Congleton: The Losers Club to expand with new games and escape rooms
A new geek retreat in Congleton is celebrating their two month anniversary with expansion.
The Losers Club, located on Bridge Street opposite Wild and Wild, is a retail shop for lovers of pop culture.
From Pokémon to Funko Pops, Marvel to Mario, some of the world's most popular media franchises have merchandise available to buy at this Congleton store.
Owner Matthew Oliver-Eaton explained why he felt the high street needs The Losers Club.
"I've always been into geek culture," he said.
"At points in life I'd been called things for being a bit different. 'Loser' was one of them.
"But I thought to myself, it would have been great to have a place like this when I was younger and called a loser. It is not true as you realise when you are older, and everyone are losers really.
"I'd like to think that younger people now who were at the age when I was called a loser can see a place like this, and feel like less of a loser, just because of something they like.
"We are an entertainment retailer for Congleton. Funko Pops are our best seller, and is something a bit different you can buy in the town. We've just introduced Warhammer as well."
Items range from backpacks to welcome mats, water bottles to clothes. Their merchandise is official, affordable and presented in a clean and eclectic store.
Eye-catching products include jelly beans from Harry Potter, to clocks themed around Central Perk in friends and horror movie It.
The store, which employs three, even sells mugs branded to the store, helping to cement the community-feel the store has.
And now, their brand will go one step further as the coming months will see two new ventures launched under The Losers Club Umbrella.
The first, is an Escape Room called Nostalgia, which aims to launch before Halloween.
"We have an Escape Room coming up in the next few weeks, and a Games Room after that," added Matthew.
"All the building has been done for the Escape Room, and it will be competitively priced to other Escape Rooms in the area. We'll hope to open the booking for it soon as well.
"It will be a similar length to other local escape rooms, but with extra bits to help keep you busy for the full hour.
"The Games Room will be more a community thing, based on membership. If one person comes in who hasn't got a lot of friends, and then meets a new friend, I will be happy and that will be my job done.
"We all have our town speciality in the business. Lucy is the best one to talk to about Disney, I'm your guy for Marvel or Horror, and Amy will be big with the Games Room as she has worked in retro gaming for five years."
"As well as the launch of our Escape Room, Halloween will be a very big time for us, so watch this space."
Ex-Eaton Bank pupil Matthew is from Buglawton. Lucy is from Macclesfield, and Amy is from Biddulph. But all are Congleton-based now.
"We're also about being yourself and celebrating who you are, that's why we still have the Pride flags up outside," said Lucy.
Despite opening at just the end of June, they have already racked up over 1000 followers on Facebook.
You can even charge your phone at the store, leave it in a secure locker, and come back after you've explored the high street some more.
Geek culture skyrocketed during the 2010s, which had led to stores like these having a presence on high streets across the country.
"It is the first time ever it is cool to be uncool, and I wanted to also reflect that with this business," Matthew explained.
"I will tell people now I am a 30 year old Harry Potter and Disney fan. I wouldn't have dreamed of doing that when I was 21, but that shows how the acceptance of geek culture has changed.
"You also get older and don't really care as much.
"Teens don't have that mentality, but hopefully with a space like this, we can give them that mentality to be themselves.
"People like our shop for being different. I think people have got fed up of having café after café and bar after after bar on the high street.
"It has been really nice seeing grandparents coming in for gifts to buy their grandkids, or say that they'll come back for Christmas."
"It is giving the town something new and a little bit more. When I worked in hospitality, I felt I wasn't really giving anything back to the town. But with The Losers Club, it feels like I am."
You can follow The Losers Club on Facebook, where you can find further details about their new ventures.
The Losers Club is located on 1 Bridge Street, Congleton.
It is open from Tuesday - Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
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