Redemption Plus is excited to provide our customers with a resource center where you can access our library of eLearning at your convenience. These modules are designed to provide an introductory learning enviromnent for core redemption topics.
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Drive Game Play with an Eye-Catching Redemption Areaby Jim Kipper & Josh GedminasDrive game revenue and profits with attractive displays and expert merchandising techniques. Our merchandising specialists will help you design an organized and attention-grabbing redemption area, whether you have, or are thinking about adding, a small counter or large redemption room. Create a lasting impression that ensures your guests will return again and again! ... (view more)
Best Practices for Combining Family Entertainment & Bowlingby George McAuliffe & Kurt HarzKurt Harz, VP Capital Equipment for Brunswick Bowling, and George McAuliffe, President of Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors by Redemption Plus, have teamed up to cover the best practices, attractions, and innovations in today's Bowling FECs. A variety of facilities are reviewed, hard numbers provided, and best practices shared. ... (view more)
Driving Sales Growth Through Customer Loyalty by Grace BlackLearn the difference between a highly satisfied and satisfied customer in terms of their loyalty to your business. You will see not only how the data is collected but examples of the location specific action planning tools. ... (view more)
Getting your Team on the Same Page by Joe CalhoonLearn how providing a shared vision for your business can drive profitability. In this webinar, you will discover: Why most employees are not engaged and what to do about it. Six ways to engage any employee in growing your business. The power of recognition and praise. ... (view more)
Games & Redemption: The Circle of Profitability by IAAPA PanelThis informative and exciting seminar from IAAPA 2009 outlines the key components to establishing a redemption management system for today's family entertainment center (FEC). The Circle of Redemption Profitability covers all of the bases: redemption game selection and management, setup, merchandising, redemption center throughput, hot products, and superior customer service techniques...(view more)
A More Detailed Look at Merchandising your Redemption Counterby Matt Rau & Jim KipperMerchandise displays drive game revenue and profits. Our merchandising specialists have a combined 20 years of experience setting more than 500 redemption counters. This webinar goes into detail about what they’ve learned along the way, with tips for small counters all the way up to full redemption rooms. It concludes with an in depth 30 minute question and answer session addressing a wide range of topics. ... (view more)
Completing Online ReturnsBy Courtney GermanWe pride ourselves on having the best return policy in the business. View this brief tutorial that shows how to process a return online, as well as view previous returns. ... (view more)
Using ExpressKitsBy Anthony BoyerExpressKits lets you create orders from kits of pre-selected merchandise that you can quickly combine into a customized order. It was designed to make your Redemption Plus shopping experience faster and easier. View this brief tutorial to learn how to use this handy tool. ... (view more)
Using Quick Orders By Courtney German Quick Orders has several helpful applications, including accessing our Printable Catalog, using Smart Form, and ordering Labels & Tags. This brief tutorial shows you how to do them all. ... (view more)
Using Order History by Justin Michaels Order History has several useful features in addition to viewing the details of your past orders. This tutorial shows you how to copy and track orders, print labels or tags, and download the DPL. You can also view your payment history and backorders in this section. ... (view more)
Creating Your Custom Markupby Justin MichaelsLearn the value of creating your custom markup in under 2 minutes. It will ease your shopping experience and ensure items arrive tagged with the correct ticket value. ... (view more)
The Top Ten Redemption Center Opportunitiesby George McAuliffeDavid Letterman has given us a Top Ten list every night for many years. We are in redemption game rooms just about every week all over the U.S. and thought we would share our Top Ten list of opportunities to maximize ... (view more)
IAAPA Investment Pays Off by George McAuliffe"This will be my 25th IAAPA. I’m just as excited about this one as I was back in 1988. I can’t tell you where that show was because it moved around quite a bit in those years. I was there, at the “Parks Show” as we arcade operators called it, ... (view more)
Pushing the Prize Envelope: How Far Is Too Far? by Howard McAuliffe"Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” My dad loved to use this aphorism when talking about pushing the envelope in business. He means it is good business to stretch a little outside your comfort zone and take some risk, but if you get greedy it can kill you, at least economically. ... (view more)
