Yesterday seemed to be my day for random, odd requests. "Do you have..." starts the phone call, or the guy in the door, and then the most specific item I can imagine.
Lots of calls for chess sets, cribbage, backgammon and go.
Too bad I hardly ever get calls for this stuff the rest of the year. (Would it work to have a large, diverse inventory of these games? I wouldn't know without investing a ton in very expensive, space consuming variety....)
Found myself doing what I hate to do, but really....the 17th volume in the Wagon's West series? Serenity PVC figures? I tell them to go 'online.'
Last year was my first year in carrying board games, and I sold out of the big three (Carcassone, Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride) about 2 days before Christmas. I decided to go with the same numbers this year.
Have tried to warn customers that I could run out, but they just move along. Had a woman buy both copies of Ticket to Ride in stock, and not half an hour later had someone else want it. I have more coming tomorrow, but she didn't want to nail it down by pre-paying.
Still, I'd rather sell out than have leftover copies going into inventory time in January.
Again, I don't think people realize that most stores are probably pretty lean right now.
Oh, well. Just doing my part to drive business to the internet.
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2 comments:
"Oh, well. Just doing my part to drive business to the internet."
That's has to be as frustrating for the retailer as it is for me. I don't feel too as bad ordering a book online (esp. used) when a big box store doesn't have it in stock. I can always get it for less money if I order it myself, anyway. But with smaller shops it's a more difficult decision. I recently wanted a kitchen gadget and while Ginger's kitchenware shop on Newport didn't have one, they did offer to order it. I said, "sure," because I didn't need the gadget right away, and I want to support the local shops (and Ginger's was open whereas I've never seen Kitchen Complements is somehow never open when I'm downtown). However, it did take four weeks to get the darn thing, mainly because the distributor shipped it to some shop back east first. Hardly the shop's fault, coulda happened to anyone.
I'll support local whenever I can. Small shops deserve a break, IMO. Big box outlets not so much.
Maybe you should carry Chess, Backgammon, and Go? I mean when I go to the big box retailers they always have cheapo versions or none at all. Sometimes a 7 in 1 package which is lame.
I also went to the box stores to locate an old-fashioned "piggy bank" but apparently they don't make them anymore?!
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