I was in Norfolk recently picking up some stuff for my Man Cave business and I met up with Sandy from Gamestar Leisure Ltd. They supply fruit machines etc mainly to the Norfolk and surrounding areas but also go further afield as needed. Whilst there she mentioned that she has a Mini Rider simulator for sale for £800 + vat. Sandy will send you a video of it or it can be seen at their place in Norwich. Now I don’t normally post about used machines, but this seems like a lot of kit for not a lot of money, however the transaction will be between you and Gamestar.  If this is something of interest to you then by all means give Sandy a call on 07525 640828, she’s a very nice lady.

Hang the bunting up it’s Coronation time! Easter is nearly over and next month there are three bank holidays, the usual two in May and of course an extra one for the coronation. This is an ideal opportunity to promote your arcade and encourage customers to visit. So hang up some bunting and flags (Amazon is ‘awash’ with bunting and flag deals) and get customers into a ‘party mood’. Maybe even do a prize raffle or offer some party food/drinks?  Either way the coronation is a great opportunity to ‘bang the drum’ and ‘fly the flag’ and promote your arcade.

It was our anniversary on Sunday and CJ and I wanted to have lunch out. The restaurant we wanted to go to was fully booked, we hadn’t booked a table early enough, our second choice didn’t take bookings and the wait was over an hour. We eventually ended up getting a takeaway pizza, we saved a few bob, laughed about it, but it wasn’t quite the romantic meal we had planned! I was telling a friend of mine about this over coffee, and he remarked “how is it that if nobody has any spare money, how come all the restaurants are so busy?” – an interesting point. It’s my belief that there is ‘spare money’ available, and people want to spend it enjoying themselves it’s just that this is not newsworthy, therefore it’s not mentioned in the headlines whereas tales of hardship make for more sensational news.  My advice is focus on the positive and make sure your arcade is a welcoming place for your customers to spend that ‘spare cash’. The sun is shining, the forecast is good, here’s hoping you have a very busy Easter!

Easter Raffle – simple but effective Recently I visited Retropolis Classic Arcade in Southend and subsequently now follow them on Facebook (1) Retropolis classic Arcade | Southend-on-Sea | Facebook . I have been impressed to see they are very active on social media with promotions. A couple of weeks ago they were giving away free waffles on a Sunday and now they are promoting an Easter Raffle. The great thing about this type of marketing is that it is free. You can post on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Tik Tok etc, all free of charge (there are paying options too). Plus it is easy to do, especially if you use a ‘younger member’ of staff to do it for you as they are so ‘tech savvy’ nowadays. The key to any marketing message is keep it positive, avoid politics, religion or personal views. Just focus on how much your customer will enjoy visiting your venue.  It’s not too late to quickly put an Easter promotion together and help get the customers spending in your arcade.

One of the great things about what I do is that I get to travel the length and breadth of the country visiting arcades. Life on the road is what you make of it, especially if you plan ahead, but there’s one thing that catches us all out every now and then, and that’s the need to ‘use the loo’. (A quick tip is look for an out of town supermarket as you can park there for free, use the facilities, buy a snack if you need one, and catch up on your messages etc). Along so many seafronts, promenades, esplanades etc the public conveniences have been closed, usually due to budget cuts or some other council reason, but this could create an opportunity for you and your arcade. If you have toilets for your customers to use, keep them clean and tidy and accessible, and most importantly make sure customers are aware of them. Solving 'this problem' will attract customers into your arcade and once inside they will experience your offering. Having facilities available also prevents the need for your customer needing to leave when 'the need arises', therefore staying longer, playing longer, and spending more money. In a similar vein, having drinks and snacks available helps keep customers in your arcade and prevent the need to leave too soon. A simple vending machine to a full blown café will all help keep your customers in your arcade. It’s the small things like this that can make the difference in your arcade during these challenging times. It’s not just about the latest games and machines, it’s about the whole experience – make sure visiting your arcade is a good one. I hope to be visiting yours soon. (Not just for a pee!).

