What Two Game Stores Say About TCGplayer Showcase
Megan BurnsEarlier this year, we visited store owners in Elizabeth, NJ and Atlanta, GA to hear what they had to say about our new in-store kiosk, TCGplayer Showcase. We were thrilled to hear that Showcase was helping grow businesses even before its official launch at GAMA 2019. Here’s what store owners reported about bringing Showcase into their stores.
Improved Customer Engagement
The Battlegrounds Games and Comics already had a digital in-store system for submitting orders when they made the switch to Showcase. They made the change so their customers could shop digitally without having to create an account or remember login information. According to co-owner Jason Mathis, their customers had no trouble switching to Showcase—they “noticed that it just was easier” to shop and submit orders.
Tiki Tiki Board Games displayed all their TCG cards in boxes and binders before moving to Showcase, so there was more of a transition period. Co-owner Ryan Morrison understands the appeal of sifting through binders: “I’m a comic book collector, so touching paper and smelling it makes me very happy.”
Still, Showcase ultimately won him over. “It’s easier than going through a binder.” He set up a kiosk and it became the newest attraction at Tiki Tiki Board Games. After trying it out, he said even skeptical customers who were used to the binders concluded “‘this is actually pretty awesome.’”
Easier Employee Workflow
Even though The Battlegrounds switched over to TCGplayer Pro and Showcase in mid-November during the holiday shopping season, co-owner Michael Gunter found switching to Showcase simple for everyone. “There weren’t these hiccups that you would expect with like ‘I don’t know how to use this software.’” Nick Hennes, who handles in-store inventory, agreed. “It takes all the cards out of the inventory… it just streamlines the process a lot.”
Ryan at Tiki Tiki doesn’t play Magic, and he found that Showcase made searching through their Magic inventory much easier. It also helped his employees. “My mom works there during the day, she’s 70… now she can go over and click and type in ‘Pikachu’ and she’s like ‘we have 7,000 Pikachus, Ryan.’
“I’m like ‘I know, mom.’”
Increased In-Store Sales
Tyler Ager, co-owner of Tiki Tiki Board Games reports that after they installed Showcase in mid-November, their TCG sales increased by 120% in November and 113% in December year-over-year. The Battlegrounds also experienced a massive boost in sales since joining Pro. Jason says, “The week after we converted to Pro, I worked 80 hours in eight days because there were so many orders. It was unreal.”
We’d set out to gather feedback on TCGplayer Showcase directly from store owners, and we were amazed at what they had already accomplished with our latest feature. As our interview with Ryan and Tyler ended, we asked them what the future held for their store. Ryan said that from now on when Tiki Tiki Board Games goes to shows “we’re gonna bring a kiosk with us.”