Retail Interview - with Peter Dobson, CEO of Geek Retreat

Game on

Geek Retreat CEO Peter Dobson talks about his ambitious plans for the nationwide chain of franchised shops that specialises in ‘all manner of geeky merchandise’

Geek Retreat is a ‘geek culture’ retailer, gaming cafe, and events hub rolled into one. In 2013, our founder Stephen Walsh opened the doors of our first store in Glasgow. It was only supposed to be a fun place to play ‘geeky’ games and grab a milkshake, but it quickly turned into something far more meaningful than we had ever imagined.

Our customers became “communities that thrived in the freedom to be themselves, revelled in the enjoyment of playing games, and built longlasting friendships. It occurred to us that really, we are a home. A place where, perhaps for the first time, people feel like they belong. And so, the idea that has become the heartbeat of our business was born.

We provide an inclusive, welcoming, and social environment for everyone - especially for our more vulnerable communities, like those on the autistic spectrum, or those with mental health issues. We have made sure all of our stores are welcoming and accessible to gamers whatever their interests, providing a place for our loyal customers to get out of the house and play safely.

We pride ourselves on being familyfriendly, catering for children and beginners with ‘learn to play’ sessions, through to casual tournaments for more experienced players of games

We’re looking forward to London Toy Fair ”

including Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer and Yu-Gi-Oh!

I love receiving feedback from customers telling us that Geek Retreat is somewhere they feel that they really belong. We get a lot of messages thanking us for making a safe space with a focus on inclusivity.

Product mix

Our core product categories are toys, games, and collectables, but our selection criteria is anything we think our customers are going to love! We find out about products through various manufacturers - we deal with many suppliers across the globe. Key names include Asmodee and Big Potato Games. We haven't attended trade shows much in the past, but we plan to visit as many as possible this year. In particular, we’re looking forward to London Toy Fair.

We are mainly known for trading card games. However, we stock all manner of geeky merchandise. But trading card games will always be one of our most popular categories. There has been an enormous rise in the popularity of all Pokémon lines over the past year, which will hopefully continue.

Collectables and social games are at an all-time high. Board games were not as big last year, possibly due to the wider variety and more competition from online platforms such as Amazon. We have moved towards more party games including the range from Big Potato Games. Despite supplier issues, plush and other toys are still going strong. On a mission

Driven by our purpose and led by our values, we’re on a (not so) secret mission to build a different sort of business based on one big idea. We are the friendliest place to meet, eat, shop and game, with 50 stores in the UK, and plans to open 200 stores throughout the UK and Europe in the next couple of years.

Such is the belief and ambition of this business, that when retail and hospitality went into hibernation during the pandemic, Geek Retreat invested heavily in innovation, technology, operations, menus, marketing, brand, PR, and franchisee recruitment. Last year, Geek Retreat emerged stronger than ever, backed up by continuous, record-breaking performance KPIs.

Game stores have traditionally been independent stores. There's never really been a nationwide brand like Geek Retreat before, so there is no blueprint for scaling up this kind of business. However, we have an amazing team, passionate franchisees and customers who really value the Geek Retreat experience, so we've been able to meet any challenges we've faced head-on.

We are building a different type of business that brings enjoyment to our customers and people. At the centre of the Geek Retreat franchise, there is a team of experts across every business discipline including operations, finance, marketing, products, events, procurement, retail, and a dedicated store opening team. Widely recognised for their individual skills and collective experience, this team is absolutely committed to making every Geek Retreat franchise best in class.