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"EXTRA GAMEADAY PRIZE - Best Noob - ENDS 31/12/02"

UPDATE---UPDATE---UPDATE---UPDATE

Ahem. We've decided to extend this competition until the end of December to give more people a chance to join up and become popular. Also, if this wasn't made clear in the original post, the winner will only get his/her prize when they become a regular.

Cheers
Ali

UPDATE---UPDATE---UPDATE---UPDATE

The winner will be chosen by the great Snuggly himself, no less.

To compete you have to be a Newbie. The competition can only be won by a genuine newbie joining the forums AFTER today 4 pm on November 21st.

Newbies can enter by proposing themselves on this thread.

They MUST be seconded (on this thread) by at least TWO regulars, staff or notables. Just say "I second [name] for this GAD" or similar.

The more support shown on this thread, the more likely they are to win.

Their overall performance on the forums also counts.

The WINNER will be the BEST NEWBIE as judged by Mr Snuggly on December 13th.

OKAY, go for it (Oh, you're not here yet are you).

Tell yer mates.

I'd like to second Rapid Fire, assuming he's elligible.

And Tony, I'd say yes, probably. But don't shut down the site! I'm sure as many people would visit the shop, but you'd lose a load of online orders.

Assuming that's what you're getting at.

I'm doing a lot of assuming today...:-\

If the site didn't exist I'd probably end up using another retailer down here in Southend. Some customers who have your shops closer may buy from you because of cheap prices etc but I think more people away from the shops would buy from other places.

I would mail order though by phone because of your prices.

Tony wrote:
> Well, incredibly, there is a goods lift, though a little impractical.
> It might be difficult to get a wheelchair-bound customer up the stairs
> (fact of life) but our staff are so helpful that they would be more
> than willing to bring items down the stairs to a waiting disabled
> customer browsing the range from the SR magazine.

*cue monkey_man in wheelchair waiting at bottom of SR Sawbo's stairs*

"Show me the games!"

I'd rather buy online then trek it to one of your shops. But if it was closer I would shop there as you get the items quicker.

I think the site has drawn in alot of new customers for you. The number which find their way to the site through search engines is probably as high as ever and I think thats where you are getting alot of new customers/fans.

Saying that, the majority of people who find you online probably buy from you online aswell but if a shop is near them they will go in and purchase. The site has given SR alot of publicity and has made the company known to thousands more people.

Here's a question for you, especially for those who have joined the forums in, say, the last year or so.

The Special Reserve web site (which is now called SpecialReserve.com) gets a lot of visitors. In fact about 40,000 people come here each day. Our shops are also quite busy, but with much smaller numbers of course.

Q. Do you think as many people would go to our shops if our internet site did not exist.

(Please read the question very carefully so that you don't misunderstand it, before answering)

Your answers, opinions and experiences are important to us.

monkey_man wrote:
> Tony wrote:
> Q. Do you think as many people would go to our shops if our
> internet
> site did not exist.
>
> I'd hate to be a wheelchair user (again) - I swear your Sawbridgeworth
> shop is designed to keep them out!
>
> Up the step, up the stairs, turn left (even though it says right),
> mind the step, mind the step again and hey presto. Games. Stephen
> Hawkings would fail at the car park.

Well, incredibly, there is a goods lift, though a little impractical. It might be difficult to get a wheelchair-bound customer up the stairs (fact of life) but our staff are so helpful that they would be more than willing to bring items down the stairs to a waiting disabled customer browsing the range from the SR magazine.

Tony wrote:
> Q. Do you think as many people would go to our shops if our internet
> site did not exist.

I'd hate to be a wheelchair user (again) - I swear your Sawbridgeworth shop is designed to keep them out!

Up the step, up the stairs, turn left (even though it says right), mind the step, mind the step again and hey presto. Games. Stephen Hawkings would fail at the car park.

Tony wrote:

> Q. Do you think as many people would go to our shops if our internet
> site did not exist.

Hard to say. I think the website does help your shops slightly as it has made SR just a wee bit famous. If there was a shop in my locality now I would definitely use it instead of all other shops. I have tried to come up with a reason for that, but I think it's only because I feel like part of the SR family, thanks to the site and the forums.

Also, everyone knows what your shops have got offer (reddies, Gamer of the Year, PC fixing, PC sales etc.) partially due to the site.

I'm personally not sure what the majority would do, but put it this way - it takes me about 5 mins to go to Special Reserve Upminster, yet I rarely do, unless its to buy something specifically, like I did a few weeks ago when I got a DVD player. I visit the website much more regularly.

In answer to your question, I don't think many more people would visit your shops, because not many live in close proximity to them (unless of course, you increase the number of stores), and also its the comfort factor - some people (read: the lazy computer literate generation) are more likely to buy online for the convinience.

Miserableman wrote:
> If I lived outside of 3 miles from an SR branch, I would probably get it from the website.

In practice a lot of our retail customers travel further than 3 miles. In a car it takes less time to travel 5 miles to a shop where you can park, than it does to travel 2 miles to a multi-story car park and walk through the town centre.