Case Study: Crane & Merchandiser Makeover by George McAuliffeRegular readers of this column and the Crane
Zone column by my son Howard have heard from us countless times: detail matters when it comes to crane and merchandiser sales. The key
principles of operation include ... (view more)
FEC Review: iPlayAmerica by George McAuliffeLong before Snooki gave millions of Americans the wrong image of the Jersey Shore, I was growing up there, in Spring Lake Heights, a half mile from the ocean with caring neighbors. ... (view more)
Father & Son Reunion by George McAuliffe"...the first key is location. With that, placing the crane in the right place in that location is crucial. Next has got to be product: a good mix, which must be regularly rotated. Third would be a tie between ... (view more)
Learning from the Masters (of Bowling Entertainment)by George McAuliffe"Stumptown,” Portland, Oregon is a great city to spend a week in, especially the week during which blizzards buried much of the rest of the country in snow. With a son recently moved to Seattle, my wife and I flew to the Pacific Northwest the Saturday before, and home the Sunday after, fortunately missing most of the midweek delays and cancellations ... (view more)
A Look at the Numbersby George McAuliffeBowling-anchored FECs are the hottest trend in the family entertainment center industry. In recent, years more centers have come on line. Bowling is the leading asset to the mix, the prime draw and anchor. Bowling appeals to a wide age group as shown in bowling leagues spanning age groups from toddlers to seniors ... (view more)
How to Price Redemption Merchandiseby George McAuliffeThe other day I was rebuilding a fence. You won’t normally catch me engaged in skilled labor (a few years back, my wife left with the kids and wouldn’t come home until I promised to call a plumber), but I’m a little cheap and the fence just needed new crossbars. To check a dimension, I pulled out my trusty tape measure. With elbow holding the lumber and pencil in hand, I needed it to work — it didn’t, it jammed. After a few minutes of fiddling wouldn’t free it, into the trash it went. I grabbed another tape measure (after selling our game route five years ago, we’ve got five of every tool known to man). This one got me the measurement, but it refused to close. Have you ever rolled 12 feet of metal into a ball? ... (view more)
Getting Back to FEC Basicsby George McAuliffeGiven that this edition of RePlay looks at the state of the FEC, I thought it would be a good time to review the business basics for state-of-the-art redemption. The term FEC is evolving. Its common usage, since about 1990, referred to what we now call The Traditional FEC, a combination of games, rides, laser tag, children’s entertainment attractions, food and beverage and often miniature golf with a big group and party sales component ... (view more)
A Training Ground for Merchandisingby George McAuliffeWhoopie cushions and Rolex watches? Diamond rings and goofy teeth? A head of lettuce and plush toys? Different worlds, no? What is the connection? The family fun industry can find a lot to emulate in other retail environments. ...(view more)
Prizes with punchby George McAuliffeA few years back, I talked to a redemption operator who told me he bought all his merchandise at a local dollar store. If he paid a dollar for it he would “mark it up” as high as he thought he could get away with. He showed me an item he had out at 800 tickets and bragged that he “made” $7 profit on the item. The problem is that good redemption economics don’t work that way. ...(view more)
Redemption by the Numbersby George McAuliffeIt is hard to believe there is a bowling proprietor today who is unaware of a hot trend in the market the marriage of family entertainment and bowling. And a happy marriage it is. The honeymoon period is over ...(view more)
Big boxes and Betty Crockerby George McAuliffeAs human beings, business owners and bowling proprietors it is often useful to step back and examine our approach to life in general and to our business in particular. "What business are we in?" ...(view more)
Bowling FECs and Hybrids Continue to Growby George McAuliffeWith all the bad news, you really have to be careful to whom you are talking, or you can wind up depressed and anxious. No question, the country is in a recession, all the more reason to channel our energy in pursuit of the opportunities that remain out there ... (view more)
Look for Opportunites When Times Are Toughby George McAuliffeAt the recent ASI show in Las Vegas we spent a lot of time in the aisles talking to operators, distributors and manufacturers. "How is your business doing?" was the opening question for many conversations, and the answers were mixed ... (view more)
How to Hire a Consultantby George McAuliffeSadly unethical business practices are not limited to Washington and Wall Street. They have trickled down to Main Street and the world of family entertainment is not immune ... (view more)
New Shakey's Mount it's Comebackby George McAuliffeThe Great Shakey's Pizza name was long known as the place to go for great pizza and good times. Forty years ago, the chain boasted over 500 restaurants in North America; however, that number shrank to about 60 in 2005. Now they are mounting a comeback ...(view more)
