I'd rather go to my smaller comic shop a few miles further in Burbank where there's plenty of parking and they give a 20% discount on all new comics.  ($4 a book still seems high to me, but $3.20 is more palatable.)

I used to go to the Golden Apple, another big store in L.A. that had a lot of events.  Then they moved to another location that was practically impossible to park at.  Never went back.

Every time one of these places closes (or a publisher folds), we think "Oh no, the industry is collapsing!"  But maybe they just need to follow the rules every other hardware store and restaurant also need to follow--be accessible, have good parking, maybe lower your prices a bit, and--Heaven forbid--advertise!

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Is there any place in Hollywood that has good parking? Hollywood & Highland and Rock and Roll Ralph’s, maybe?

As far as advertising, I think Meltdown did plenty of it. Even after I moved out of LA, I still saw plenty of articles and ads for events they did there. 

As for advertising, I've never come across any advertising for any comics shop--unless you're looking for it or have signed up for a mailing list or whatever.  And comics publishers never advertise--except INSIDE the comics shops...where the customer already is.  EXCEPT, back in the day, I remember seeing ads for Malibu Comics on bus benches, etc. around town, and I was very impressed.  It's no surprise that they grew fast and strong--until Marvel bought them and shut them down.

The owner of my store loves comics and reads every new issue from every publisher every week. He has a remarkable memory and pays attention to what his customers read. He'll take the time to talk to customers about what they like to read. The people who work in the store are always friendly*. They have 3 major sales a year that not only can help a customer to buy lots of back issues for good prices but also helps develop a sense of community with the customers (the Pre and Post-Christmas sales have savings that end at 50% at 11 pm, many of us go early to pick out comic books and then just hang around the store socializing). The store also partnered with the local Alamo Drafthouse last night to host a showing of Superman: The Movie.

The store doesn't depend on gimmicks. They survived the speculator crash because of his business sense. In fact, during the Death of Superman craze, he refused to sell more than 2 issues to the general public (there was one guy who offered to buy the entire stack) and held 1 issue per subscriber so that regular customers could get an issue if they wanted one even if it wasn't on their pull list. They don't fall for the speculator tricks. The only time that they've had any problems was when DC and Marvel removed their regular books for events a few years back (Secret Wars and Conversion). I think the success of a comic book store has a lot more to do with how the business is run than how the comics market is doing.

*I lost my Dad in October and my Mom died last week. The folks at the store reached out to me to pass on their condolences. Some fellow customers who I talk to a good bit did the same. It's a very inclusive store develops comradery among it's customer base.

And you are right. My local comic shop is Nostalgia & Comics (Birmingham city centre). Been around at least 40 years. They don't fall for gimmicks, either. And they have very engaging staff. Every staff member will talk to you. "Have you tried this?" "I notice you buy a lot of Hawkeye books, perhaps this one will interest you."

They also have an informal gathering in a local pub from time to time. Anyone can visit, we buy comics, etc.

People feel loyal to them.

Whether you're the pizza place on the corner or the comics shop a mile away--or a comic book publisher with a TV show that doesn't even bother to say "Read the latest issue!" at the end of their credits--I don't know how you expect to grow your customer base without advertising to people who haven't heard about you yet.

Good point. You'd think that would be logical.

As I said, I’m no longer in LA, and I kept seeing what Meltdown was up to through multiple avenues. I thought they had a pretty broad reach.

Anecdotally, I know plenty of people who became interested in comics through the current crop of movies. But most of them would never set foot in a comic book store. It’s digital, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Something like ARROW got a lot more exposure when Stephen Amell wrestled in WWE, probably 3-4 years ago. I have no evidence of what crossover potential may have been exploited, but perhaps some WWE fans became ARROW fans. Or vice versa.

I think interconnections are helpful and possible. Couldn't Netflix, at the end of a JESSICA JONES episode, send a link to the DEFENDERS comic? 

I agree with Eric. "Read the latest issue!" is great. I bought the G.I. Joe comic in 1982 specifically because I saw the commercial for the first issue. That was before I saw the toys!