Everyone who wants to open a B&M (bricks & mortar aka offline) game store, please be careful. It's okay to dream. It's okay to pursue that dream. But be prepared to lose more than you originally planned on risking. Once most people have poured money into their business, they will find ways to justify spending more to keep it afloat, until everything they have is gone. Why am I being so negative, so depressing, so worst-case-scenario? because, unless you are prepared for the worst, you're not ready to start your own business. Do more research than you've ever done your entire life, then have someone doublecheck what you found out. Why? because some people are so in love with their own ideas, they don't see the flaws that others notice quickly.
Check your local paper, national headlines, etc to research other businesses that failed that were targetting the same industry you're planning on entering. find out why they failed so you don't make the same mistake. if you can't figure out why they failed, then you better have a damn good edge that they didn't have. and you better have a good reason why you won't fail where so many others have.
I've seen people lose friends, family, marriages, houses, cars, savings, etc trying to keep the dream alive.
And if you all are thinking of owning a video game store, I wish you the best. but look at the current state of the marketplace. Even KBToys is closing most of their game sections, and the KBs that are still selling VGs are only carrying GBA. Look at the massive closeouts, price drops, liquidations, etc. All these are great for the consumer, but how great are these for the retailers. Look at how many people frequent this site and sites like it.
Look at how many retailers (COMPETITORS) are already in or are getting in this industry:
GameRush [owned by Blockbuster] (rent,sell,trade,buy)
GameCrazy [owned by Hollywood Video] (rent,sell,trade,buy)
GameFixx [owned by CompUSA] (sell,lan-gaming)
the superstores: BB,Target,TRU,CC,WalMart
the wholesale clubs: Costco, Sams, BJs
the national chains:
EBGames
GameStop [owned by Barnes & Noble] buy, sell, trade, lan-gaming
add in all the independents
add in online: EBAY, Amazon, etc
add in GameFly (rent by mail)
other discounters, wholesalers, bootleggers, thieves, etc.
now, decide if you still want to get into this industry.