Editor’s Choice: The (New) Whiz Store 98%

The Whiz store moved to a new location during Hurricane Irene. The new place can be found at 122 Turnpike Street (aka Rte 9 East) about 2 miles east of their old location.

Chris Walsh, who owns the store with his wife Lynne, invited me down for a pre-opening tour. That didn’t happen until today because of the problems the Verizon strike caused me. They opened the new spot on September 1st.

Now residing next to the New York Deli, the Whiz is closer to my new home in Natick. In fact, I made it there in less than 25 minutes. With Rte 9’s usual horrendous traffic the commute will balloon but not terribly so.

Since the store remains on Rte 9 East it hangs onto a prime location. It is so close to many other places such as the Westborough Shopping center (where Homegoods is) and some fast food joints, which gamers are sure to enjoy. Anyone driving from East of the store will need to take Rte 9 West, turn right on Rte 30, and follow Lyman Street onto Rte 9 East. The store is in the shopping plaza after the Dunkin Donuts. Look for the New York Deli van parked out front beckoning you in.

It felt odd getting off Rte 9 in order to go back on it but it was nice to get onto a back road and see what else is nearby. The store has a new sign above its front door. The sign depicts their logo, a wizard, with the words “Toys * Games * Hobbies.” The parking lot is spacious but half the size of the one at their prior location.

I parked in front of the store and snapped a picture of their sign as Chris stepped outside to greet me and welcome me inside. Chris, Lynne, and their staff strive to provide superior customer service. His coming out of the store, albeit unusual, must be a result of letting people know about the new location.

The first things you see when you enter are the abundance of children’s toys. These lived on the left half of the old store. Now they are front and center. In fact, a pink dollhouse can be seen in their front window. They’ve always worked hard to stock quality toys. It is nice to see these items in a place of prominence. This helps parents to find what they need without wading through the plethora of gaming stuff that is not relevant to small children.

The cash register can be found in the center of the store, like an information kiosk, where staff can easily spot customers in need of assistance. Stairs lead to a loft, which serves as storage and office space. Further back on the right is a diminished gaming area. Nine tables, brought over from the former location, fill the space. When official events are run it is unlikely that customers will be able to find a free table for free play.

The bulk of the gaming product is on the left side of the store. They still cary the full line of Flames of War, plenty of Games Workshop (40k, WFB, and LoTR plus Finecast), Spartan Games, and Warmachine. The Woodland Scenics terrain products are at the back of the store near the paints and other terrain products. In the middle of the gaming products customers can find the model kits. Along the right wall of the gaming section are all of the board games. In the back wall of the gaming product area is a door, which leads into the New York Deli. This door will be left open during business hours to allow customers the ability to easily go next door for a bite.

Some boxes remained in the aisles and behind the cash register. It is only one week since the move and most of the product is on the shelves. The store has a warm and homey atmosphere fitting the friendliness of this mom and pop game store.

The Good
Great customer service is clearly one of their beliefs. They deliver it every single time. Chris, Lynne, and their staff go out of their way to help customers to get exactly what is needed. If they don’t carry what you need they will order it. If they can’t get it, or you need it before they can, they don’t hesitate to tell you of nearby places that can help you out. The new store emphasizes the warm atmosphere they cultivate. Walking through the front door feels like walking into a friend’s home. There are many nooks and crannies to explore. Significant thought was put into the placement of everything from children’s toys in the front to paints in the rear. The store is clean and has plenty of room to move around in. It can easily accommodate gamers of all sizes. They have free WIFI for customers/gamers and will be installing a flat screen TV because Chris is a NFL fanatic.

They carry the usual gaming products along with great hobby items. The store is the best in the area for historical gaming. They devote significant space to Flames of War, modeling kits (including Italieri), and model train supplies that serve as great terrain making materials. No other game store in central or eastern Massachusetts, that I’ve seen, is as supportive of historical gaming as they are.

A great free customer loyalty program exists where you receive gift certificates for every $100 you spend on product.

The Bad
The store is much smaller than their previous location. Its size has a lot of charm but limits space for playing games. The storefront does not face Rte 9 although it is actually on that road. They do not have a sign visible from the road, which can make it difficult to find the store.

There is very limited CCG/CMG product. They do have Friday Night Magic but there is little emphasis in the store for any of the collectible card games. Their website has a dated aesthetic and is in need of much updating. Although this may be perceived as a minor issue it would be beneficial for them to adopt a Web 2.0 content management system (WordPress, Drupal, etc). Doing so will lessen the burden of providing timely updates and content.

Rating

Price 10/10 Through a combination of customer loyalty rewards, in store sales, Groupon, and other discounts they make it possible to save significant money purchasing the items you want from an independent game store. They are the only game store I can think of, in this area, that has ever utilized Groupon and other sales.

Storefront 9/10 The new location is much smaller than the old. This significantly limits playing space. There remains plenty of room for the numerous products they stock and plenty of room for customers to walk and game in. Free WIFI and a flat screen TV are huge bonuses. The parking lot is smaller than the old but remains sizeable. It is now much easier to access places to eat than before. Staying on Rte 9 is a gigantic positive. The store is very clean and friendly. It is easy to find what you want with minimal effort and staff are eager, but not too eager, to assist when needed.

Customer Service 10/10 Chris and Lynne are two of the nicest game store owners I’ve ever met. They walk that fine line of being there when you need them without falling victim to the used car salesman method of jumping on every prospective customer. They are knowledgeable about their products, ready to order anything you need, and able to answer any question you may have. They use Facebook, Twitter, and an e-mail newsletter to communicate with customers making it easy to learn about events and sales. They provide free gift wrapping and numerous other services. Some of the best customer service I’ve ever received has been at The Whiz and that is why I used to routinely travel over two hours, round trip, to shop there.

Atmosphere 10/10 Walking into the new store feels like entering a friend’s home. It is very welcoming and friendly. This is a great family-friendly store.

Contentment 10/10 The Whiz is great! Crossing the threshold has never disappointed me. I can’t say that about every place I shop. They are a prime example why gamers need to support independent stockists.

Overall 49/50 or 98% or A+

The Whiz is a fantastic store with a stellar group of people owning and operating it. They manage to meet the needs of divergent populations (children, parents, and gamers). The customer service is amazing. Their shelves house both mainstream and enjoyable independent products. It is worth visiting The Whiz no matter where you live in Massachusetts.

I will surely be including The Whiz as one of my two main stores at which to shop and game.

Editorial Disclosure
The Whiz has only been opened one week, today, at their new location. My review is based on numerous shopping trips at their old location and one trip, today, at their new. Given time they will finish shelving the last few boxes of items and will begin ordering, like normal. Please check out the below pictures to get a glimpse of the new Whiz store.