The Trade Show Season is Hereby George McAuliffeFun Expo and the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) International Expo, joined for the second year by the Las Vegas Souvenir and Resort Gift Show, is set to opin in Las Vegas, Nev., later this month. a "must attend" ...(view more)
Trifecta Management GroupRedemption Plus the turn-key solutionTrifecta Management Group (TMG) provides comprehensive management services to the restaurant and retail entertainment industries. Mike Auger is one of the founders and managing partners of TMG and worked on the executive management team that developed GameWorks... (view pdf)
The Alley at South ShoreRedemption Plus Right Down The Alley"Having spent a lifetime in the bowling business, I knew some of the issues with owning and operating a gameroom," said Boje. As a trained CPA, Boje immersed himself in analyzing the industry. "I focused a lot of time educating myself on how to create a game room and realized I needed an expert." ...(view more)(view pdf)
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Rethink and Refocus on Parties by Howard McAuliffeWhen is the last time you went to a stand alone arcade in the United States, a facility that relied on games to attract customers to the venue? The answer likely is "I haven’t in recent years."(view pdf)
Family Entertainment – What is the next evolution? by Howard McAuliffe
"Why do you think that we can continue to grow crane and merchandiser sales in 2013, is this market segment growing?" This was a question posed during a year-end meeting by a co-worker who was rightly questioning assumption for 2013. This question led to a discussion about the family entertainment industry as a whole, ...(view pdf)
Highend Merchandisers - Is there a limit? by Howard McAuliffe
Over the last 10 years, there has been a trend towards operating merchandisers with high value prizes. Operators have without a doubt made good money from these machines, but the question continues to arise: “Is there a limit to the value of a price that an operator should put into a machine?” ...(view pdf)
Keep Them Coming Back by George McAuliffe
Since the first caveman turned to his wife and said “You know, Gladys, I’m getting sick of sitting around, looking at these three stone walls,” people have been searching for entertainment outside of their homes. The business of Out of Home Entertainment (lets call it OHE) has ebbed and flowed over the years based on trends, competition for time and attention, fresh ideas, stale ideas, fads and the general economic climate. ...(view pdf)
Redemption: Art or Science by George McAuliffe
Over the years we’ve heard the question many times- is redemption an art or a science? The “Art” is in the merchandise - having a good feel for what customers want, picking the right prizes, and presenting it attractively. The “Science” side starts with the numbers. ...(view pdf)
Thinking Outside the Box: Differentiate Yourself by Howard McAuliffe
Operating amusement games, whether on a route or in a center, is a time consuming job with lots of moving parts. There are customers to attend to, games to clean and fix, and increasing amounts of merchandise to fill machines and redemption counters. It can be comforting to settle into a routine to save time and limit distractions, but ...(view pdf)
Minor Prizes in Merchandisers by Howard McAuliffe
I have spent most of the last month visiting trade shows and customers and was surprised at how often I’d find minor prizes missing or poorly displayed in direct prize merchandisers. The items were hanging crooked or facing away from the customer, which makes the aesthetics of the game and, by extension, the game room less appealing. ...(view pdf)
Clean, Safe, Fun by Howard McAuliffe
I learned when I started in the family entertainment business that my job was to make sure our games were clean, safe, and fun. All top operators have facilities that meet all three of these criteria, but many fall short. Although everyone will agree that a facility should be clean, safe, and fun, ...(view pdf)
Understanding Your Customer when Selecting Product Mix by Howard McAuliffe
What information about your customer do you consider when selecting your product mix in your redemption counter and merchandiser machines? Almost everyone knows to consider the demographics of the customer, specifically age, ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status. However, ...(view pdf)
The Redemption Value Equation by George McAuliffe
All of us have been there in some way. You are driving home from an entertainment experience. It might be the movies, it might be an FEC. You’re thinking something like this: “I just dropped $XXX.00” in Y Hours. What did I get for it? Was it worth it?” ...(view pdf)
Assessing Value in Your Product Mix by Howard McAuliffe
What’s the most important factor in deciding what product to buy? Many people will say price, many will say quality, but the real answer is the product that will make the most money. This often isn’t the cheapest or the best
quality. In this article, ...(view pdf)
