Small retail specialists expand locations
Newbury Comics opens first superstore
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 9/12/2008
SEPT. 12 | Entertainment retail specialists Newbury Comics and InMotion Entertainment are expanding as they benefit from such strengthening categories as videogames.
Newbury Comics will hold its grand opening for its first superstore, located in Norwood, Mass., on Sept. 13, coinciding with the chain’s 30th anniversary. This 12,000-square-foot location is more than three times the space of Newbury’s typical store dimensions.
The 28-store chain is making use of the extra room by creating several consumer experience areas, including videogame sampling stations, a concert stage and a café with wireless Web access. Stand-alone vintage arcade games are set up around the store.
Airport-based InMotion Entertainment has finalized its plans to open six additional locations in new markets St. Louis, Kansas City and San Antonio by the end of 2008. The retailer also will bow two more stores in current market Atlanta. Due to rising gaming popularity, the new stores will not include catalog music (once a fixture in older InMotion outlets), and those rack areas will instead be filled with videogame software. Year-to-date on a comparable store basis, InMotion game revenue is 30% higher than the same 2007 frame.
Newbury’s superstore will not add significantly more to its DVD and CD selection than the chain’s smaller outposts. But store management will use the roomier venue to merchandise its products more effectively.
“Many retailers will do the spine out [on shelves], but now we can do more flip forwards, so you can see the face art,” said Valerie Forgione, executive VP at Newbury. “This can help highlight more titles.”
The superstore also will house more endcaps and shelf signage talkers to similarly improve product visibility.
“We are really looking at this as a great opportunity to take a risk and see what works,” said Forgione. “In general, people spend a lot of time on their computers, and people want a place to go. People will want to get out of their chairs and go enjoy the store.”
Steve Torr, InMotion director of software purchasing and rental services, added that today’s soft economy should boost consumer game and DVD spending.
“Our rental DVD business has seen an uptick in single digits” over last year at this time, said Torr. “These are affordable business options with this downturn in the economy.”
InMotion will continue to beef up its store count, currently at 52 outlets, through 2009. Torr declined to specify exact number or locations.
