Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
A game night at Yoder’s Shipshewana Hardware turned work into play for employees, and play into shopping for customers.
The store in Shipshewana, Indiana, hosted the event for the first time this year, and despite postponements due to stormy weather, achieved some promotional goals.
Games and toys are an important category for the store and hosting the game night drew attention to the 3,000 SKUs in that department.
Yoder’s employees sat at tables and demonstrated how to play games such as Five Crowns and Quiddler, and invited attendees to play a few rounds with them.
Gift and toy buyer Alisha Jones wanted to highlight the category, and introduce shoppers to new and lesser-known board and card games.
During the event, Yoder’s employees sat at tables and demonstrated how to play games such as Five Crowns and Quiddler, and invited attendees to play a few rounds with them. If customers enjoyed the games, they could buy them on the spot.
Yoder’s workers also gave out free popcorn, cotton candy and samples of old-fashioned soda drinks.
About 50 people came to the event, and Jones noticed that the games the workers demonstrated sold more frequently following the event. She hopes to host another, larger game night next year.
At this year’s event, children were the most enthusiastic about trying new games, so next year Jones will probably bring out more kids’ games, she says.
“They talked their parents into buying some games, which was nice,” Jones says.