Game Planning by George McAuliffe
There are a lot of moving parts in a redemption game room. It's helpful to consolidate them into "buckets" to help organize planning and management of those parts. In my seminars, I talk about "The [Redemption] Circle of Profitability" as including Game Management, Purchasing, Merchandising and Controls. ...(view pdf)
What Drives Sales in an FEC by Howard McAuliffe
What drives sales in an FEC? There is little argument these days that redemption, cranes, and merchandisers
drive sales in profitable FECs. Over the last 20 years these categories have replaced video games as primary revenue drivers. ...(view pdf)
Understanding Cost of Sales Increase the profitability of your game room by understanding cost of sales and how factors like prize mark up, ticket value, and game payout can impact your bottom line...(view pdf)
Family Fun Companies Interviewwith Jim ChapmanEffective family entertainment center marketing programs. Hot new redemption merchandise trends. The biggest mistake that family entertainment centers make in running their game room. Advantages of tickets versus ticketless game rooms. The optimal mix of redemption to video games. Criteria that make a great redemption game. ...(view more)
Pizza Today Interview with Jeremy WhiteKey trends emerging in the pizza industry. The biggest challenge facing pizza restaurants. How have large pizza chains that focus on family entertainment have changed the industry. Common mistakes that pizza operators make when running their business. Easy ways for pizza owners to improve their business. The hottest new pizza concepts. ...(view more)
Cost of Sales CalculatorUse this Calculator to help set up your Markup and Payouts to achieve your desired COS. If you are thinking of changing existing Markups and Payouts use this Calculator to see how it affects your COS ...(view more)
Cost of Sales ComparisonIncrease the profitability of your game room by seeing how you measure up against industry standards for a successful family entertainment center. Just fill out the blue form on the right ...(view more)
Top Toy Trends of 2013by Mark Hollywood & Barb SuterWe want to help you drive revenue by displaying an attention-grabbing mix of prizes. This webinar takes a look at: ... (view more)
Leave a Lasting Impression with Exceptional Guest Serviceby Beth Standlee This webinar explores the fundamentals for providing superior guest service, as well as what makes a great experience. We examine why it's essential to driving repeat business, and how it can take the business away. ... (view more)
Drive Game Play with an Eye-Catching Redemption Areaby Jim Kipper & Josh GedminasDrive game revenue and profits with attractive displays and expert merchandising techniques. Our merchandising specialists will help you design an organized and attention-grabbing redemption area, whether you have, or are thinking about adding, a small counter or large redemption room. Create a lasting impression that ensures your guests will return again and again! ... (view more)
Best Practices for Combining Family Entertainment & Bowlingby George McAuliffe & Kurt HarzKurt Harz, VP Capital Equipment for Brunswick Bowling, and George McAuliffe, President of Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors by Redemption Plus, have teamed up to cover the best practices, attractions, and innovations in today's Bowling FECs. A variety of facilities are reviewed, hard numbers provided, and best practices shared. ... (view more)
Cranes & Merchandisers 101: The Essentials of Operations and Merchandisingby George McAuliffe & Howard McAuliffeThe dynamic father & son duo, George & Howard McAuliffe, want to help you get the most out of your cranes & merchandisers. This webinar is geared to both those thinking about adding their first machine or already operating hundreds. ... (view more)
Social Media: The Science Behind the Revolutionby Brooke BallardWe teamed up with social media expert, Brooke Ballard from TrainerTainment, to show you how to create a strategy for a large, loyal and lucrative following. ... (view more)
Driving Sales Growth Through Customer Loyalty by Grace BlackLearn the difference between a highly satisfied and satisfied customer in terms of their loyalty to your business. You will see not only how the data is collected but examples of the location specific action planning tools. ... (view more)
Getting your Team on the Same Page by Joe CalhoonLearn how providing a shared vision for your business can drive profitability. In this webinar, you will discover: Why most employees are not engaged and what to do about it. Six ways to engage any employee in growing your business. The power of recognition and praise. ... (view more)
Can Your Game Room be Successful without Tickets? by George SmithGeorge Smith, President of Family Entertainment Group, examines how debit cards are improving the operations of family entertainment centers and changing the way customers experience the game room. ... (view more)
Host the Ultimate Birthday Party: Start to Finish by Beth StandleeBeth Standlee, industry expert and President of TrainerTainment, covers everything from the initial party reservation to the lasting memories! ... (view more)
