• by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, October 7, 2016

Everyone's wondering how you grow an email list, but could the answer be in awesome in-store experiences? Content giveaways are usually at the top of the list, so too are competitions but as tighter regulation on opt-in approaches, could the answer be making people go "wow" in your store? Could the answer be augmented reality?

That's certainly the new strategy at GAME. The high street and online gaming store went in to administration just four years ago but it's back with a new strategy that it cannot compete with the likes of Amazon on price, but it can take them on with an in-store experience. The great thing is, the in-store experience isn't only good for driving footfall, it's seen email registrations shoot up by 25% in recent months.

Fred Prego, Insight and marketing director at the GAME, explained the new strategy's impact on its email list to delegates at this week's Festival of Marketing in London. The stores now hold regular social events, encourage multiplayer gaming and there's a new app with a twist. Go in store and open the app and augmented reality will let you pose for a selfie with a gaming character of your choice. The store windows also apparently come alive with gaming action. The point is that it's fun, it drives footfall and it encourages people to sign up to be contacted about GAME offers and, crucially, events happening in their nearest store.

"It's been great to see people having such a great experience that they actually want to sign up to hear more from us," said Prego. "We're putting our stores at the heart of the local gaming community and so people want to sign up to find out when the next event's taking place, just as they want to know when a game is being released."

it's obviously not a strategy everyone can offer. However, high street retailers could do well to take on the online discounters by offering a better experience in-store which not only drives footfall but is also great for gathering emails from engaged fans eager to know when the next event is.