most likely the may 7th is "may 7th in north america and the UK" hazarding a guess, NZ and Australia are proably linked the the North American distribution chain
So the switch seems to be in process. Another 1h 10min it should open. Even for countries already open it's back to "store opening soon" page sawn last time on friday.
Had a huge Disciples of Tzeentch order before they closed up distribution with a major online shop. Said shop told me all the most popular items were sold out...
Webstore re-opens fully stocked, and yet the retailer I ordered from says GW shows many of those items as unavailable.
Not really strange. They've been shut down for a while, and the front page says 'Limited Stock and Availability.' A surge in demand after closure, limited stock after closure and (hopefully) a little more cautious of their working conditions rather than pumping full bore... yeah, limitations aren't a surprise.
I think that's the biggest order I've placed. 1 boxed set, 1 codex and supplement book, some paint.. and Santa Grimnar cause I've been meaning to snag him
NewTruthNeomaxim wrote: Had a huge Disciples of Tzeentch order before they closed up distribution with a major online shop. Said shop told me all the most popular items were sold out...
Webstore re-opens fully stocked, and yet the retailer I ordered from says GW shows many of those items as unavailable.
Strange half-reopening, it seems.
Because the webstore stock isn't the same as that available to retailers or even GW shops themselves.
Back on topic, I hope GW are able to quickly start supplying independent stores.
Ours is pretty much picked clean. People were even eying Age of Sigmar stuff.
ArcaneHorror wrote: Even though the site is up, FW is still not taking orders.
Far as I recall FW doesn't hold huge amounts of stock even at the best of times. So chances are they can't bring it online to take orders without having the factory online and that might still be proving a challenge for them. I just REALLY hope we don't see removals from FW when it comes back online. AoS lost a good chunk of really great models around Christmas (yeah that's a great time to go removing £100 models form your specialist store...) and I really hope we don't lose more. 40K side I feel wants their new book out to spike sales interest and the 30K lot must be going nuts as they can't get ANYTHING AT ALL
ArcaneHorror wrote: Even though the site is up, FW is still not taking orders.
Far as I recall FW doesn't hold huge amounts of stock even at the best of times. So chances are they can't bring it online to take orders without having the factory online and that might still be proving a challenge for them. I just REALLY hope we don't see removals from FW when it comes back online. AoS lost a good chunk of really great models around Christmas (yeah that's a great time to go removing £100 models form your specialist store...) and I really hope we don't lose more. 40K side I feel wants their new book out to spike sales interest and the 30K lot must be going nuts as they can't get ANYTHING AT ALL
That's true. I've been looking forward to buying Zhufor the Impaler, the Blood Slaughterer, the Eightfold Harvest Lord, and possibly some World Eater accessories for some time now.
So is there any point in seeing it more than once? Is there a joke it builds to?
That being said I do love the concept of James Workshop, that's an even more obviously made up name than their other spokesperson, Sir Ian Livingstone CBE.
GW issued a trading update (over here: https://investor.games-workshop.com/) when it reopened its warehouses for shipping. It's very likely they'll do the same once they reopen their factory and restart production.
Until then, the release schedule is kinda freezed as they can only distribute whatever they manufactured before March.
In the UK not at yet no the highstreet is still mostly on lockdown. What's changed is that many non-essential factory and businesses have been allowed to go back to work in a limited form. Builders are back in force and the supply stores are only open for trade right now (since builders can't build because of a lack of supplies/materials).
I suspect the highstreet should be a latter part of the lockdown awakening. Businesses are "safer" in so much as they are areas where people are required to behave in certain ways, so as long as the boss sets up the right protective measures it should be fairly safe.
The highstreet is another matter as you have to deal with - the public.
Also I'm curious what will happen with the homeless after all this. There was a big drive to get them off the streets earlier in the campaign, but we've not heard much about it since really. Be interesting to see if one of the minor positive outputs from this might be a an increase in homeless support and a reduction in their numbers - though the job market likely being worse for a fairly long while might tip that scale.
Overread wrote: In the UK not at yet no the highstreet is still mostly on lockdown. What's changed is that many non-essential factory and businesses have been allowed to go back to work in a limited form. Builders are back in force and the supply stores are only open for trade right now (since builders can't build because of a lack of supplies/materials).
I suspect the highstreet should be a latter part of the lockdown awakening. Businesses are "safer" in so much as they are areas where people are required to behave in certain ways, so as long as the boss sets up the right protective measures it should be fairly safe.
The highstreet is another matter as you have to deal with - the public.
