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So it would appear that 2 of the Sydney stores (North Sydney & Hornsby) are both closing down.

Anyone in any of the rest of Oz seen GW stores near you closing? Is this just a random occurance, or potentially part of a wider strategy to reduce operations in Oz? Can they fix this by making stuff more expensive? All this and more at 8.

Maybe if all their stores go out of business they will re-evaluate their robber-baron business practices in Oz.

interesting. First the embargo. But now stores closing.

This seems to be similar to what is going on in the states. GW is closing locations in cities where it has more than one store. They have been opening stores in areas where they have no presence.

Some people have likened the opening and closing of GW stores to slash and burn agriculture. While I am critical of the store closures, I do not think it is quite that bad.

Hopefully, some FLGS will spring up in the place of the GW stores.

spaceelf wrote:This seems to be similar to what is going on in the states. GW is closing locations in cities where it has more than one store. They have been opening stores in areas where they have no presence.

Some people have likened the opening and closing of GW stores to slash and burn agriculture. While I am critical of the store closures, I do not think it is quite that bad.

Hopefully, some FLGS will spring up in the place of the GW stores.

I'm pro LFGS, and I hope that a LFGS does indeed spring up over there.

And as far as presence? I believe that they use a data file of zip codes in the US to find the more wealthier areas that can support the store, then move into a nearby zip code (or at the same zip code that is in the targeted area) and find the least expensive place to rent. Some of the places I have seen over the years across the country (US) are really in not so good areas. It's similar to what Insurance companies do here in the US.

spaceelf wrote:This seems to be similar to what is going on in the states. GW is closing locations in cities where it has more than one store. They have been opening stores in areas where they have no presence.

That doesn't really work in Australia, where almost half of the total population of the country is in 3 cities. Closing stores in Sydney is more likely to point to downsizing rather than redistribution.

I wish my local store closed (it's been there almost 18 years now) - that's almost a whole generation of gamers who have not known a world without a GW store in it.

Sydney had 11 stores (out of 13 in the state). It can stand to lose a few more.

I'm shocked my local GW isn't closing. The FLGS 5 minutes away blows it away in terms of, well, everything. Though the customer base for each is vastly different.

We just got a NEW store opened in Perth (Joondalup), which brings us to 4 stores. Which honestly seems like a good strategic move for them since the GW-games-only club in that area recently closed down.

NorSyd's closing? That was a decent store, with a nice courtyard area outside where they put out more tables. It wasn't a great location though.

Hornsby is the one up the road from me (or was - it closed last Friday). The reason for that was simple - they let the lease run out on their space inside the mall and had no plans of opening up elsewhere, so that was the end of that.

H.B.M.C. wrote:NorSyd's closing? That was a decent store, with a nice courtyard area outside where they put out more tables. It wasn't a great location though.

Hornsby is the one up the road from me (or was - it closed last Friday). The reason for that was simple - they let the lease run out on their space inside the mall and had no plans of opening up elsewhere, so that was the end of that.

Yeah indeed - North Sydney one is about 5 mins from my house, and the manager was great. Because of the location (N Syd CBD), the crowd was usually pretty adult, so the vibe was pretty good in there, rather than the standardmode creche (Chatswood!).

I'll definitely miss it. Think there's a bit of a send off this Saturday as its their last trading day. If you swing by, I'll be the chap with the British accent playing Deathwing (badly)

I'm actually probably getting a haircut this Saturday (boy do I need it), and it's across the road from the NorSyd store. If it's their last day I might pop in. I'll be the guy who looks like he's just had a haircut!


I still haven't been to the 'new' Chatswood store, over the other side of Chatswood from where it once was, hidden away around a corner past "Little Korea", as we call it, given the sheer abundance of signs in that area that are no longer in English.

Dang, North sydney is my local too, Chatswood sucks by comparison, too full of manky kids!

I can't help that a store has closed but I can at least help getting models at reasonable prices to Australia.

H.B.M.C. wrote:NorSyd's closing? That was a decent store, with a nice courtyard area outside where they put out more tables. It wasn't a great location though.
.

