Top tips on supporting your local gaming stores, plus how you can win a prize supporting yours
- Caezar Al-Jassar
- Sep 9, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 11, 2020
Here are a couple of great tips on how to support your local game stores, plus info on our FLGS recognition award with 3 stores winning a prize of up to $250 worth of Alley Cat Games and promos, plus if you vote you are entered into a prize draw to win up to $100 of Alley Cat Games too!
This entry in our blog series is written by Jess Hancock our sales and operations manager.
This is a subject close to my heart. Before working at Alley Cat Games, I used to own a board game café in Bournemouth. There’s more information on this in our August Blog ‘Breaking into the board game industry’. We sadly had to close our doors in January 2019, so I keenly understand the struggles of running a board game store. I cannot imagine the additional pressure COVID-19 has added to the usual pressures of managing an FLGS (friendly local gaming store).
Carry on reading for some great ways you can help your own local stores and details on our FLGS recognition award too!
Meeple Perk - https://www.facebook.com/MeeplePerk/
Buy games from your FLGS
We all know the best way to support FLGS is buying our games from them, but we understand that everyone isn’t necessarily in a place where they can do that right now.
If you are in a position where you can still buy games, we would encourage you to spend money at your FLGS. It may be a few bucks more than it would be online, but you’ll know you’re supporting a person in your community, helping them through a tough time and keeping a hub for the games scene active in your area.
Many FLGS can also take pre-orders for games and back Kickstarter campaigns as a retailer to get you exclusive rewards. If you’ve got a game you’d like, consider sending your FLGS a message asking them to get it in stock for you.
Mox Boarding House - https://www.moxboardinghouse.com/
Review your FLGS online
If you’re not in a position where you have the disposable income to buy games there are other ways to support your FLGS. Leaving a review online can be really helpful to promote their business.
Leaving a review can help new potential customers discover how great your FLGS is. Due to how online algorithms work, the more engagement pages online have, the more people will be able to see them.
When leaving a review online, it is much more useful to leave a few short words than just rating 5 stars. Just a short simple comment saying “good customer service, a wide selection of games” can go a long way. Pictures you have taken are also a great addition to a review on social media or Google.
D20 Board Game Cafe - https://www.d20cafe.co.uk
Share them on social media
Tagging your FLGS in social media posts when playing games can also help boost their visibility and be great publicity for them.
This could be something like a Twitter or Facebook shout out: “Playing Dice Hospital this weekend which I picked up @myFLGS!” or a photo of the game tagging the store on Instagram.
Also, if you vote for your FLGS in the ACG recognition awards below be sure to share the graphic at the end of this article and tag your FLGS so your social network can vote for them too!
ACG FLGS Recognition Awards
We have launched the ‘ACG FLGS Recognition Awards’ as a small way we can help. The awards are a chance to nominate your favourite local gaming store to win $250 of Alley Cat Games products and a trophy! Three winners will be selected to represent the United Kingdom, North America, and Europe respectively.
By nominating you could win a prize too! Vote for your favourite FLGS, you will also be entered into a draw to win up to $100 worth of ACG games. You can vote at www.alleycatgames.com/acgflgs
In Review
So as a review; here are a few ways you can support your FLGS during COVID-19.
1. Vote in the ACG FLGS Recognition Awards at www.alleycatgames.com/acgflgs
2. Buy your games from your FLGS
3. Write a review for your FLGS
4. Share this article to encourage others to support their FLGS!
I really appreciate this post. As someone who’s spent hours in my local game store, I know how much these Block Blast places mean to a community. They're more than just shops - they're where people connect, learn, and share their love of games.
I love the focus on supporting local gaming stores—especially during tough times like these. Buying games directly from your FLGS not only helps keep them alive but also supports your community. Even if you can’t buy right now, leaving a positive review or sharing their posts on social media can really boost their visibility. The ACG FLGS Recognition Awards sound like a fantastic way to celebrate these stores and win prizes too! By the way, if you’re also into crypto, I use Paybis as the best place to buy dogecoin with low fees—definitely worth checking out if you’re wondering where to buy dogecoin safely and easily
Supporting local gaming stores is such a great way to keep communities thriving and passionate about play. I always try to buy unique sets or accessories locally - especially for my LEGO collection. And if you're into customizing builds, adding something like LEGO lights from brands like Game of Bricks really adds a magical touch. It’s a win-win: you enhance your sets and help small businesses stay strong in the process!
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Supporting local gaming stores is such an important aspect of building strong communities, and it's exciting to see how these initiatives can have a real impact. It's clear that many businesses benefit from fostering these connections, not only in the gaming world but across various sectors. As local businesses grow, one thing I’ve found valuable is the role of local leads. By using tools like Google Local Services Ads, you can drive even more customers to these stores, ensuring they're easily found when people are looking for the best places to buy games or gaming accessories.