Games & Redemption: The Circle of Profitability by IAAPA PanelThis informative and exciting seminar from IAAPA 2009 outlines the key components to establishing a redemption management system for today's family entertainment center (FEC). The Circle of Redemption Profitability covers all of the bases: redemption game selection and management, setup, merchandising, redemption center throughput, hot products, and superior customer service techniques...(view more)
Marketing Tips to Increase Game Room Revenue by George McAuliffe & Dan CoppolaMarketing Tips to Increase Game Room Revenue features quick and easy ways to motivate game play by improving the customer experience ... (view more)
Capture Impulse Revenue with Cranes & Merchandisersby George McAliffe & Jason PattersonAre you capturing all of the impulse revenue available from your crane & merchandiser program? ... (view more)
A More Detailed Look at Merchandising your Redemption Counterby Matt Rau & Jim KipperMerchandise displays drive game revenue and profits. Our merchandising specialists have a combined 20 years of experience setting more than 500 redemption counters. This webinar goes into detail about what they’ve learned along the way, with tips for small counters all the way up to full redemption rooms. It concludes with an in depth 30 minute question and answer session addressing a wide range of topics. ... (view more)
Making Online Ordering Easy for Educational Learning Centers by Scott KaneLearn how to more effectively use our e-commerce site to purchase your incentive merchandise. ... (view more)
How to Build a Profitable Game Roomby George McAuliffeLearn how to optimize your redemption game room by focusing game management, merchandising, and controls ... (view more)
How Bowling Centers Can Profit From a Better Game Room by George McAuliffeDo you feel your game room is dated, taking up space, and losing out to home game consoles? If so, we've got strategies to help you earn back those missed opportunites! ... (view more)
How to Make Ordering Online Easier by Justin MichaelsLearn how to more effectively use our e-commerce site to manage your redemption merchandise ... (view more)
Completing Online ReturnsBy Courtney GermanWe pride ourselves on having the best return policy in the business. View this brief tutorial that shows how to process a return online, as well as view previous returns. ... (view more)
Using ExpressKitsBy Anthony BoyerExpressKits lets you create orders from kits of pre-selected merchandise that you can quickly combine into a customized order. It was designed to make your Redemption Plus shopping experience faster and easier. View this brief tutorial to learn how to use this handy tool. ... (view more)
Using Quick Orders By Courtney German Quick Orders has several helpful applications, including accessing our Printable Catalog, using Smart Form, and ordering Labels & Tags. This brief tutorial shows you how to do them all. ... (view more)
Using Order History by Justin Michaels Order History has several useful features in addition to viewing the details of your past orders. This tutorial shows you how to copy and track orders, print labels or tags, and download the DPL. You can also view your payment history and backorders in this section. ... (view more)
Searching for Productby Justin MichaelsLearn all of the ways to search for merchandise so you quickly find exactly what you're looking for. ... (view more)
Saving Favorites, Unwanted and Restricted Itemsby Justin MichaelsLearn how to quickly save and access your favorite items as well as tag any unwanted merchandise and block products you do not want to be able to purchase ... (view more)
Creating Your Custom Markupby Justin MichaelsLearn the value of creating your custom markup in under 2 minutes. It will ease your shopping experience and ensure items arrive tagged with the correct ticket value. ... (view more)
How to Merchandise a Redemption Center by Barbie HillThis video will help you understand how to merchandise a redemption center and maximize the impact of your product ... (view more)
The Top Ten Redemption Center Opportunitiesby George McAuliffeDavid Letterman has given us a Top Ten list every night for many years. We are in redemption game rooms just about every week all over the U.S. and thought we would share our Top Ten list of opportunities to maximize ... (view more)
IAAPA Investment Pays Off by George McAuliffe"This will be my 25th IAAPA. I’m just as excited about this one as I was back in 1988. I can’t tell you where that show was because it moved around quite a bit in those years. I was there, at the “Parks Show” as we arcade operators called it, ... (view more)
Pushing the Prize Envelope: How Far Is Too Far? by Howard McAuliffe"Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” My dad loved to use this aphorism when talking about pushing the envelope in business. He means it is good business to stretch a little outside your comfort zone and take some risk, but if you get greedy it can kill you, at least economically. ... (view more)
Case Study: Crane & Merchandiser Makeover by George McAuliffeRegular readers of this column and the Crane
