Wizards of the Coast knows that players tend to fall into three play styles, and it designs cards and sets to cater to these players. They call these players Timmy, Johnny, and Spike. Timmy—or Tammy in the feminine–likes to smack down big cards that have a significant impact on the battlefield. Johnny (or Jenny) likes card synergy and hidden combos. Spike doesn’t have favorite colors or deck styles; Spike plays to win. Any new set has cards that make Timmy think, Johnny squeal, and Spike nod sagely. You can read a slightly more expansive description https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Player_type
Customers aren’t perfectly trinary, of course. Humans are complex creatures, and these pigeonholes with which we sometimes identify them are useful constructs, but they aren’t prohibitive categories. For example, I’m mostly Johnny. I’ll build stupid decks with ridiculous rare and obscure cards just because they interact well with each other. I’m not much Spike. Sure, I like to win, but the real treasure is the friends I make along the way.
Who Are Your Customers?
I propose three profiles. Let me explain who I’ve seen in the store and their behaviors that identify them. After identifying these customers, we discuss ways to give them what they want.
Norm/Norma—the Fixture
Personality
Norm is the quintessential regular, a familiar face in the store who is as much a part of the environment as the cash wrap around which he revolves. Most commonly, Norm is in their late 30s to 50s. Norm enjoys acting as an unofficial ambassador for the business. All the other Norms and the Taylors know Norm. Your crew likely meets them the day they start.
Norm is almost certainly a white male.
Frequency
Norm is your rarest customer profile, but they are frequently at the top of your mind because of their omnipresence.
Behavior
- Visits: Norm is in the store frequently, often multiple times a week. They may visit to browse, chat with staff and other customers, or pick up a small item. Even if they don’t make a purchase every time, their steady presence is a constant. You notice when Norm isn’t there.
- Purchases: Norm’s purchases range from infrequent to moderate. They might buy a new board game, replenish gaming supplies like dice or card sleeves, or pick up a new RPG sourcebook. Norm prefers to spend their money on a variety of items rather than investing heavily in one game. Despite this occasional spending, Norm’s value isn’t in the cash he puts in the till.
- Engagement: Norm is deeply involved in the store’s community. They participate in regular game nights, attend events, and may even help organize or run them. Norm is the type of customer who makes everyone feel welcome and is always up for a game or a chat.
- Knowledge: Norm has a broad knowledge of the store’s layout, product lines, and gaming in general. They might not be an expert in any one area, but they know enough to help new customers find what they’re looking for or recommend a good game. Norm might also have been a Norm to the game stores that came before yours. Norm might know a great deal about the history of the local community and know their counterparts at other stores.
Value to Store
- Community Anchor: Norm is the backbone of the store’s community. Their regular visits and friendly demeanor help create a welcoming atmosphere, making other customers feel comfortable and engaged.
- Internal Social Network: Norm’s value lies more in strengthening the store’s internal community rather than expanding it. They are not as likely to bring in new customers, but they deepen the connections within the existing customer base, making the store feel like a second home for many regulars. Norm help you retain customers.
- Consistent Revenue: While Norm’s individual purchases might not be large, their frequent visits add up over time. Their steady spending contributes to the store’s overall revenue, and their loyalty ensures they keep coming back. Norm’s conversion rate is the lowest in the store.
Visiting Pattern
- Frequency: Norm is at the store more than anyone else–including most staff. Their visits are frequent and regular, driven more by habit and the comfort they find in the store environment than by specific events or releases.
- Timing: Norm’s visits depend on their personal schedule. They visit whenever they have free time—after work, during lunch breaks, or on weekends. Norm is likely to be in the store during off-peak hours as well as during busier times.
- Consistency: Norm doesn’t need a special reason to visit; being at the store is part of their routine. Whether they’re browsing, chatting, or playing games, they’re there for the community and the atmosphere.
Taylor – The Enthusiast
Personality
Taylor is a passionate and dedicated gamer, often in their late 20s to early 40s, with a stable disposable income that allows them to invest heavily in their favorite hobbies. They are deeply involved in one to four select (usually related) games. Taylor’s knowledge of their chosen games is extensive, and they often participate in or even organize events within the gaming community.
