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.
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8 comments:
You're diversification business plan seems sound.
However, consider this section of Harbin's post:
"What comics shops are good at is the EXPERIENCE of comics -- not just browsing, looking through old comics or back issues, seeing what's new week to week, but FINDING comics, discovering new work, being around other people interested in comics, actively engaging with a hobby or artform or just an afternoon distraction. The best comics shops seek to amplify this experience, create more unique value for their clienteles, and make themselves a destination, as opposed to simply another place to buy a thing."
You've argued before that doing "events" and other forms of marketing don't result in immediate sales. But your regulars pay full cover price in part for that Experience Harbin writes about. So I wonder sometimes if you "amplified" that Experience a bit more, if you could attract the many people I know in Bend that settle for a pale reflection of that Experience on blogs and forums, mostly because they just don't know that they can get it in person in town.
One caveat is that I don't know exactly what that amplification would be, or what it would cost you. After all I'm just a reader and a customer commenting on a blog post.
I've tried to refine my argument to -- not that events don't attract people, but that in my opinion they aren't cost effective.
Think about someone in Bend who doesn't know I have comics.
Think how easy it is to google. Think how easy it is to use the yellow pages.
Is there anything I can do that would be as effective as those to things to people who can't be bothered to inquire?
Should I spend money, time, space and energy on people who can't even google the words Comics and Bend?
How interested are they -- really?
Not very.
No amount of signage or promotion or ads will make up for such lack of interest.
My last argument may not be valid, but here it is -- I'm still in business after 30 years and I'm having some of my most profitable years -- and I don't advertise or put on special events or promotions, while all around me shops are engaged in that behavior and going out of business.
It's the dog that doesn't bark, you know?
Free publicity, like getting covered in the paper; or writing a blog because I like writing?
That's cost effective.
I'm convinced that people don't see what people don't see, no matter how much money and time you spend trying to get them to see.
I'll say one last thing.
If a store can do a good job at the basics -- and then still have the time and energy and money left over to try to promote, then -- go for it.
What happens way too often -- I'd say most often -- is that people spend all their efforts on promotion, and not enough on the basics.
It's the American way.
I feel like for what I sell -- I probably can satisfy more people by spending the money on inventory than by outreach.
So if I get 5 people in, and I sell to four of them, it's better than getting 20 people in, 10 of who aren't interested, 7 of who can't find what they want, and only satisfying three of them.
I just keep trying to get inventory, and keep my margins as high, and my overhead as low as possible.
One brick at a time.
Oh, Duncan. You seem to take all the fun out of owning a comics shop!
Owning a comics shop is serious business! ;)
O.K. I read all 15 points.
I think he buries the problem of how do you pay the artists and writers through sales of digital.
I think he misses -- and everyone else misses -- that flesh and blood sellers are needed to keep any hobby afloat.
It isn't that comic retailers free like we have the "right" to exist. At least, I know better. But I do think the whole comic business will decline without us.
Probably going to happen. But even with books, so far, it hasn't happened yet.
I think we have a few years yet, unless the whole structure breaks down.
I believe the publishers are correct to go slow. What choice do they have?
In fact, I think they could go even slower...
I think print comics will probably evolve into a "premium" product. Like how you buy MP3s if you're casual about music and you buy vinyl if you're serious.
I think there's probably a market for both. I'm not fond of digital comics. Right now they're cumbersome, but the iPad is starting to change that. Personally, I like ink on paper. It's part of the experience for me. Just like buying vinyl.
Physical comics will always exist just like vinyl record stores in PDX, vinyl is now worth its wait in gold for some recordings.
For collectors there will always be a gig.
But this debate is largely really a gaggle of old geese at an antique store, like the rest of the world cares. What matters is how many 12-18 year olds are fighting to get into a shop. The fact is comic's ain't cool. Years ago mad-magazine was 'cool' now collecting old mad magazines is cool, for a micro-niche. But years ago Mad was cool for most boyz. Now collecting is cool for a few old-geezers who need a very narrow niche collectors hobby. Sort of like collecting first edition playboy magazines, ... but hardly a subject outside of the geese den of those waiting to die.
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