Village Gamer

As consumer demand for retro style remains high, Canadian company launches first-ever online store dedicated to classic game brand merchandise

Toronto, Ontario (MMD Newswire) October 14, 2008 — Arcade Novelties announced today the launch of its new online store to coincide with the release of its new retro arcade-themed line of clothing and accessories. The shop specializes in casual apparel, home and office décor products and gift items featuring authentic pinball and arcade game artwork.

Many baby boomers will undoubtedly already be familiar with the designs found on the company’s products. “We grew up with these games in coffee shops, restaurants, bowling alleys, pool halls…they were everywhere” says Dave Pauk, President of Arcade Novelties. “First and foremost, our goal was to provide a range of products that appealed to diehard fans, but we also wanted to celebrate the incredible, timeless artwork found on these games by creating greater awareness to a much broader audience”.

While confident that the consumer appetite for retro styled products is at an all-time high within this powerful buying group, Mr. Pauk also believes these images will transcend generations and appeal to a younger audience as well.

With over 20 years of experience in advertising and entertainment, Pauk is no stranger to the brand marketing game. However, his initial challenge was developing a commercially viable method for producing hundreds of individual game titles across multiple sizes and styles of clothing along with other niche products. As bricks and mortar retailers continue to trim inventories in a bid to cut costs, the premise of selling direct to consumers via the web became an obvious choice for this start-up.

For fulfillment, the company outsources production, distribution and e-commerce to Cafepress.com, a leading online marketplace service provider. “The quality of their print-on-demand method, product offerings and exceptional customer service for the end-user is what won me over” says Pauk.

By implementing this strategy, Arcade Novelties can retail literally thousands of products via their online storefront while eliminating inventory investment on hundreds of game titles and speeding up time-to-market versus traditional methods.

Arcade Novelties’ clients already include some of the former top names from the coin-operated game industry including D. Gottlieb & Co®, a game manufacturer that produced pinball machines from 1931-83.

Robert Fesjian of Gottlieb Development LLC who now manages the legendary brand is excited about the prospects of their affiliation. “As caretaker of the oldest name in pinball, we fully expect that Arcade Novelties’ use of the Gottlieb® license will reinforce the already high international awareness of our brand” says Fesjian.

For Pauk, the partnership is apropos since it was Gottlieb who manufactured Spirit of 76, a game that was one of his childhood favorites and is now the centerpiece of his personal collection. Arcade Novelties also works with other game brands including Alvin G & Co® and is already in talks to expand their client list even further.