“Success Beyond the Box”
Redemption Plus Says Empowering Operators is the Name of the Game
From concept to planning to operation, Redemption Plus said they aim to be “the partner that bridges the gap between an awesome looking redemption wall and a sustainable reality.” Running an FEC is hard work and the team there says it’s their goal to make the job a bit easier.
“We guide operators through the entire lifecycle – from the initial concept and strategic planning to the daily grit of operating a high-performance venue,” the company said.
A new part of the team who’s making that happen is David Pascoe, the head of client success who came aboard at Redemption Plus last year as its technical solutions architect. An operator for many years with Andretti Karting & Games, Pascoe is Redemption Plus’s “boots on the ground” and takes an in-depth look at a facility.
By walking game room floors, he explained that he’s able to see a guest’s interaction with redemption products. Behind the scenes, he works with operators to put together detailed inventories, which he described as the springboard for knowing what’s working – and what’s not – inside machines and at the redemption counter.
Anyone in this part of the business knows that “winners make players” and that prizes drive a lot of gameplay. Redemption Plus and its success team coaches operators to find a balance between an “incredible guest experience and a profitable bottom line.”
One of their closest partnerships is with Andretti Karting & Games, which was the location for their RePlay cover photoshoot and a stellar example of how their “commitment to operational excellence leads to industry-leading results,” the company said.
“You want to see people win,” Pascoe said. “You want to see people carrying merchandise, even if it’s just a duck or some candy. When guests are walking around with nothing, it’s like walking into a restaurant and there’s no food on any tables. In the arcade, you want people to walk away with something and have a genuinely great experience.”
Just like when you walk into that restaurant and see a table full of flowing wine and juicy steaks, Pascoe said arcade players get excited seeing others walking around with a large plush toy and other prizes.
With crane arcades becoming more and more popular in the U.S., Redemption Plus is working with more of those operators and giving them the data they need to be more successful.
“Some operators simply see it as ‘buy claw, buy product, make money,’” Pascoe explained. “And that is true to some degree – with some level of success. But there’s a lot more to it.” Redemption Plus deep dives and comes up with a game plan for operators that they say results in more fun for players and more money for operators. “We’re co-signing on the success of the operator – acting as their right hand when it comes to the redemption product process,” he added.
Specifically, the company offers margin and profitability coaching, ensuring operators know their cost of goods sold and are making money on the items they buy.
Their inventory management system teaches operators how to read reports and manage stock to keep the program fresh and profitable.
The company also boasts their operational knowledge, saying the training and education they offer is “based on lived experience, not just theory.”
“We also emphasize that merchandising is a continuous service,” they said. “Whether it’s installing prize setups for new locations or refreshing the look of an existing site, we provide the expertise that keeps guests returning. We are a tool for empowerment, giving both private equity leaders and mom-and-pop owners the confidence to run a sophisticated redemption program.”
Redemption Plus says they offer hands-on service from the start, bringing an operator’s vision to life with a full merchandise team that collaborates to figure out what works best.
It goes back to data. For instance, if a $100 LEGO kit is going on a redemption wall, Redemption Plus knows what the average ticket payout is and how many visits it’ll take a player to get that product, based on those averages. It’s essential for both the player and operator. Players need to feel a prize isn’t impossible to get and operators need to know they’re not burning money.
While new to Redemption Plus, David Pascoe knows the company quite well from his time with Andretti Karting & Games. He was hired by that company in 2018 as a tech and was its amusement director by 2021, working on game selections, game floor layouts and all things redemption.
“Redemption Plus was my partner in that when I was at Andretti,” Pascoe said, adding that 90% of his core items came from Redemption Plus. “We grew from there and the partnership continues today.”
Now he’s excited to be bringing that operational success to companies throughout the industry. “We’re all very focused on client success and growing businesses,” Pascoe said. “It can’t just be dollars and cents – it’s being smart about what goes in your facilities and what compliments the overall guest experience.”
He added that Redemption Plus is in a growth period and owner Michael Nowak wants the approach to stand out in the industry.
“We’re not just focused on ‘selling the box.’ We want to have that personal touch.” Learn more about the company at www.redemptionplus.com.