Zone column by my son Howard have heard from us countless times: detail matters when it comes to crane and merchandiser sales. The key
principles of operation include ... (view more)
How to Make Your Cranes And Merchandisers Pop! by Howard McAuliffeLocations with good product, neatly organized and fully stocked, make a whole room look better and help entice customers to play specific games. This maxim applies to both redemption counters
and merchandise games. ... (view more)
Product & Program: The Keys to Redemption Success by George McAuliffeIn the redemption game room, The Product drives sales. The Product attracts players. The Product serves the customer. The Product supports a facility’s brand. The Product helps define the guest’s experience. That’s a lot of power ... (view more)
The Crane and Merchandise Lineup by Howard McAuliffeGone are the days when
an operator would put
a single crane near the
door of the FEC and focus the
rest of their time and equipment
investment in video
games and redemption. ... (view more)
FEC Review: iPlayAmerica by George McAuliffeLong before Snooki gave millions of Americans the wrong image of the Jersey Shore, I was growing up there, in Spring Lake Heights, a half mile from the ocean with caring neighbors. ... (view more)
The Bowling FEC 101: How to Begin by George McAuliffeBowling-anchored FECs are the hottest trend in the family entertainment center industry. Bowling is the leading asset to the mix; it is the prime draw and anchor. ... (view more)
Father & Son Reunion by George McAuliffe"...the first key is location. With that, placing the crane in the right place in that location is crucial. Next has got to be product: a good mix, which must be regularly rotated. Third would be a tie between ... (view more)
Redemption Centers Make a Lasting Impressionby George McAuliffeWhat is it that a family entertainment center sells? Is it fun or rides? Bowling? Food and beverage? Game play? A birthday or group party? ... (view more)
Learning from the Masters (of Bowling Entertainment)by George McAuliffe"Stumptown,” Portland, Oregon is a great city to spend a week in, especially the week during which blizzards buried much of the rest of the country in snow. With a son recently moved to Seattle, my wife and I flew to the Pacific Northwest the Saturday before, and home the Sunday after, fortunately missing most of the midweek delays and cancellations ... (view more)
A Look at the Numbersby George McAuliffeBowling-anchored FECs are the hottest trend in the family entertainment center industry. In recent, years more centers have come on line. Bowling is the leading asset to the mix, the prime draw and anchor. Bowling appeals to a wide age group as shown in bowling leagues spanning age groups from toddlers to seniors ... (view more)
How to Price Redemption Merchandiseby George McAuliffeThe other day I was rebuilding a fence. You won’t normally catch me engaged in skilled labor (a few years back, my wife left with the kids and wouldn’t come home until I promised to call a plumber), but I’m a little cheap and the fence just needed new crossbars. To check a dimension, I pulled out my trusty tape measure. With elbow holding the lumber and pencil in hand, I needed it to work — it didn’t, it jammed. After a few minutes of fiddling wouldn’t free it, into the trash it went. I grabbed another tape measure (after selling our game route five years ago, we’ve got five of every tool known to man). This one got me the measurement, but it refused to close. Have you ever rolled 12 feet of metal into a ball? ... (view more)
Getting Back to FEC Basicsby George McAuliffeGiven that this edition of RePlay looks at the state of the FEC, I thought it would be a good time to review the business basics for state-of-the-art redemption. The term FEC is evolving. Its common usage, since about 1990, referred to what we now call The Traditional FEC, a combination of games, rides, laser tag, children’s entertainment attractions, food and beverage and often miniature golf with a big group and party sales component ... (view more)
A Training Ground for Merchandisingby George McAuliffeWhoopie cushions and Rolex watches? Diamond rings and goofy teeth? A head of lettuce and plush toys? Different worlds, no? What is the connection? The family fun industry can find a lot to emulate in other retail environments. ...(view more)
Prizes with punchby George McAuliffeA few years back, I talked to a redemption operator who told me he bought all his merchandise at a local dollar store. If he paid a dollar for it he would “mark it up” as high as he thought he could get away with. He showed me an item he had out at 800 tickets and bragged that he “made” $7 profit on the item. The problem is that good redemption economics don’t work that way. ...(view more)
The Fall Calendar is Kind to FEC Marketing Plansby George McAuliffeIt’s early August as I write this, but fall is already in the air. In my FEC operating days, we had three areas of focus on our to-do lists. First was to anticipate the change in seasons and the effect on operations. ...(view more)
