GameSturz Looks to Rebrand as Retail Store
GameSturz is a video game store that specializes in new and used videogames, ranging from the Atari 2600 to the Sony PlayStation 5, located in Wake Forest, NC.
It started out in the mid-2010s as a gaming lounge, then later expanded to include used games and it’s one of three independent game stores in the Triangle.
On their Instagram and Facebook accounts, whenever they get something really good, they’ll post it to the site and it helps people come in to spend money in the store. 
I had the opportunity to chat with the store owner, Jeremy Sanford this past Sunday afternoon and had an interview with him.
Q: Mr. Sanford, tell me about yourself and how did GameSturz come about?
Sanford: “GameSturz existed before I took over. Before that, it was a gaming lounge doing Summer Camps and parties and stuff like that. I took it over about three years ago and I expanded the actual retail part of it to what it is now. We still had the game lounge until 2020, when COVID-19 hit. Therefore, we had to sell off all the equipment and stuff to get the bills paid during the shutdown. We’re just a retail store now. We specialize in Pre-Owned and Retro Games and Accessories and stuff like that.”
Q: How is the Workplace Culture at GameSturz?
Sanford: “It’s pretty good. It’s mostly just me now. We try to keep it all-inclusive and want everybody feel welcome and comfortable shopping here.”
Q: What Qualities do you Look for in Potential Customers or Employees?
Sanford: “Whenever we have other people working here, I’d like them to be knowledgeable about video game stuff, as well as being kind and accepting in treating customers with respect. I don’t like to be overly pushy with sales and stuff. I like people to be knowledgeable and helpful, instead of being pushy and overbearing about trying to sell stuff to people. I like customers who enjoy video games, as well as talking about them. I try to talk to people about stuff, as well as give them recommendations.”
Q: On your Facebook and Instagram pages, you post stuff about the inventory coming in. How does that bring in customers?
Sanford: “That helps a lot, because of the stuff people are specifically looking for. They can follow the pages and see when they come in. It keeps people from to continuously keep coming in to look for stuff, especially if it’s something that’s hard to find. It makes it easier when they know they need to come in and look for stuff. I’ve had people to message me and send them PayPal invoices for the stuff that they’re looking for and can’t get by here. That’s when I either set it aside for them or ship it as well! It especially helps those individuals who live either 20-30 minutes away or more and save on their gas.”
Q: These sound like good ideas. What advice do you have for people who want to open up a video game store or lounge?
Sanford: “Understand that you won’t make a ton of money, but it’s something that you have to be passionate about and the biggest thing is learning how to run a business more than anything. If it’s video game stuff, you’ll know it already if you’re passionate about it. The biggest thing is learning about all the little pitfalls and stuff on learning how to run a business.”
Q: What are the hottest-selling items at GameSturz?
Sanford: “At the moment, Nintendo 64 and GameCube are really popular, along with the Sega disc-based stuff (Sega CD, Saturn and Dreamcast). As soon as Saturn and Dreamcast stuff come in, they sell as soon as we get them in. Harder-to-find stuff such as TurboGrafix-16 sells stuff quickly, as well as stuff from Nintendo”
GameSturz is located at 1241 S. Main Street in Wake Forest. They’re open on Sundays from Noon-6 PM, Tuesdays-Fridays from 11 AM-7 PM, and Saturdays from Noon-8 PM. They’re closed on Mondays.