How to add your business to Google Maps In my last blog I talked about being visible online and having a digital presence. Some people asked me to explain this a bit more… Therefore, and wearing my ‘3B Marketing’ hat, (one of my other jobs as well as writing this blog) here are two main actions you should take: 1. Have a website – it can be as easy as one page to something fancy of many pages, but every business should have a website. 2. Add Your Business to Google Maps – there are four easy steps to take to do this, here is the link to Google on how to do it How to Add Your Business to Google Maps - Google My Business Part of this blog is to help you guys, the arcade owners, and employees, with tips and advice. My 3B Marketing business ( www.3bmarketing.co.uk ) can help you with these two main points if you would like, no obligation, I am happy to just have a chat if it helps. Click the button below to contact me. Going forward I have some interviews lined up over the next few weeks with some key players in the trade, I will be sharing their stories with you starting next week with John Ferguson of JF Spares.  In the meantime have a great week.

Are you hiding online? Part of what I do in business involves traveling all over the country. This means I am constantly using my phone as a sat nav as well as Google to find places and companies. Surprisingly many arcades are not visible online. Yes when I arrive along a coastal promenade there they are, one or more arcades, all brightly lit with flashing lights, bells and whistles telling me there’s an arcade here. But if I want to know what’s available before I get to my destination, many arcades can’t be found online. Admittedly some have a social media presence, Facebook, Instagram etc but it’s all a bit hit and miss. With this in mind, and the fact that pretty much everyone has a smart phone nowadays, with access to the internet and of course Google, this means that anyone looking for information on your location will probably start looking by using their phone before they get there. A simple website presence with your address details, a map, opening hours and any other key information about your arcade is essential in today’s marketplace. Add some images of happy customers, winning prizes, playing your games, and it becomes a feel good venue. Plus add some testimonials from these happy customers saying how much they are enjoying their visit and all of a sudden, you’ve got a great advertising platform for all to see. The simple question is - how visible is your arcade?

This time last week I was at the Play Leisure sale. The place was bustling with a combination of arcade owners and employees as well as members of the public looking for a bargain for their man cave. I got talking to several people there, some were looking for machine spares, some furniture (chairs were popular), some were looking for artwork signage and others just for general interest. The man cave is certainly a growing business at present, boosted by the pandemic forcing people to stay at home. In general it is a man with a bit of space, a converted garage, a shed or outbuilding or maybe a basement and some spare money to spend on ‘boys toys’. With the demise of the pub industry, more and more people are choosing to stay at home and enjoy their leisure with a bar, games room or man cave. This is then filled with a multitude of games, darts, pool, fruit machines (very popular), pinball and of course arcade machines. I note that single player pushers are becoming scarcer in particular. Often, when it comes to these arcade machines, the machine is a reminder of their youth, playing in a local arcade or holiday location, spending their pocket money – happy memories! This trend has also led to some arcade owners allocating areas specifically for ‘retro arcade machines’ aimed at this particular market and I know of one particular arcade in Whitby that has a whole upstairs floor full of these machines. In addition, there are many ‘Barcades’ opening up that are specifically themed this way. Sometimes you have to think ‘outside the box’ to get more customers, it’s something to consider for the future, specifically targeting certain categories of customer with the type of machines they want to play. Food for thought…  Hoping this half term week has been fruitful, until next week.

This week I’ve been talking to some arcade owners and all are looking forward to half term next week. It’s the first school holiday of the year and will be a welcome sign to see a rise in footfall. Having said that though, I visited the two arcades in Herne Bay, Cains Amusements, last weekend and was very pleased to see how busy they were. Lots of happy faces and some very busy staff! Of course this is a weekend and it’s not like that in the week, but hopefully next week it will be so. Then soon we have the clocks going forward and the lighter evenings. I for one am not a fan of winter and am counting the days until the warmer weather arrives. I recall many occasions walking along some cold, blowy, wintry promenades visiting arcades, bloody freezing but always receiving a warm welcome and sometimes even a cup of tea! My first sale of an arcade machine, a crane, made to an owner who I think felt sorry for me as we watched the snow coming down. Then it will be Easter and another boost hopefully, I know that sometimes buying decisions on new machines are made on the takings of these early months and I hope there are some good deals to be made for sellers and buyers. Talking of which, Play Leisure are having a sale. They are moving out of their Blackpool site, and to save having to move a load of the stuff, they are having a big two day sale this Friday and Saturday. I know Matt Conridge well, he’s a nice guy and he works hard at growing his business and I hope this weekend goes well for him. FYI they’re located behind 'The Garden Place' on Cropper Road, Blackpool, FY4 5LB. I’ll be there on Friday morning, hoping to pick up some bargains for my man cave business, say hi if you see me. Hope you all have a great busy half term guys!