Comics and the Convenience Store Model

So every day I head to my local convenience store and grab a soda. It costs me between $.96 and $1.41 depending on how they charge it (it's supposed to be $1.41, but I sometimes get lucky). Six sodas gets a free one. Combined with the burgers, etc., I grab there, I'm spending maybe $30-$60 a month there. 

Here's the fun question: Between electricity, salary for its employees, and restocking costs, is my $60 really helping? 

Obviously not. It requires a lot of people coming in, spending a couple of bucks each time, and all of that money adding up over time. That is, the store doesn't need a few people spending thousands of dollars, but rather a lot of people spending a few dollars on a consistent basis. As long as it can ensure that it has that money coming in, the store can not only survive but possibly thrive. 

You need to see your comic in the same way. You don't need to sell massive amounts of merchandise to everyone; you just need to make sure that you're something. There are three basic ways to get people into the shop:

1) Make sure that people know about your shop. The Circle K has a huge sign; it's hard to miss and it's got a decent location. Also, they change the signage to keep up interest. You need to make sure that you post about you shop, any new products, any specials, basically any news or just that the shop is still around. Try to post about it at least once a week no matter what just to let people know it's still around. 

2) Have variety of goods. Your average convenience store has a variety of goods, it may not have a wide variety of gods, but it does have a variety: You can find a variety of snacks, sodas (cans, 2-liters, fountain), beer, household goods, and even hot foods in the aisles. Your comic store should follow suite: You should not only have your books, but some sort of merch, be it t-shirts, key chains, toys, whatever. The more things that you have for sale, the more options people have, and therefore the more likely they are to find something to purchase. And if they find something to purchase, they'll purchase.

3) Be convenient. the Circle K is just a few minutes away, and is well situated near a neighborhood, a school, and, excluding a taco shop, is the only place for hot food within several blocks. Your comic shop needs to be easy to find; you need a top-level domain, and you need to be everywhere. This means that you need to have several versions of your comic, if possible, available on different POD sites, as well as Amazon. The key here is that you need to be as easy to find as a neighborhood convenience store, and the easier the better.

So....when it comes down to it, you need to find a way to drive potential buyers to your shop and if you can do so consistently then you have a better chance of dependable sales. Make sure that the shop is well advertised, has plenty of options, and is easy to find. Do that, and your store has a better chance of being successful.