Taylor is most likely male and probably white.
Frequency
A store has many Taylors, and you might know them all by name, face, and game. If I had to assign a number, I’d say no more than 20% of your customer count is a Taylor.
Behavior
- Visits: Taylor visits the store with purpose, though not as frequently as Norm. When they do visit, it’s often to make significant purchases—new game releases, high-end accessories, or to pre-order upcoming products.
- Purchases: Taylor is heavily invested in a few specific games, such as Warhammer, Magic: The Gathering, or Dungeons & Dragons. Their purchases are focused and often include top-tier items like collector’s editions, custom miniatures, or premium gaming supplies.
- Engagement: Taylor is an active participant in the gaming community, frequently attending or hosting events like tournaments, campaign nights, or hobby workshops. They are knowledgeable and enjoy discussing strategies, game lore, and upcoming releases with both staff and fellow gamers. Taylor is involved with your social media.
- Commitment: Taylor’s commitment to their chosen games is evident in the time and money they spend on mastering rules, painting miniatures, or building and refining decks. They are brand-loyal and tend to stick with specific game lines over time.
Value to Store
- High-Value Transactions: Taylor’s visits often result in large purchases, making them a key contributor to store revenue. They appreciate quality and are willing to invest in the best products available. Taylor buys expensive Limited Editions and exclusive items.
- Community Leadership: Taylor’s involvement in the gaming community makes them a natural leader or influencer. Their opinions and recommendations carry weight, often guiding other customers’ purchases.
- Consistent Revenue Stream: Taylor’s brand loyalty means they return for each new release, expansion, or exclusive item related to their favorite games, ensuring a steady flow of high-value sales.
Visiting Patterns
- Frequency: Taylor visits the store with purpose, usually several times a month. Taylor plans around specific events, new releases, or when they need to make a significant purchase.
- Timing: Taylor is most likely to visit around key times: during special events, tournaments, or new product launches. They might stop by on release day for their favorite games, or during scheduled game nights or hobby workshops. Taylor’s visits are strategic and tied to their interests.
- Engagement: While Taylor might not be in the store as often as Norm, when they do visit, they’re fully engaged. They’re there to participate, purchase, or interact with others who share their passion.
Chris – The Explorer
Personality
Chris is curious and eager to learn but isn’t deeply entrenched in the gaming world yet. They are often younger, having grown up in the 2000s, and are likely drawn to the social aspects of gaming. Chris might have been introduced to tabletop games through friends, family, or popular culture (like Critical Role or Stranger Things).
Frequency
Chris is the most abundant profile. Chris might be male or female and is most likely to be from a broader racial spectrum than Norm. The product line affects the gender mix (Magic players are most likely male), and your store’s environment and culture play a huge factor in how broad their diversity is.
Behavior
- Visits: Chris visits the store occasionally, often with friends or family. Their visits might be sparked by curiosity, a social outing, or the desire to find something fun to do on the weekend.
- Purchases: Chris buys entry-level or mainstream games—popular board games, party games, or beginner-friendly RPGs. Chris is open to trying new things and may purchase based on recommendations, eye-catching packaging, or what’s trending.
- Engagement: Chris is likely to attend game demos, beginner events, or social gaming nights. They appreciate guidance from staff and might ask questions about how games are played or what’s popular.
- Discovery: Chris is still discovering their preferences, so they might experiment with different genres and types of games, from cooperative board games to introductory card games.
Value to Store
- Growth Potential: Chris represents the potential for long-term customer growth. As they become more familiar with the hobby, they could evolve into more frequent visitors like Norm or enthusiasts like Taylor.
- Diverse Appeal: Chris helps diversify the store’s customer base by bringing in new players, including those interested in family games, social games, or casual gaming experiences.
- Impulse Purchases: Chris might make more spontaneous purchases, especially when intrigued by something new or recommended by a trusted staff member.
Visiting Patterns
- Frequency: Chris is a less frequent visitor, coming in at most once a week for a regular activity (like Friday Night Magic. Chris is likely unaware of special events, and their presence for your anniversary celebration, for example, is incidental.
