet them by name with a smile and ask how their "such and such" project is going.

[Wrath of Bruinen]

*snip*

 

Genuinely friendly. There are 2 shops in my town, and many more within 45mins away ... the store I most often find myself going to is a GW store 45mins away.

The 2 employees there are genuinely friendly guys. The manager is a damn wizard in remembering people's names. It's a small thing but man it makes a difference when people walk in and he's able to greet them by name with a smile and ask how their "such and such" project is going.

1000x this. I have always been impressed with customer service at the GW stores I've been to, but one manager in particular stood out with his ability to learn names and make people feel welcome. A warm atmosphere goes a long way, I think. My sense from what you have said is that you are already part of the local community, so you should be off to a good start in that regard.

 

I think N1SB raises some really good points, but I just wanted to second the 'game organiser'/whatsapp group. One of the main barriers to me going in store (which I think is just as important as the things that we would like to see in the store) is that it can be difficult to get a game sometimes, and I don't want to go all the way in store just to find out everyone just wants to paint today. Dedicated games nights help, but not everyone can make those days/nights.

Something similar that my store did was set up a 'challenge board', which was just a whiteboard weekly planner, but people could write down days and times they were looking for a game. I like the whatsapp group idea better than the board, but the board has the advantage of being available/visible to people outside the group.

 

Just my 2 cents...

[Malios]

Forgive me for being a snob, but a separate area for the card gaming players tucked out of the way from the general populace.

 

I don't usually like to stereotype, but in general the stores down under (ie Australia) that really push the card gaming like Magic: the Gathering, attract the grubby, overweight neckbeards with bad body odour, poor manners, fast food rubbish and general behaviour / demeanour that repels any other type of customer from the store.

 

You can't discriminate against nerds naturally (card gaming is a big source of revenue after all and you'd be crazy not to supply it) but keeping such away from the rest of the store / populace is one thing I'd really push for if I had a gaming store.

 

As a nerd myself, I don't like feeling uncomfortable in a store surrounded by nerds.

[MaliGn]

My local lgs down here in Cardiff has the luxury of a licensed bar, which was even selling local craft beer on draught at one point. I realise that this has the potential for complications, but it certainly appealed to me. I think they supplement foot trade with a significant online presence too keep the business successful.