Redemption by the Numbersby George McAuliffeIt is hard to believe there is a bowling proprietor today who is unaware of a hot trend in the market the marriage of family entertainment and bowling. And a happy marriage it is. The honeymoon period is over ...(view more)
Big boxes and Betty Crockerby George McAuliffeAs human beings, business owners and bowling proprietors it is often useful to step back and examine our approach to life in general and to our business in particular. "What business are we in?" ...(view more)
Bowling FECs and Hybrids Continue to Growby George McAuliffeWith all the bad news, you really have to be careful to whom you are talking, or you can wind up depressed and anxious. No question, the country is in a recession, all the more reason to channel our energy in pursuit of the opportunities that remain out there ... (view more)
Look for Opportunites When Times Are Toughby George McAuliffeAt the recent ASI show in Las Vegas we spent a lot of time in the aisles talking to operators, distributors and manufacturers. "How is your business doing?" was the opening question for many conversations, and the answers were mixed ... (view more)
How to Hire a Consultantby George McAuliffeSadly unethical business practices are not limited to Washington and Wall Street. They have trickled down to Main Street and the world of family entertainment is not immune ... (view more)
New Shakey's Mount it's Comebackby George McAuliffeThe Great Shakey's Pizza name was long known as the place to go for great pizza and good times. Forty years ago, the chain boasted over 500 restaurants in North America; however, that number shrank to about 60 in 2005. Now they are mounting a comeback ...(view more)
Cranes: Still a Workhorse After All These Yearsby George McAuliffeAlthough their history goes way back, the modern day crane was reintroduced in the mid 1980's. Today, over 20 years later the crane is still a top producer in the game mix ...(view more)
Redemption: Art or Scienceby George McAuliffeOver the years we've heard the question many times about whether redemption is an Art or a Science. The Art is in the Mechandise. The Science is in the Numbers ...(view more)
Out of home Entertainment: Past to Presentby George McAuliffeSince the first caveman turned to his wife and said "You know Gladys, I'm getting sick of looking at these three stone walls," people have been searching for entertainment outside of their homes ...(view more)
The Trade Show Season is Hereby George McAuliffeFun Expo and the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) International Expo, joined for the second year by the Las Vegas Souvenir and Resort Gift Show, is set to opin in Las Vegas, Nev., later this month. a "must attend" ...(view more)
Trifecta Management GroupRedemption Plus the turn-key solutionTrifecta Management Group (TMG) provides comprehensive management services to the restaurant and retail entertainment industries. Mike Auger is one of the founders and managing partners of TMG and worked on the executive management team that developed GameWorks... (view pdf)
Shakers Family Fun CentreRedemption Plus Shakes Off The CompetitionThe redemption program started off without a hitch. Then, in 2008, the economic downturn hit; the cost to import product from the US made it expensive due to the weak dollar.... (view pdf)
The Alley at South ShoreRedemption Plus Right Down The Alley"Having spent a lifetime in the bowling business, I knew some of the issues with owning and operating a gameroom," said Boje. As a trained CPA, Boje immersed himself in analyzing the industry. "I focused a lot of time educating myself on how to create a game room and realized I needed an expert." ...(view more)(view pdf)
Rethink and Refocus on Parties by Howard McAuliffe
When is the last time you went to a stand alone arcade in the United States, a facility that relied on games to attract customers to the venue? The answer likely is "I haven’t in recent years."(view pdf)
Family Entertainment – What is the next evolution? by Howard McAuliffe
"Why do you think that we can continue to grow crane and merchandiser sales in 2013, is this market segment growing?" This was a question posed during a year-end meeting by a co-worker who was rightly questioning assumption for 2013. This question led to a discussion about the family entertainment industry as a whole, ...(view pdf)
Highend Merchandisers - Is there a limit? by Howard McAuliffe
Over the last 10 years, there has been a trend towards operating merchandisers with high value prizes. Operators have without a doubt made good money from these machines, but the question continues to arise: “Is there a limit to the value of a price that an operator should put into a machine?” ...(view pdf)
Keep Them Coming Back by George McAuliffe
Since the first caveman turned to his wife and said “You know, Gladys, I’m getting sick of sitting around, looking at these three stone walls,” people have been searching for entertainment outside of their homes. The business of Out of Home Entertainment (lets call it OHE) has ebbed and flowed over the years based on trends, competition for time and attention, fresh ideas, stale ideas, fads and the general economic climate. ...(view pdf)
Redemption: Art or Science by George McAuliffe
