Red Raccoon - "We Don't Want to Move This" Sale & Moving Details
Hey everyone, and welcome to Memorial Day Weekend!
Before we get started, as someone who served in the Illinois National Guard, I would like to ask you to please take a moment on Monday to remember those who gave their lives in service to the United States. Come out and join the celebration Monday morning for Bloomington's annual Memorial Day Parade, which is put on by the American Legion. I'll be there carrying the US flags with our local Rotary clubs - wave if you see me!
Details here: BN Convention & Visitors Bureau - Memorial Day Parade 2023
We're Moving!!
Here is the plan (which assumes we pass all of our inspections):
We're going to be open for the Cogs & Corrsetts Steampunk Festival June 2nd - 4th.
Monday, June 5th we are going to start our move to the new store, with a plan that we want to reopen on June 9th - probably in the evening. Watch Facebook & Instagram for details of what is going on during the move to see if anything changes.
When we reopen, I want to set the expectation with you all that EVERYTHING WILL NOT BE DONE.
There are 27,000 items in our inventory right now, and that doesn't include all the furniture, decorations, bathroom cleaning products, etc. It's going to be a massive amount of work. We're going to try to be open for the weekend, but please don't be discouraged if you see stacks of games still on the floor. I am fully expecting this is going to take 6 weeks to get fully into the new space. We'll throw a party / grand opening probably in early Sept. to really celebrate being done & fully moved. But consider this a work in progress for now.
So why move if it won't be perfect? Quite honestly, it's because our building owner (who has been great!) already rented out our current spot. The new tenants want to move in for July 1st. We want to make sure they can be as successful as possible, and that means making sure they have lots of Saturday Farmers' Markets to establish themselves before the weather changes. Winter can be brutal for new businesses.
At the same time, we have been paying rent & a mortgage & utilities at 2 locations for a year. That has been painful, and I really need that to stop. So this deadline is good for us to force quick & decisive action. And I don't think there every is going to be a "perfect" time to move- there is too much going on!
June 10th - My Hero Academia Pre-Release & (maybe?) a Warhammer 10th Edition launch.
June 16th / 17th - Magic the Gather - Tales of Middle Earth pre-release weekend.
June 24th - Free RPG Day
July & August have something every weekend too. Hang on everyone! Whee!
Ok, so how do you all help us? 2 ways:
1. Attend our sale this weekend!
Starting today (Friday) at noon, we are launching a "We Don't Want To Move This" Sale that will run through Sunday close of business.
This sale will be in-store only.
Most things in the store are eligible for the sale - there are some exceptions though. There will be no Magic, Pokemon, Paints, or Paint Accessories on the sale. Also, the below information does not apply to Games Workshop items - there will be a sale, but we cannot advertise what the sale prices will be online because of GW rules, so you have to come into the store to find out.
The sale prices will be determined by the price tag on the items. They all have dates on them, and depending on the date will tell you what the discount is. The longer the item has been in stock at the store, the bigger the discount is! But you have to find that older stuff!
Dates from 2022 - 20% off
Dates from 2021 - 30% off
Dates from 2020 - 40% off
Dates from 2019 or older - 50% off!
So the first way you can help us is by coming in, buying some amazing stuff, and making it so we don't have to move as much stuff.
2. Help us move the stuff.
Kelly is going to post a link to a Sign-Up Genius form to help us move the stuff out of RRG, down the sidewalk, and into the new store. Our goal is to get enough people to do this bucket-brigade style. No one moves, and just hands a game to the person next to them. To pull this off, we are going to need like 100 people to go out 1 door in into the other door. RRG staff will be on hand directing which order items are removed, and where they go when they get to the other side. So if that sounds like something you are willing to help us with Tuesday June 6th in late afternoon / early evening, please keep an eye out for that link!
Ok, so we covered Memorial Day, the Sale, and Moving. I also want to give a shout out to everyone who came last night & helped us build all of the new shelving for the store. They knocked it out in 90 minutes. It would have taken me the entire weekend. No I can work on other stuff that needs to get done!
Please feel free to share this newsletter with friends, family. Post it online. Tell everyone how awesome our staff is.
Thank you,
Jamie & Kelly