Gamers Guild AZ in Tempe, Arizona
Gamers Guild AZ is located in Tempe, Arizona. According to Wizards’ Store & Event Locator, Gamers Guild AZ is one of three stores in Tempe. Overall, there are 13 total stores in the greater Phoenix area.
Gamers Guild AZ opened on June 1st, 2021. Aaron, Justin, and Erik founded it. Ryan, the initial investor in the company would later be brought on as the fourth owner of the store.
Aaron is not unfamiliar with owning a game store as he previously held one earlier in his life. Admittedly Aaron considered himself not mature enough for running the initial store. However, the lessons learned would prove to be invaluable with the launch of Gamers Guild AZ.
He’s a natural businessman through and through. While angel investors in 2015 wouldn’t fund a game store, Aaron was asked to launch a construction company. He did so in 2016. With the regret of giving up his first store, Aaron used the construction business to springboard Gamers Guild AZ (2021). Throughout his career, Aaron – while thankful – is in shock at the speed at which the game store has grown:
“It’s grown faster than I’ve ever seen a business grow in my life.”
Aaron C, Majority Owner of Gamers Guild AZ
The Store’s Early Beginnings
He notes that the store launched with what he anticipated to be a controversial Code of Conduct. Moreover, a strong focus on the community would be the primary goal. Aaron explained that this community focus was due to the toxicity he saw in other game stores. He, Justin, and Erik wanted to address it. With the amount of startup capital available, the plan was to offer a premium service. This notion of premium follows a pattern in everything Aaron does – dating back to how he runs his construction company. This became prevalent with the designation of a Wizards Premium Network store which was in place before the store opened.
Gamers Guild AZ employs about 29 employees at the time of this writing. Those employees serve the 80-90% capacity of players who attend events at the store six days a week. This type of turnout Aaron views as a benefactor of always saying yes to the community. Gamers Guild AZ will try any game presented by the player base. The main room for playing games can serve about 80 players. The “War Room” can fit about 32 players and the tabletop area contains 15 tables accommodating 30 people.
A Significant Marketing Budget For Gamers Guild AZ
To emphasize the premium offering of the store, there are reservable game rooms. Each room has its own theme. The details are available to view on the website. Those rooms are the “Fire Room”, “Earth Room”, and “Wind Room” and each has Bluetooth, a professional mic and camera, and extensive decorating to create a themed ambiance. Additionally, store members can earn a discount reserving these rooms.
A well-funded company from the get-go has its perks. Gamers Guild AZ has the luxury of a significant marketing budget. For example, Aaron shares spending $50,000 monthly on Google Ads for the online business. His competitive prices have grabbed the attention of customers. One of their customers, Jamie Mark Skelton, has been shopping online with the store since 2021. Jamie appreciates the inventory available and customer service:
“Been shopping with them since October 2021 and I have never had any issues. Their website is always well stocked, with fast and efficient shipping and great customer service. They’re my go-to for all Warhammer 40k, and general hobby related purchases.“
Jamie Mark Skelton
Customer review on the Gamers Guild AZ Facebook page
When looking into the future, Aaron has a desire to expand. He has helped build a successful and ever-growing business. He envisions that expansion to encompass additional metro areas within the next 20 years.
You can follow Gamers Guild AZ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Discord.
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