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To go along with all of my new comic books, I've undertaken the task of re-bagging all of my old comics, this time with backer boards (like they should have been years ago).  This means buying lots of bags and boards.  I pretty much buy out whatever comic book store I'm at when I go to get more.  Going up to Fond du Lac (Chimera Hobbies, where I buy my comics and games) to buy nothing but supplies is not worth the time, so I decided to try out the local comic shops.  That was a HUGE mistake.  First, I went online to find stores in the area.  A comic book store finder directed me to a few not too far away.  Their websites didn't have hours posted, but the store finder did.  First place was not too far out of the way on another errand trip I made a few Sundays ago, so I made the detour.  I get there, and the store's closed.  Apparently, they are closed Sundays and Mondays, but never bothered to put that up on the store finder where they registered their store.  Next, I try a store out in Waukesha, this past Sunday, completely out of my way, since there is absolutely nothing worthwhile anywhere around there.  Their website says that they are open until 4 on Sundays, so I figured that since it was their actual website, they would keep it updated.  They apparently decided sometime on Sunday to close an hour early, so when I got there at 3:10, they were already long gone.  Today, I try a store kind of on the way home from my work, part of the same chain as the first store that I tried.  Surprise, this store is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays!  I go back to the first store, after I have my wife call for me to make sure that they are open, and pick up my supplies.  I would not have shopped there if I weren't desperate to get the things I needed, so I could finish off my project.

This is a prime example of why, in my opinion, "specialty" stores fail.  Doing things like not having regular hours, closing early without any real warning, not being open when your customer base is likely to shop, all bad things for business.  This isn't a real problem for your regular customers, but for anyone new that wants to see if your store is worth their time, you've more than likely lost a customer before you even had them.  That's the case for me.  I will never shop at any of these three stores again (or for the first time), no matter how much more convenient they are for me.

The local gaming stores are just as bad.  Several have closed down in recent years because they couldn't keep their customers.  On websites that I visit, like Board Game Geek, current and former game store owners complain that the internet has ruined their ability to do business, but I believe that is a load of bull.  These stores have the same problems as comic book stores, and can solve them the same way.  Maintain regular hours when your customers are likely to shop there, and make sure that you keep those hours consistent week in and week out.  You don't even have to have great hours (Chimera closes at 6 on Saturdays, and is closed Sundays), but as long as they are consistent, and not too out of whack, you will have consistent customers and new customers as well.  The internet is only a scapegoat for those owners that can't figure out how to run a business and probably shouldn't be doing so anyways.

The other big problem with specialty stores is the employees.  Sticking with my two examples, gaming stores and comic book stores typically hire the same kind of people that they sell to, gamers and comic book nerds.  This is good and bad.  Good because they are typically knowledgeable about the items for sale.  Bad because they are often elitists and unwilling to help customers that need that knowledge to make the right purchase.  Also bad because they are typically former customers, so they just want to hang out with their buddies that come into the store to hang out.  For a prime example that you may be more familiar with, take a look at John Cusack, Jack Black, and Todd Louiso in the movie "High Fidelity" (or read the book by Nick Hornby).  These characters epitomize what I am talking about.  The employees at specialty stores need to be salespeople first, topic experts second.  The product information can be learned fairly easily with time, but it is much more difficult to train someone to be a good salesperson.

This is why I drive an hour one way for all of my gaming and comic book needs.  Chimera Hobbies does everything right.  They've got good sales staff, and I know that I can count on their store hours being accurate whenever I decide to go there.  I could always buy things a little cheaper online, but because they are loyal to me, and have always treated me well, they get my loyalty, and will continue to get it, for a long time.