I saw that store when I was in Sydney a couple of weeks ago. I didn't go in, what with my embargo on southern hemisphere GW stores and all. It was well located with food stores, but seemed an odd place for a GW. If you weren't going in to the area to chow down, there didn't seem to be any other reason for walk by traffic.

It's mainly because Sydney's CBD is split into two areas by the harbour. Originally, they were two different aspects of business (it used to be the Accountants were Quayside and the High Tech stuff was North Sydney. Now, it's just a mirror to the south side, and as such, just as valid a location for a games store as there isn't a lot with regards to gaming stores between there and the Northern Beaches (and it's the hub for transport out that way). Yeah, because it's CBD part 2, the rents are a little cheaper, too (but not that much cheaper. More developers own the real estate on that side.)

I think the other half is the lease costs. Probably the main reason why some of them appear to be in more stupider locations at times.

The Games Workshop in Ringwood isn't closing, but it is migrating a few blocks away to a somewhat larger store on the main street, rather than the small one in the shopping centre.

This has lead to there being two Games Workshops within a 15 minute walk of my house, until the old one shuts up in a few weeks.

Does anyone know the reason why Hornsby closed? They were always busy in there.

Chatswood is a good store, but it can get kinda cramped in there when they get a few games going.

I don't think Melbourne has had any close down. Though the 3 i know of have all moved with in the last year/year and half. Still theres a store in the city which is really excellent. They dont do have gaming tables unfortunately but the guy/s behind the jump are just outstanding.

Capt. Rex wrote:Does anyone know the reason why Hornsby closed? They were always busy in there.

Chatswood is a good store, but it can get kinda cramped in there when they get a few games going.

As far as I know, the lease just ran out and they didnt renew. Presumably they decided it was reasonably commutable to Chatty.

That and Westfield rents are stupidhuge.

Eeps wrote:So it would appear that 2 of the Sydney stores (North Sydney & Hornsby) are both closing down.

Anyone in any of the rest of Oz seen GW stores near you closing? Is this just a random occurance, or potentially part of a wider strategy to reduce operations in Oz? Can they fix this by making stuff more expensive? All this and more at 8.

Maybe GW just hates Aussies. They are jealous of all of your great leaders like the late Steve Erwin.

Buttons wrote:

Eeps wrote:So it would appear that 2 of the Sydney stores (North Sydney & Hornsby) are both closing down.

Anyone in any of the rest of Oz seen GW stores near you closing? Is this just a random occurance, or potentially part of a wider strategy to reduce operations in Oz? Can they fix this by making stuff more expensive? All this and more at 8.

Maybe GW just hates Aussies. They are jealous of all of your great leaders like the late Steve Erwin.

He wasn't our leader, he was our god. Just kidding, never saw his show once, most I saw of him were Australia Zoo ads when I was watching something better.

Maybe the embargo on independent shipping didn't work and people are still bypassing the local system. Maybe the extremely high aussie wages and subsequent overheads have screwed up another high street retailer over there.

Seems coincidental that Australia's minimum wage went up again at the start of Jully.

Glorioski wrote:Maybe the embargo on independent shipping didn't work and people are still bypassing the local system. Maybe the extremely high aussie wages and subsequent overheads have screwed up another high street retailer over there.

Seems coincidental that Australia's minimum wage went up again at the start of Jully.

Could be, but I believe that these are more signs of a company weakened financially.

H.B.M.C. wrote:That and Westfield rents are stupidhuge.

I'd guess that's why the Parramatta store moved to a street store.

-Loki- wrote:I'm shocked my local GW isn't closing. The FLGS 5 minutes away blows it away in terms of, well, everything. Though the customer base for each is vastly different.

One of the advantages of a large company with a lot of outlets is that they can use the profits from the successful shops to subsidise losses at the unsuccessful ones. Obviously you aim to do this for a short time and get the shop into profit.

Or you can purposely run unprofitable businesses for tax exemptions.

I dont think that's GWs game though

-Loki- wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:That and Westfield rents are stupidhuge.

I'd guess that's why the Parramatta store moved to a street store.

Yep. AFAIK, they weren't locked into the same hardcore leases as some of the other stores - so as soon as their short one was up, they were out of there. Next door to a comic store and across the road (at the time) from the local SF fantasy bookstore. Geek central.