Over the years we’ve heard the question many times- is redemption an art or a science? The “Art” is in the merchandise - having a good feel for what customers want, picking the right prizes, and presenting it attractively. The “Science” side starts with the numbers. ...(view pdf)
Thinking Outside the Box: Differentiate Yourself by Howard McAuliffe
Operating amusement games, whether on a route or in a center, is a time consuming job with lots of moving parts. There are customers to attend to, games to clean and fix, and increasing amounts of merchandise to fill machines and redemption counters. It can be comforting to settle into a routine to save time and limit distractions, but ...(view pdf)
Minor Prizes in Merchandisers by Howard McAuliffe
I have spent most of the last month visiting trade shows and customers and was surprised at how often I’d find minor prizes missing or poorly displayed in direct prize merchandisers. The items were hanging crooked or facing away from the customer, which makes the aesthetics of the game and, by extension, the game room less appealing. ...(view pdf)
Clean, Safe, Fun by Howard McAuliffe
I learned when I started in the family entertainment business that my job was to make sure our games were clean, safe, and fun. All top operators have facilities that meet all three of these criteria, but many fall short. Although everyone will agree that a facility should be clean, safe, and fun, ...(view pdf)
Understanding Your Customer when Selecting Product Mix by Howard McAuliffe
What information about your customer do you consider when selecting your product mix in your redemption counter and merchandiser machines? Almost everyone knows to consider the demographics of the customer, specifically age, ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status. However, ...(view pdf)
The Redemption Value Equation by George McAuliffe
All of us have been there in some way. You are driving home from an entertainment experience. It might be the movies, it might be an FEC. You’re thinking something like this: “I just dropped $XXX.00” in Y Hours. What did I get for it? Was it worth it?” ...(view pdf)
Assessing Value in Your Product Mix by Howard McAuliffe
What’s the most important factor in deciding what product to buy? Many people will say price, many will say quality, but the real answer is the product that will make the most money. This often isn’t the cheapest or the best
quality. In this article, ...(view pdf)
Game Planning by George McAuliffe
There are a lot of moving parts in a redemption game room. It's helpful to consolidate them into "buckets" to help organize planning and management of those parts. In my seminars, I talk about "The [Redemption] Circle of Profitability" as including Game Management, Purchasing, Merchandising and Controls. ...(view pdf)
What Drives Sales in an FEC by Howard McAuliffe
What drives sales in an FEC? There is little argument these days that redemption, cranes, and merchandisers
drive sales in profitable FECs. Over the last 20 years these categories have replaced video games as primary revenue drivers. ...(view pdf)
Redemption and Game Room Profitability Series by Courtney Hunter
This 3 part series details how to drive sales with an eye-catching redemption wall, how to make the most with your low ticket prizes, and how to maximize game room revenue. ...(view pdf)
10 Tips for Merchandising a Redemption Counter by Courtney HunterHave a look at 10 quick things to improve any redemption center...(view pdf)
Understanding Cost of Sales Increase the profitability of your game room by understanding cost of sales and how factors like prize mark up, ticket value, and game payout can impact your bottom line...(view pdf)
Family Fun Companies Interviewwith Jim ChapmanEffective family entertainment center marketing programs. Hot new redemption merchandise trends. The biggest mistake that family entertainment centers make in running their game room. Advantages of tickets versus ticketless game rooms. The optimal mix of redemption to video games. Criteria that make a great redemption game. ...(view more)
Pizza Today Interview with Jeremy WhiteKey trends emerging in the pizza industry. The biggest challenge facing pizza restaurants. How have large pizza chains that focus on family entertainment have changed the industry. Common mistakes that pizza operators make when running their business. Easy ways for pizza owners to improve their business. The hottest new pizza concepts. ...(view more)
Calculators to Estimate Future and Actual Machine Payoutsby Hip PrizesDevelop and Track your payout strategy. A perfect companion to the Capture Impulse Revenue with Cranes & Merchandisers Webinar ...(view more)
Cost of Sales CalculatorUse this Calculator to help set up your Markup and Payouts to achieve your desired COS. If you are thinking of changing existing Markups and Payouts use this Calculator to see how it affects your COS ...(view more)
Cost of Sales ComparisonIncrease the profitability of your game room by seeing how you measure up against industry standards for a successful family entertainment center. Just fill out the blue form on the right ...(view more)