- Timing: Chris tends to visit during peak times, like weekends, Friday nights, or during special events. Chris is the most likely customer to visit as part of a group.
- Exploration: Chris uses these visits to explore the hobby, whether that means trying out a new game, attending a demo, or just soaking in the store’s atmosphere. They’re more likely to show up when they expect to see other people, as the social aspect is a key part of their experience.
It’s not really a customer profile, but I’d also like to talk about what I call Muggles. These people don’t consider themselves gamers. They come into the store out of curiosity while they’re in the shopping center or driving by, or because they’re with a friend. They might include people from the shopping center who walk in to buy a soft drink from your cooler.
Muggles buy impulsively—impulse is what drove them to the store. Selling to Muggles is a function of your merchandise and sales craft. They might buy your gaming-adjacent products, like puzzles or toys, often as a gift.
If you make a good impression on Muggles, they recommend the store to the people in their life to whom “that stuff” is relevant—their nephew who plays D&D, their neighbor who paints Warhammer models, or their father-in-law who plays chess. Likewise, they might return for Christmas for more gifts.
Invite Muggles to events. Talk them into playing a demo game. Your goal is to turn them into Chris. If they decline, make sure they leave happy, so they introduce their social network to you.
How Do You Use This Information?
Psychographic profiles are useful for every aspect of your business, from merchandise selection to event planning to signage. Knowing how your customers interact with your store allows you to give them what they want, increasing spending, increasing customer retention, and increasing the value of their word-of-mouth advertising.
Signage
If you only had Norms in your store, you wouldn’t need signage. They know where stuff is, usually better than an employee who has only been there for a few months. If you only catered to Taylors, you still wouldn’t need signage. They recognize the product line by its trade dress and can spot it from a long way away. You have department signage for Chris.
Knowing who needs your department signage allows you to design the signs properly. Use full names instead of initials or code. You don’t write “cardboard crack” on that department sign. Norm would think it’s funny. Taylor would get the joke but might be offended. Chris won’t get the joke and would be less likely to start playing that game. Instead, your department sign for that category advertises Magic: the Gathering, and you include the Magic logo so that Chris can learn to recognize it.
Merchandising
Likewise, when you merchandise a shelf, you merchandise primarily for Chris. Norm spots any difference in inventory immediately, even if something is in the wrong place, so it’s not for him. Taylor pre-ordered the new release; they might not even know where it goes on the shelf because they don’t check. So that leaves Chris. Your shelf displays the core products in the order in which customers need them specifically so that Chris can easily determine what to buy next.
With Dungeons & Dragons, for example, that means the core box set first, Players Handbook second, Monster Manual third, Dungeon Masters Guide next. If there’s room on the same shelf, the newest release goes there.
Product Selection
Norm likes a broad selection to match their knowledge of the industry. Norm really, really wants you to stock Amber Diceless Roleplaying, even though it’s been out of print for years, and Norm already has a copy at home. Product diversity is important to Norm; the more you carry, the prouder Norm is of the store. A “Community Favorites” section that recommends old staples and current hotness makes Normal feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Taylor is most likely to buy limited or deluxe editions of standard items. These products tend to have exclusive content that Taylor considers essential. A “New Release” display visible from the front door tells them about new products they might have forgotten about. Taylor also has extensive accessory needs: Taylor needs to regularly replace paints and hobby supplies, always wants more dice and dice bags, or requires sleeves of different colors for different decks.
Chris needs help getting started. Chris is most interested in games with a minimal buy-in or that are easy to learn. For large product lines, Chris needs a clear purchasing path. For example, I have a sign that identifies “What you need to play D&D.” On the checklist are a) friends, b) the Players Handbook, c) a set of dice, and d) a place to play. The sign is next to the Players Handbook and shows Chris exactly where to find each of these things.
Conclusion
These profiles have many more uses, and I reserve the right to return to the topic in a future article. Undoubtedly, you’re already thinking of ways to improve your marketing to different market segments based on their buying and shopping habits rather than which game they play, which is the usual type of segmentation we see in the industry. Feel free to discuss it more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/openinggamestore
