Two Elgin High Street businesses have teamed up to share a town centre home to create a community around their shared shop.
Computer game store Game XP has been in the heart of the town for about 18 months, and has shared the unit with Trading Cards Ltd since late last year.
With a focus on games consoles and Pokémon trading cards, together the firms want to create an energy and atmosphere that makes customers eager to be part of.
They hope the buzz will encourage shoppers to spurn national chains and online sites and make the trip into the town centre to shop in person.
The Press and Journal stopped by to talk with Game XP and Trading Cards about their shared venture in Elgin, including;
- What kind of community they are building in their High Street shop.
- Why Trading Cards moved from an online-only company to one that needed a physical presence,
- What sets the companies apart from websites and national chains selling the same products.
- And what they think Elgin High Street needs to do to thrive following the closure of the St Giles Centre.
Why creating community is so important for Game XP and Trading Cards
Amir Niazi already had two Game XP stores in the Glasgow area when he started eyeing up a move north, eventually focussing on Elgin.
The then-recent closure of national retailer Game in the town caught his attention and made him think there could be a gap to take advantage of.
A chance conversation with RAF Lossiemouth serviceman Richard Bowlt then led to Trading Cards moving in with their own Pokémon cards, among other brands.
Together the duo are building a community of repeat customers with a dedicated gaming section in the rear to host tournaments and play consoles.
Richard said: “I think people are looking for community now from their shops, instead of just spending money online and then that’s it.
“It has to be more than just walk in, buy the product, then see you later. We want create an environment people are happy to spend their time in.
“Our card events have been such a hit because people come down meet each other people with similar hobbies, similar interests and they can sit there and play their games together.
“That really stands out for us as what sets us apart.
“It’s a part of the business that’s new to us, but it’s what we want to do. Build a community, bring them in, the customers get something out of it, and it helps our businesses too.”
Amir added: “I remember when I was a child I used to love going to the game store.
“I didn’t always go there to buy something. I just liked spending my time there, see different products, and we’re trying to do the same.”
Why physical High Street shop became essential for Trading Cards
Richard loved collecting cards as a child in the late 1990s and his passion was rekindled when he had a son.
His first steps into business came during the Covid pandemic before he started streaming on various platforms online in 2022.
The videos aimed to recreate the thrill of opening a foil pack of cards and the surprise of what’s inside – with the rarest designs being worth several thousand pounds.
However, after a few years, Richard became convinced that a physical town centre presence and stalls at local markets were the only way to grow his business.
He said: “There’s a big collector’s community out there, and we created a brilliant little community online.
“That all then started to change ever-so-slightly. TikTok became harder to navigate the business market, the business market there isn’t maybe quite so good, they push other products.
“It became quite a toxic environment too. They got greedy, their fees got ridiculous. If you’re not one of the big streamers, it just became too difficult.
“I was pretty close to just giving up and binning the whole business.
“A chance meeting with Amir brought me down here, and we decided to see if we can make it work.
Nostalgic memories give Game XP edge on national chains
While Game XP has the latest PlayStation and Xbox releases, the firm has focused on developing a different offering to set itself apart from national chains also in Elgin.
The High Street store accepts and sells trade-ins to offer more affordable purchases in-store.
And the firm has a popular range of retro classics, stretching back to the consoles and games from the original PlayStations and Xboxes as well as Dreamcast and Nintendos.
When one customer brought in an original Xbox to trade in and sell, it had already been sold to someone else within hours.
Amir said: “People still really enjoy those because it’s nostalgia.
“When people buy old consoles like Super Nintendo it has so many memories for them from when they were children.
“The trade in option is why we’re different from chains in Elgin. We can give them store credit and they can use it to buy consoles or games.
“It helps people who may not otherwise be able to upgrade to the new ones.”
What Elgin town centre needs after St Giles Centre closure
Both Richard and Amir are anxious about what the future will be for Elgin High Street following the closure of the St Giles Centre last month.
They both believe the future of the town centre needs re-examined to ensure there are a range of retail options as well as ample and affordable parking and an attractive environment.
Amir said: “What you get at the retail parks is all the brands in one space. Plus, they get the parking in front of all the stores.
“The High Street has a lot of parking, but the thing is it’s very hard for people to find it if they’re not from here.
“When I was new to Elgin I was very confused. People love to come to the High Street, they prefer it to retail parks.
“You just need to have the things that mean they can come here without any problems.”
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