Also I'm curious what will happen with the homeless after all this. There was a big drive to get them off the streets earlier in the campaign, but we've not heard much about it since really. Be interesting to see if one of the minor positive outputs from this might be a an increase in homeless support and a reduction in their numbers - though the job market likely being worse for a fairly long while might tip that scale.
I suspect once the whole affair is over the money to support the homeless will dry up and they'll be right back where they started. it'd be nice to be wrong about that though. I know over where I am we've basicly set up shelters for the homless in the camps, and it's driven crime in that area through the roof. it's funny when the media did the report on increasing crime down town they did it practically right outside my local GW, I sure hope no one robbed them. a store like GW typically doesn't have much of value to a random criminal but that painted warhound titan in the window is priceless to the guy who owns it I'm sure
The (English) government is not going to hand out any more ring-fenced money to carry on putting the homeless up in hotels etc once the £3.2 million they gave runs out, and have told councils they should carry on doing so using their own funds https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52637283
Carlovonsexron wrote: This is a bit of a necro for just a.quesrion, but I read that the UK had a plan for "reopening" as earlier this week.
Anyone know who this might effect GE resuming the release schedule?
Only staff of gw knows anything. As it's unlikely any staff reads your questioe and replies before official announcement you won't get real answer and just speculation.
When gw decides it's time they will announce it publicy via email newsletter and warhammer community
As of right now, the only reopened spot that I'm aware of is Warhammer Citadel down in Texas. And they're not even "open" open. They're doing curbside pickups and limited engagement with the public.
It's worth mentioning that GW early on stated they would be following local guidelines for safe reopenings.
One thing I find strange is that of all the online retailers I regularly use, one of them has received copious amounts of new stock, most have had a pitiful few bits here and there, and some seem to have had none at all. Quite perplexing to me. I hope they get the factory going again relatively soon so that choice of retailers is once again a thing (the one that got the large restock has slashed their usual discount in half, so I won't be using them again until (if) they reinstate their pre-pandemic pricing).
It might have nothing to do with the factory at all and everything to do with if the online retailers are using a third party distributor(spoiler: if they're an online only retailer? they are) vs a trade account with GW.
That seems likely. One of them has items listed as "Note: Out of Stock at Games Workshop Trade" (mostly they just have "Available on backorder" or something similar, which obviously does little to increase clarity).
GW is prioritising independent stockists over their own stores, wherever these are open in limited capacity. My regular GW store is open again, but has since opening not received any resupply from Nottingham, with no word as to when they'll be getting their own restock of primers, paints and hobby supplies.
Brick and mortar stores will be the last thing to be restocked. Head Office has started to recall staff members for work, but they're on a skeleton crew and will be for a long time to come.
I wouldn't expect stable stock levels for the rest of the year.
BrookM wrote: GW is prioritising independent stockists over their own stores, wherever these are open in limited capacity.
.
This makes sound business sense. GW's own stores have the huge safety net of GW themselves to back them up through the tough times. indie-stores don't have that safety net at all and GW knows their product is going to sell no matter where they send it. Supporting the indie stores is a solid investment in retaining those stores, the hobby they promote in their region and thus those customers. It's win win for both parties.
I got an email from Forge World today saying that my replacement piece for a damaged mini would be shipping in the next 14 business days. Crossing my fingers that means FW is opening back up soon!
One gathers that most/many of the UK stores will be re-opening on the 15th of June -- in the Uk .
Don't think they'l be 100% as was before this tiresome blight -- I believe things like intro games are by and large off the table -- literally -- for now anyway.
I figure gaming in stores or clubs is off the table until we are far further along. Same as how restaurants will likely only be able to seat perhaps 1/4 or less of their normal customers even if they've out-door seating.
I'm just crossing my fingers that this whole track and trace means the government can shut down areas not the whole nation. Though based on people's behaviour I'm not sure if it will be much use - it seems if we get a spike it might well happen everywhere at once ; )
Stores that have been open for a while now are also accepting mail orders again. This may vary from store to store, if in doubt, check your store's social media page in advance.
Games Workshop to refund state aid after business charges ahead
A surge in sales has prompted Games Workshop to say that it will refund the government for the support it has received as its profits are expected to beat expectations.
Games Workshop said that the coronavirus outbreak had had an impact on its sales and it had closed all its shops around the world in March but since some have reopened the business has been encouraged by customers flocking back.
As a result the company said that it expected annual sales to be about £270 million and pre-tax profits to be no less than £85 million. Nick Bubb, an independent retail analyst, said that this was “an improvement on the £256 million sales and £81 million pre-tax profit in the previous year, helped by strong licensing income and [by] having sailed through the pandemic over the last 3 months with so little damage”.
