A Franchise Gaming Store That Offers More Than Just Games

(Friday, December 14, 2007) - Nestled in a strip mall across the parking lot from Macy's at the El Con, one of Tucson's newest video game retailers brandishes a sign emblazoned with the words "Play N Trade" in cobalt-lined silver lettering.

New outlets for retailers such as Radio Shack and Starbucks, are popping up on pads around El Con, and selling video games at Play N Trade, 3421 E Broadway, comes with its own price tag.
Steve Ruehl and Keve Smith said Play N Trade is a great place to work. Rule No. 2 on the employee rule list is to test games.
Steve Ruehl and Keve Smith said Play N Trade is a great place to work. Rule No. 2 on the employee rule list is to test games.

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Average startup cost for one of these stores is $190,000, says Brian Dodge, owner of the Broadway location. This includes things such as product, space and material. The monthly rent for 1,550 square-feet of retail space, such as this one, can range anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000, he says.

Stepping through the doors into the El Con store, nine flat-screen TVs, along with racks displaying a plethora of video games for home consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3, and Microsoft Xbox 360, are mounted on onyx-colored walls. There's also a retro shelf in the back showcasing games of years past, such as Pac-Man and E.T. Six stands lined up in two rows on the store floor hold various console peripherals, game controllers, bargain games and DVDs.

As the name suggests, Play N Trade is mainly about giving people store credit for coming in and trading in their used video games they don't want or play anymore. Customers can even bring in used cell phones for credit.

Depending on the game, customers can get as much as $30 trade-in for it, says David Williams, assistant manager.

Furthermore, the store can make a good return on games people bring in.

"The profit on used games is between 30 percent and 80 percent," says Dodge.

The markup on a new game title is about 20 percent.

On average a shopper pays $20 for a used game at Play N Trade. New titles average $50.

The store also deals in new and used gaming consoles. There, too, there are cost contrasts.

For example, the price tag on a new Playstation 3 is $600. A used system costs $500.

Dodge's revenue goal for his first year with Play n Trade is $500,000. To put it another way, customers will need to purchase 340 used games, 280 new games, and 35 Playstation 3s each month.

Dodge says he's banking on the sale of used games to be the bulk of the store's profit, and the fact El Con Mall is going through its own improvements should greatly help his goals come to fruition.

"The mall is committed to re-energizing itself," he says

Radio, grassroots advertising, as well as community involvement are how Dodge intends to raise awareness of his new store.

He said Play N Trade even attends Monday Night Football telecasts at the Wildcat House, a place popular with students and sports fans where people can play "Madden NFL '08," the popular football game for all major game consoles.

However, selling and trading video games is not the only objective for Dodge and his employees.

Standing behind the glass display counter piecing together a colorful promotional sign, Williams says the main goal for associates is to provide patrons with exceptional customer service.

"I try to treat everyone well, but I've also had to prove myself because I'm covered in tattoos," he says.

This particular day, Williams said, was part of week that was the slowest since the store opened Oct. 3. They weren't even getting 10 customers a day, but he was confident the momentum would return.

"It's picking up the pace, once people know there's a store here, business is gonna blow up," says Keve Smith, a Play N Trade associate, who stopped by the store during his time off.

Smith says one of the aspects he likes about Play n Trade is the comradery among the employees.

"It's like a little family," he says.

Helping both employees and customers feel comfortable in his store is a huge goal for Dodge.

Sitting back in his computer chair in the backroom, Dodge says there's one big thing that sets Play N Trade apart from other video game retailers.

"Two words: guest experience," he says with his hands folded together.

Guests who come into the store are immediately greeted by one of his employees, who let them know they're there to help and answer any questions.

"If I was a customer, I would really like the customer service," says Steven Ruehl, a store associate.

And apparently they do.

First-time customer, Daniel Dolores says the overall atmosphere and the associates are much better at Play N Trade than at similar retailers.

"The staff seems a lot more friendly," he says while browsing the new Xbox 360 titles on one of the store racks.

Another stand-out aspect of the franchise is allowing customers to try out a game they're interested in before making the commitment to pay for it.

Smith says other video game retailers are supposed to allow patrons to play games before they buy them, but Play N Trade puts a high emphasis on it.

Game consoles are hooked up to the wall-mounted TVs, and all a customer has to do is let an associate know they want to give a particular game a spin and the employee will pop it in.

According to the company website – http://www.pntgame.com – Play N Trade is one of the largest and fastest growing video game franchises in the nation. As of Oct. 1, it has sold the rights to open more than 410 stores in the U.S. and Canada. There are five stores in Arizona, including two in Tucson, Dodge's store at El Con and another one at Foothills Mall, 7401 N La Cholla Blvd.

View all Play N Trade Press Releases

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