The Hobby Supermarket Star of Excellence

How the Hobby Store Rating works

Every independent store in our directory and every one of our partner shops gets a Hobby Store Rating out of 5, to one decimal. Passing our directory check is worth 3.0: a trading shop that sells what we sell, with a website of its own. A partner starts from the same 3.0, because we checked the shop before we linked it. The rest is earned against the rubric below, never set by hand, and each point on a shop's page links to the evidence it came from. Where we hold no evidence yet, the point says "not yet known" and scores nothing: that means we have not found it, not that the shop falls short. Every standard point makes 4.8; a wargamer extra makes 4.9; a standout makes 5.0. A recognised award adds 0.1 on top. For a shop with a solid review record, the rating is then anchored to its reviews, both ways, as explained under the table, and exceptional reviews add 0.1 after that. No shop scores more than 5.0. A directory store's rating appears on its page and on its badge, and the store can still pick our plain Listed on badge instead. A partner shop's rating appears from 4.5; below that we keep scoring it but do not show it. For an eBay seller, customer reviews are its eBay feedback, its range is what we list from it, and easy to buy from means the delivery and returns terms on its own eBay listings.

Customer reviews

From customer reviews on public sites, Trustpilot and eBay seller feedback. 0.5 for a 4.7 star average or 99.5% positive with at least 50 reviews; 0.4 for 4.5 stars or 99%; 0.3 for 4.3 stars or 98.5%; 0.2 for 4.0 stars or 98%; 0.1 for 3.5 stars or 97%. With more than one source, each counts by its number of reviews, so a weak source cannot hide behind a strong one.

up to 0.5

Wargaming range

0.5 for selling miniatures and paints; 0.3 for one of them; 0.1 for a shop that sells trading cards only. Read from the shop's own website.

up to 0.5

Somewhere to play

Gaming tables or a games room, and a regular programme: leagues, tournaments, painting nights, an online league. 0.5 for a play space and a weekly, fortnightly or monthly programme; 0.4 for either; 0.2 for something occasional or small, such as a demo table or a Discord. A shop that only sells online earns 0.5 from an online league or a painting challenges programme.

up to 0.5

Easy to buy from

Opening hours and a phone number or email published, for a shop with premises. Delivery and returns terms published, for a shop that only sells online.

up to 0.3

Wargamer extra

One thing a wargamer would travel for, read on a page of the shop's own: 8 or more gaming tables, free tables, a weekly league, open play or tournament, or a regular painting night. It turns 4.8 into 4.9.

+0.1

Standout

One thing that is unusual and good for customers, which we have checked: free gaming tables, opening all night, a crèche on site. It adds 0.2, and counts once the standard points are nearly all there.

+0.2

Distinction: recognised award

A named award from an independent body, given to the shop, or to its owner for the business, within the last 3 years, with a public receipt: a press article or the awarding body's own page. Paid certifications, such as Better Business Bureau accreditation, customer-voted "best of" polls with no named body, and awards for a staff member's own hobby work do not count. It counts from 1.2 standard points, and no shop scores more than 5.0.

+0.1

Distinction: exceptional reviews

A rating of 4.9 stars or more from at least 25 reviews, on a public review site or Trustpilot. It is added after the anchor to reviews, below, so a shop whose customers rate it that highly can reach 5.0. eBay feedback does not count. It counts once a shop holds 1.2 standard points, and no shop scores more than 5.0.

+0.1

A shop that confirms its listing with us gets a note saying so on its scorecard. It earns no points: the rating is about the shop, not about whether it has written to us.

The score is worked out again every time we rebuild the site, so it moves when the evidence does. A shop's badge is drawn on our site, so the badge on its own website shows the new score too. Run a shop and think we have missed something? Email hello@hobbysupermarket.com with a link to where it is published, or to confirm your listing. A partner shop's rating, from 4.5, sits beside its partner badges on its page with us.