The business, which at £2 billion is worth almost as much as Marks & Spencer, was started in 1975 by three friends who made and sold wooden boardgames. After securing the Dungeons & Dragons franchise for Europe the company developed its own role-play gaming series, Warhammer, which it has followed up with Age of Sigmar. Enthusiasts buy paints, backdrop and figurines from the retailer, which now has 532 shops in 20 countries.
Shares in Games Workshop rose by 770p, or 10.9 per cent, to £78.65 in morning trading on the back of the positive update.
Games Workshop said that it had claimed the applicable government subsidies to cover the period of uncertainty since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March. The company did not say how many staff it had furloughed or whether it had been granted a business interruption loan. It did say, however, that in light of its strong results since reopening its shops “we do not intend to make further claims and we aim to repay any amounts that have already been received, where possible”.
The business said that 306 of its 532 shops had already reopened, before the lifting of lockdown in England for all non-essential retailers.
Games Workshop, which has operated largely under the radar for the majority of its two decades as a listed company, recently received an unexpected publicity boost after the Superman actor Henry Cavill, 37, shared a picture of his own Warhammer collection and revealed that he was spending quarantine painting the figurines. Cavill said in an Instagram post in April that Warhammer was his “lifelong hobby” and referred to: “A company called Games Workshop . . . or ‘plastic crack’, as we call it. Genuinely can’t get enough of the lore they have built over the decades.”
Like their dividends it's in part intended to make them a less attractive target for a hostile take over that's only really interested in their cash reserves
Isn't a hostile take over only a risk if they were trading more than 51% of their total shares on the stock market? Ergo leaving themselves open to the possibility of one person/group purchasing majority share control over the company and leveraging that to force management changes. Ergo putting their own manager in charge who would then approve a take-over or other approaches toward letting another firm buy them out.
I agree if a firm had no intent to keep GW going they could fight to gain control and then strip it of assets - GW has a lot that could be stripped. Even just selling their factory equipment and site in the UK for development/housing could net a huge return and the moulds could be shipped overseas for cheaper production in China/Asia/India. Similarly stripping the stores could net a large online stock volume whilst lowering overheads significantly. GW could be poached to death, though it would be exceptionally short sighted.
Far as I'm aware some of the majority shareholders right now are more passive investors - ergo investment bodies looking for companies that are typically stable rather than high winners which can rise and fall fast.
We've not heard anything about Forgeworld, not reopening nor even the new rulebooks for them. We have heard that the aircraft get their keywords on the rules launch day for 40K, but otherwise nothing.
Overread wrote: We've not heard anything about Forgeworld, not reopening nor even the new rulebooks for them. We have heard that the aircraft get their keywords on the rules launch day for 40K, but otherwise nothing.
Yesterday's article implies the FW books will release alongside 9E:
"The list of Forge World Flyers receiving the Aircraft keyword will be included in their rules updates on the same day that the new edition is launched."
Overread wrote: We've not heard anything about Forgeworld, not reopening nor even the new rulebooks for them. We have heard that the aircraft get their keywords on the rules launch day for 40K, but otherwise nothing.
Yesterday's article implies the FW books will release alongside 9E:
"The list of Forge World Flyers receiving the Aircraft keyword will be included in their rules updates on the same day that the new edition is launched."
I read that as they will be getting a FAQ/9th update launch day, not new books.
Overread wrote: We've not heard anything about Forgeworld, not reopening nor even the new rulebooks for them. We have heard that the aircraft get their keywords on the rules launch day for 40K, but otherwise nothing.
Yesterday's article implies the FW books will release alongside 9E:
"The list of Forge World Flyers receiving the Aircraft keyword will be included in their rules updates on the same day that the new edition is launched."
I read that as they will be getting a FAQ/9th update launch day, not new books.
If that's all they're doing why wouldn't they just put the fw flyers in the list in the brb?
Some of them will - but it'll depend on the store & staff. My local is (the manager has already been in cleaning & re-pricing everything), but some of the bigger stores are only getting one staff member back and not all shopping centres are reopening yet.
(I don't want to rush the staff back to work. By the same token, if my store is open I do have a mail order that's been sat there since this all kicked off...)
well Facebook showed our affable GW minion was at the shop yesterday so im guessing some thing is afoot, unless he has been there all lockdown and they only put the power back on
The UK still has a fairly substantial level of infection (much higher than other countries which have attempted similar stages of lockdown reduction steps - opening shops etc.) and a highly questionable track & trace system in place (a lot of comments saying it is not ready - and will not be able to effectively mitigate a second wave, should that occur.)
