The COVID-19 pandemic has caused business to slow and in worst-cases has resulted in permanent closures.
As more people remained indoors, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic when shutdowns were more prevalent, consumers have fallen back onto board games and family game nights to stay entertained.
Sarah Giglia is one such person playing board games locally and she says her family has been playing a lot of board games including “Survive” and “some murder mystery board games.”
Giglia finds it to be a fun activity as the family can “bond and have fun as a family while they try to solve or win the games.”
Shows like “The Queen’s Gambit,” which showcases chess, and Stranger Things, where characters play Dungeons and Dragons, have increased the popularity of sales and board games.
This rise has helped save many businesses and provide a constant stead of sales like the Launchpad, located at 712 W. Lodi Ave. in Lodi.
Owner Michael Todd said “business has been booming with sales. There has been three times the amount of sales than last year. Dungeons and Dragons as well as board games are popular items that are being sold consistently.”
Other factors for the increase in sales are perhaps the “increase due to people staying inside, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns like Critical Role, Marvel, and people playing on apps like Discord,” said Todd.
Another store that has agreed that sales have been booming is Blackrowan Games in Tracy.
“I would say we definitely benefited from the first stimulus package, as June and July 2020 were record months for us,” said Blackrowan Owner Christine Mabry. “We stayed pretty steady through the end of the year. And then Pokemon exploded in popularity, and we’ve seen more record-breaking sales months in 2021. At the same time, we are seeing increased sales in other segments, such as wargaming (Warhammer, Star Wars Legion) including the paint and hobby supplies used for those games, as well as an uptick in D&D as people feel comfortable gathering in small bubbles again.”
Mabry said she has seen an influx of people as they “believe board games are a welcome respite from the hours of screen time we are forced into for school and work because of COVID.”
Blackrowan Games and The Launchpad have noticed people come into their stores to browse to escape the confines of their homes.
Todd said “many people come inside just to get out and they walk around and sometimes find a cool game that they had never heard of.”
Mabry said people say there’s nothing to do in town, and then they find her shop.
“Not only do they find us, they find other people in the community with similar interests … We use social media to keep our community connected until we can safely meet and game together in person again,” said Mabry.