I wrote this a while back, and rereading it, I realize it is somewhat confusing.
On one hand I'm saying, ignore the digital and keep selling the physical product.
On the other hand, I'm saying, don't just double down on comics or books alone. Diversify, do a bunch of different things.
So in some ways, I'm agreeing with the blogger who makes the case we can't compete with digital, therefore were should concentrate on what we do best. What I think he gets wrong is the idea that we should somehow be "pure."
I don't know if that is clear, but here goes:
There is a article by a well-known comic blogger who makes the case that, in these challenging times, comics shops should double down. Become even more of a comic shop. Instead of trying to do a bunch of things badly, do the one thing you do well even more. Find those unique aspects of your store that the customer can only find in your store. Be the reliable niche.
Sounds good, right?
I think it is exactly wrong.
First of all, I've seen declining other industries try to double down, and it doesn't work. Sports cards are -- as usual -- a good example of what not to do. Sports card shops who tried to do nothing but sports cards didn't survive, mostly. Even sports shops who brought in memorabilia didn't survive.
Some shops who brought in comics and or games did survive, but they mostly survived by becoming comic or game stores.
Secondly, those "unique" items he's advising you to play up, that will make your customers come back? Usually, another way to put it is, -- unique or niche just means there isn't enough money in it for the big guys or the internet to bother with.
Wait a minute. Didn't I declare that I was going to double down on physical books and comics, rather than move into digital?
That's different. I'm doubling down on the idea of the physical brick and mortar store, and the physical objects within. But I'm not sticking to just one product.
Maybe because I've been in a town that -- for the entirety of my career -- just wasn't big enough to give me a decent living as a comic shop alone -- or a bookstore alone -- or a game store alone, and so on -- I've had to try something different.
My solution was to bring in six or seven product lines, only one of which is primary. Comics have been my primary product, and I still do about 50% of my business in comics and graphic novels.
What's happening to these comic shops this guy is advising to double down is -- they are becoming more like me. Unable to make a living doing what they used to do. But doubling down will only work for the very biggest shops, in the very biggest towns, assuming they can pick up market share from declining stores.
The rest will have to find a solution more like mine; selling more than one product.
Sure, you may not be able to do six or seven sideline products as well as you can do a single specialized product. But you can do the best you can. The compensation is -- because you aren't the primary provider, you can carry the easiest and best of each.
I carry games, but I can pick the best-selling games. I don't need to provide game space, or host tournaments, or carry every kind of game there is.
I carry books, but I can pick the best-selling books. I don't need to have author readings, or special events or serve coffee and crumpets.
I carry toys, but I can pick the toys that work for me. I don't have to have samples to play with, or carry row upon row of common toys.
I carry cards, but I don't have to carry every brand, or every type of supply. I can carry the supplies that sell best and have the best margins.
And so on.
In all these cases, you might say I'm not doing as good a job as a full game store, or a full card shop, or a full bookstore or whatever. I'm doing the 20% that makes the easiest 80% of the sales. I'm not trying to carry the other 80% of the product, that makes 20% of the sales.
But if I carry five products that make 20% of the possible sales; it adds up to 100%, right?
Plus I can constantly adjust to actual sales; if a game takes off, I can bring in more copies. If a book becomes a best-seller, I can bring more in.
I'm thinking that a general store -- a pop-culture general store -- is probably the proper model for the future. Sure the local general store doesn't have as much hardware as a hardware store, or as much food as a grocery store and so on, but it serves a purpose for a small community.
That's the way I'm thinking of my store. As a general pop-culture store, that you can reliably find good product in more than one pop culture areas. Books, new and used; card games and boardgames and role-playing games; toys; comics and graphic novels; sports cards and non-sports cards; and posters, t-shirts, buttons, magnets, stickers, and so on.
If I concentrated on just one of those aspects, I might do a better job in that one category.
But I probably wouldn't make enough money to survive.
On one hand I'm saying, ignore the digital and keep selling the physical product.
On the other hand, I'm saying, don't just double down on comics or books alone. Diversify, do a bunch of different things.
So in some ways, I'm agreeing with the blogger who makes the case we can't compete with digital, therefore were should concentrate on what we do best. What I think he gets wrong is the idea that we should somehow be "pure."
I don't know if that is clear, but here goes:
There is a article by a well-known comic blogger who makes the case that, in these challenging times, comics shops should double down. Become even more of a comic shop. Instead of trying to do a bunch of things badly, do the one thing you do well even more. Find those unique aspects of your store that the customer can only find in your store. Be the reliable niche.
Sounds good, right?
I think it is exactly wrong.
First of all, I've seen declining other industries try to double down, and it doesn't work. Sports cards are -- as usual -- a good example of what not to do. Sports card shops who tried to do nothing but sports cards didn't survive, mostly. Even sports shops who brought in memorabilia didn't survive.
Some shops who brought in comics and or games did survive, but they mostly survived by becoming comic or game stores.
Secondly, those "unique" items he's advising you to play up, that will make your customers come back? Usually, another way to put it is, -- unique or niche just means there isn't enough money in it for the big guys or the internet to bother with.
Wait a minute. Didn't I declare that I was going to double down on physical books and comics, rather than move into digital?
That's different. I'm doubling down on the idea of the physical brick and mortar store, and the physical objects within. But I'm not sticking to just one product.
Maybe because I've been in a town that -- for the entirety of my career -- just wasn't big enough to give me a decent living as a comic shop alone -- or a bookstore alone -- or a game store alone, and so on -- I've had to try something different.
My solution was to bring in six or seven product lines, only one of which is primary. Comics have been my primary product, and I still do about 50% of my business in comics and graphic novels.
What's happening to these comic shops this guy is advising to double down is -- they are becoming more like me. Unable to make a living doing what they used to do. But doubling down will only work for the very biggest shops, in the very biggest towns, assuming they can pick up market share from declining stores.
The rest will have to find a solution more like mine; selling more than one product.
Sure, you may not be able to do six or seven sideline products as well as you can do a single specialized product. But you can do the best you can. The compensation is -- because you aren't the primary provider, you can carry the easiest and best of each.
I carry games, but I can pick the best-selling games. I don't need to provide game space, or host tournaments, or carry every kind of game there is.
I carry books, but I can pick the best-selling books. I don't need to have author readings, or special events or serve coffee and crumpets.
I carry toys, but I can pick the toys that work for me. I don't have to have samples to play with, or carry row upon row of common toys.
I carry cards, but I don't have to carry every brand, or every type of supply. I can carry the supplies that sell best and have the best margins.
And so on.
In all these cases, you might say I'm not doing as good a job as a full game store, or a full card shop, or a full bookstore or whatever. I'm doing the 20% that makes the easiest 80% of the sales. I'm not trying to carry the other 80% of the product, that makes 20% of the sales.
But if I carry five products that make 20% of the possible sales; it adds up to 100%, right?
Plus I can constantly adjust to actual sales; if a game takes off, I can bring in more copies. If a book becomes a best-seller, I can bring more in.
I'm thinking that a general store -- a pop-culture general store -- is probably the proper model for the future. Sure the local general store doesn't have as much hardware as a hardware store, or as much food as a grocery store and so on, but it serves a purpose for a small community.
That's the way I'm thinking of my store. As a general pop-culture store, that you can reliably find good product in more than one pop culture areas. Books, new and used; card games and boardgames and role-playing games; toys; comics and graphic novels; sports cards and non-sports cards; and posters, t-shirts, buttons, magnets, stickers, and so on.
If I concentrated on just one of those aspects, I might do a better job in that one category.
But I probably wouldn't make enough money to survive.