I am actually amazed anyone would take a risk of visiting a shop this week, when you have the... internet... At the very least think of the poor sod in the GW store that has been expected to return to work today and put himself front and centre for minimum wage?
There's also other factors - people want to connect and chat with others; they also want to do some normal stuff in life. There's also a sense of supporting local businesses which have all been hit hard - even though GW itself has done really very well, their stores have not so many will feel like they want to make sure their store has made some sales.
There's also the immediate nature of things - you want that glue/paint/model TODAY not in a few days time.
There's also regional influences too - such as where I am in the countryside we've not really felt the plague side of things (in fact the lack of any local major outbreak makes it much harder to convince people to stay under lockdown measures...)
All valid points, although I don't blame individuals for wanting to do all of those things (I do too). I blame government for creating the impression, and in fact encouraging people to go out, when it is not safe enough to do so.
We have already seen the pictures of masses of people crammed together outside some stores which shows that distancing measures will not always be effective. Almost no-one in masks or gloves, and this with a virus that is now known to be horribly contagious (especially in indoor areas).
I've supported local businesses through lockdown by ordering from them online or via the phone - there are very few hobby-related businesses that can't operate in this way. Most of them in fact seem to have been over-run with orders (I guess lots of people wanting to do this kind of thing when they can't go outside).
So if GW (although I don't think they are alone in this regard) have been making so much money from mail order why do they need to open stores so quickly? How is that one staff member able to monitor queues outside, control the store (you generally have very little room to move around) and provide customer service, especially with kids involved who will generally be much harder to police?
Understand that it's absolutely the government to blame in this for politicising the re-opening of shops, but companies such as GW have a duty of care for the safety of their own staff and so they are also taking a role in this.
Most of the GW stores I've seen should be pretty easy to control - one staff member just monitors the door and a line forms outside. I'd wager GW stores are pretty tame and easy to manage. It's bigger stores where you can't have the till near the door and can't see the store from a single spot that need two or more staff (one tills one on the door).
In general if the store manager is behind a screen and if there's soap at the entrance then it should be as safe as we can make it right now - safer if people are starting to use masks more and more often.
I can also side and say taht government should be doing more; they seem to be imploding to protect themselves from breaking lockdown rather than taking slaps on their own wrists. That and they are likely under a lot of pressure from big firms who do want to reopen. GW is likely not pressuring them, but tourism, leisure, food, big deparment stores, smaller stores - all without internet or without the option of internet - wanting at least some income.
Pacific wrote: All valid points, although I don't blame individuals for wanting to do all of those things (I do too). I blame government for creating the impression, and in fact encouraging people to go out, when it is not safe enough to do so.
Based on? the continually dropping numbers despite all the 'second wave' events that we've been told about? People are going to be fine going into GW stores. just avoid the crowds of idiots outside nike. brief contacts with other humans arent going to infect you. otherwise everyone would've got it at the supermarkets which have been open the whole time.
WOOOOHOOOOO!!!! New Forge World Indexes for 40k and hopefully Road to Thramas for hh hopefully incoming! Also my supplier for Terror Squad heads is back. Excellent news.
Grab some colour/clay shapers - some greenstuff - some perfect plastic putty - a worn toothbrush - some soap - and go to town building a mighty necron monster. Also I saw some neat photos of that machine - it looks REALLY great if you model it with the for body and head looking up and the for arms raised as if to strike!
The iffy thing about fw resin is that it bends quite a lot during hot days- not an issue with the resin i guess but more with the sheer size of the parts. My kustom stompa arms' moveble parts keep comin apart after a hot summer :/.
The big spider walker? Faced it yesterday. Didn't do much in itself(he rolled bad, i rolled well so took it out fast) but then it exploded 11" radius and practically wiped out my left flank with everything there taking d6 mortals...
Go on! You want the thing opponent fears taking out least it blows in their face.
Grab some colour/clay shapers - some greenstuff - some perfect plastic putty - a worn toothbrush - some soap - and go to town building a mighty necron monster. Also I saw some neat photos of that machine - it looks REALLY great if you model it with the for body and head looking up and the for arms raised as if to strike!
But we hates it! Nasty, grey, spindly stuff. Superglue betrays us it does, Precious! Lines up the parts nice, leaves to dry....comes back and wonky it is! Woooonnnnky!
No Resins for us, thanks you!
However, I’m choking for WHW to re-open. Can drive there and back in a day, and I really, really want to Loot more of Lost and the Damned. I’ve Looters desperate for that lovely book!
