Everything Games In Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Cody Romano opened Everything Games with his dad over 12 years ago. They’re one of two stores in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, according to the Wizards of the Coast Store & Events Locator. Buffalo Grove is in the Northwest suburbs of Illinois. Cody says they’re about 30 minutes north; between the border of Wisconsin and the city of Chicago. Since the store’s inception, they’ve seen accelerated success. In 2023, the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce awarded the store the Business of the Year award. A photo showcasing the accomplishment is available on the Everything Games website. While they started the store online, Cody soon realized that having a brick-and-mortar presence would be key to acquiring products. This has culminated 20 years and counting of retail experience to his name.

The store has always remained in the same strip mall but has moved to larger spaces. For example, the store started with a little over 800 sq. ft. Within two years they’ve moved into a space with about 2,400 sq. ft. Finally, 8 years later, they have a little over 5,000 sq. ft. Cody says they need to expand again but may prefer a second location. The current location has been very profitable. Moreover, Cody says his store has the largest square footage of any game store in Chicago. Throughout this time in business, Everything Games has remained in the same strip mall even after moving to a larger spot.

Evaluating Products That Will Boost Sales

Many stores rely heavily on selling singles. However, Everything Games sells many sealed products in addition to singles. Cody attributes this to the very casual environment cultivated at his store. For example, Commander events see 30-40 people in attendance every Wednesday. Commander events also run on Fridays. Entry is $10. The fee offers players a $10 gift certificate to use on anything in the store, except event entry. Cody says the entry fees are a break even. On the flip side, he says that One Piece is the most popular game at his store. Moreover, Dragon Ball Fusion World has been successful, but Yu-Gi-Oh is declining.

Cody handles product ordering, chasing contracts, and putting his employees in the best position to succeed. With 10 employees on board, each knows how to run events. Just like a corporate business, employees have roles within departments. From a Magic: The Gathering standpoint, Cody likes having two SKUs – Collector and Play Booster – compared to three. He says customers purchasing a Collector or Play Booster pack has helped sales. Furthermore, Cody will hold back some sealed products in his inventory. At the two-year mark, he’ll sell them on the secondary market.

Everything Games Offers A Wide Array of Products

The store is broad in its product offerings keeping on brand with the store’s name. During COVID, Everything Games branched out into video games, for example. Moreover, Beyblade and Barbies have been a very successful addition to the store. Toys have successfully provided options for families and happy kids where 60% of its sales are in-store. Cody continues to expand product lines like video games, sports cards, and Warhammer 40,000. Although, accessories do offer the largest profit margin. Cody can order accessories continuously from distributors unlike Magic: The Gathering sealed products. Offering a large swath of products for customers allows Cody to stay true to the Everything Games name. Overall, sales have increased 10-fold since the move to the space with a little over 5,000 sq. ft.

Being Active & Transparent With The Community

Cody will always be marketing (i.e. Facebook and Instagram), attending conventions, and working with the public at festivals. He believes in being active with the community inside and outside the store. These community interactions provide insight into the success or failure of new product lines. Cody can test how a new SKU sells and determine if it makes sense from a margin perspective. For example, one insight garnered is the crossover between Pokémon and sports card collectors. Overall, Cody’s pulse on the community does not go unnoticed.

One of Cody’s 10-15-year future goals is to buy a hotel that has an Everything Games inside to host events. Additionally, he feels the store’s transparency is one of its unique selling points thus enabling growth. For example, Cody tells us their consoles are more expensive than other stores. However, Everything Games has a one-year service agreement built in.

Check out Everything Games on Linktree for various ways to connect with the store.

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