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December 10, 2004/Kislev 27 5765, Vol. 57, No.15
Retailer celebrates 10 years
STEPHANIE N. HENSCHEL
Staff Writer
Traditionally speaking, 10th anniversary gifts should be crafted from tin or aluminum. For those more modern, diamond jewelry is the best.
But on Brian and Jennifer Newman's 10th anniversary, it is doubtful they will be receiving either.
This year marks the 10th year of operation for the Newman's retail chain Game Daze, a store offering a plethora of board games, puzzles, chess sets and more.
The retailer first opened Oct. 1, 1994, at Paradise Valley Mall. Today, there are seven stores that comprise the chain; the newest just opened at Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale.
"We didn't know a thing about retail," Brian Newman says. But they saw a niche that wasn't being fulfilled and took advantage.
It wasn't easy. It took about a year and a half of working and saving up to create the first location.
Once opened, the store was an instant success, according to Newman. In fact, things went so well, they decided to open a second store on the other side of town at Superstition Springs Mall.
During 10 years of business, the Newmans have seen may similar stores go under, including giant retailer Hasbro earlier this year.
"The whole industry is changing," Newman says.
So what is the secret behind his success?
"The number one thing, honestly, is a great crew," he says. He tries to take care of his employees, who in turn take care of him - and thus the store.
"We've been able to keep turnover low," he says.
Customer service is also important.
"This is one of the things that separates us from the rest," he explains. In his stores, customers can come in and not only look at games, but physically touch them and, sometimes, even play them.
"Even if they're (customers) just out walking around, they know they can come here and be entertained," he says.
When the chain first opened, Game Daze was the only store to offer such an environment.
And last, but hardly least, Newman says it is essential to keep inventory controlled and overhead low. A warehouse in Tempe helps to keep the shelves loaded, but sometimes there are slip-ups.
"I realized two days ago that I forgot to get Christmas puzzles," Newman admits sheepishly. Luckily, his supplier was ready to get him whatever he needed.
In addition to the stores, Game Daze has a Web site, which offers items not available in the stores, as well as store inventory.
"There's a lot of stuff on there we don't carry in the stores because space is an issue," he says. Plus the higher-end products, such as fancy chess sets, sell better on the site.
With the busy holiday season upon him, Newman does not seem as frazzled as one would expect. He says he will be working from 2 a.m.-5 p.m. almost every day during the holiday rush. He is thankful his wife and family understand.
"When it's holiday time, she knows I'm gone as much as I have to be," he says. But, thanks to his "great crew," he is able to take time off during the rest of the year to spend with her and their three children - Logan, 9, Asher, 7, and Sabrina, 3.
Newman's better half, whom he met at what he calls a "Jew bash," or Jewish singles dance, used to teach special education in the Tempe School District until the stores opened. Once they did, she worked in the store for about the first three months.
"But I really didn't want her working with me," Newman says, citing the need for spouses to have different hobbies and interests to stave off boredom.
With the stores seemingly successful, what is the next step for Game Daze?
"We don't want to get much bigger because than you lose control," says the female Newman. Franchising was considered, but ruled out for the time being.
"I really want to stay independent," her husband says. "We've gone further than I really expected to with this."
So, with seven stores and a Web site - not to mention three temporary poker carts to satisfy the latest trend-seekers - the Newmans are going to sit back and reap the rewards.
And maybe, just maybe, one of these days the couple can celebrate their own anniversary, which falls on Dec. 22.
Contact the writer here
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