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Victoria's Secret did it - cheaper than New York ol Boston.

Something I don't think get's enough air time is that Britain is an expensive place to live and do business. The country has had a consistently strong economy for many years now, and prices for all things tend to be higher after such periods.  A Brit chap I know here tells me that after all the taxes, fees, and permits are factored in, Londoners pay something like $10 per gallon for gas (Londoners please confirm or deny this).

So, could some of GW's pricing be basically about what it feels the home market would accept rather than the international market?  If the international market has worse prospects than the local one, then this could be a sign that they are willing to cut their losses if it comes to that and would rather focus on holding and defending the UK.

That said, to be a global company, something to consider would be moving whatever they can, to a cheaper location -- the Midwest comes to mind. There's no shortage of talented people, rents are cheap, and the UK sales' strong pound then becomes quite the advantage for paying US dollar bills (no pun intended).

It would be hellish and expensive to execute, but it would be good for the long-term health of the company. Just some thoughts.

Nottingham is probably still the best place for GWHQ. They have far, far too much infrastructure built up there, from factories to Warhammer World to do so. The cost would outweigh any potential benefits, especially since American labor isn't going to be any cheaper (and quite possibly more expensive), and that doesn't include factoring in the training costs (nor the bell curve). Plus, most (60%+) of the company would probably be unwilling to relocate to the states, so you would also loose a huge chunk of that most precious of corporate capital: skilled personnel (though loosing some, especially at the top, would be a boon...).

Also, the UK manufacturing supplies all of Europe and (I'm guessing here) most of the rest of the world, while the GWUS manufacturing supplies the local market and possibly other parts of the Americas. Overseas shipping is expensive and cuts into profits, so there is another mark against removing manufacturing capacity from Europe. GW also thinks global and acts locally, so unless a sea change happens, it's unlikely they'll ever switch to cheaper skilled labor pools in China & the like.


The short version: No, I don't think this would be a good move for the company. Not unless it was bought out and completely gutted, which would be an entirely different animal all together.

Vicky's is also a brand of The Limited, which is based out of Columbus (the original owner living there), so there was a mitigating circumstance to moving there.

There is no mitigating circumstance to move to Columbus. Memphis or "Balmer" Md, perhaps, as that's their two US corp. hqs. OTOH, Nottingham has been a hub of the toy soldier industry for a while, there is a lot of talent for that industry there, and, as N667 said, the cost of moving and retraining talent in the US is not worth it.

IF GW were to move anything, I could see the following:
1. Move manufacturing entirely to Asia or South America, for the obvious reasons.
2. Move Corp. HQ only if bought out by another venture (e.g. Pawtucket RI if Hasbro bought them), or if there were massive tax benefits to move (e.g. Ireland, Czech Republic).

The ghost of Robin Hood still haunts the forests of Nottingham and that is what GW is really all about at the end of the day.

- Greenie

Well, they'd really have zero excuse then not to attend Origins in force then would they?

That alone is reason enough not to move anywhere near the MidWest.

They really need to move to Uncertain, Texas, population 187. I guarantee plenty of tax breaks, better food, and complete access to Lake Caddo (just watch out, that log floating towards you that looks like an alligator really is an alligator). The lake only floods once in a while

They ned to move a little further south than Columbus. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky would be perfect...

All I know is if they put Adriana Lima and Alessandra Abrosio in WD, I'd buy more miniatures.

Perhaps they should buy the Principality of Sealand.

It's not a far move, so many of their employees would not have to drastically relocate, and if they do get enough of their employees to actually move out to the facilities themselves, that will only help to establish a larger and more permanent population, thereby strengthening their claims for internationally recognized soverignty. Hence no local taxes to worry about!

And, it'll set 'em back less than a billion euros! That's, what, the profits from one month of Space Marine sales?

Posted By jfrazell on 01/23/2007 9:12 AM
They really need to move to Uncertain, Texas, population 187. I guarantee plenty of tax breaks, better food, and complete access to Lake Caddo (just watch out, that log floating towards you that looks like an alligator really is an alligator). The lake only floods once in a while

I don't know about the better food part, there's only one restaurant (that I remember, the seafood place), they would need to head a bit further south for some really good eatins (Nawlins or Houston). But if you like to cook what you catch, there sure is some good fishin to be had there. Just keep your pets indoors and especially out of the water, no need to feed the wildlife.

Ah you've been near there. Then surely you could its perfectly placed as a GW corporate location, between Marshall, Shreveport, and Arkansas...

Sorry, what was the thread, oh why would they want to move again?

Petrol costs about 90p per litre in the UK. That's $6.53 per US gallon at current exchange rates if I calculated correctly.

ouch. I am paying barely less than $2 per gallon right now here.

You mountain folks.

hell, just last week it was over $3.50 a gallon. I may fill the hump in my back with a few gallons as a reserve for when the towelheads get greedy.

A lot more people in London are buying hybrid energy or electric cars. Partly it's the petrol prices, partly it's the congestion charging and the parking fees.

Yea but following that logic they would move to Qatar or Venezuela. I can see it now, see the forgotten marine chapter, the Red Terrors, led by their very angry (2x) Chaplain Hugh Shavice

Posted By jfrazell on 01/23/2007 12:07 PM
Ah you've been near there. Then surely you could its perfectly placed as a GW corporate location, between Marshall, Shreveport, and Arkansas...

Aye, indeed I have, several times even. Helps being born & raised in Shreveport and yeah, uh, I don't think that would be exactly the keenest place to relocate GW to, even if I am moving back there sometime in the next few months.

You're going back to Louisiana?

WHY?!?!

~weeps for Nyarly~

Posted By Iorek on 01/23/2007 3:26 PM
You're going back to Louisiana?

WHY?!?!

~weeps for Nyarly~

I know. It is for a good cause though. Still, I'll be doing everything I can to make it as temporary as possible before fleeing elsewheres (Texas likely).

Posted By Jester on 01/23/2007 10:08 AM
All I know is if they put Adriana Lima and Alessandra Abrosio in WD, I'd buy more miniatures.

I'd buy more issues.

I'd buy more tissues.

Posted By nyarlathotep667 on 01/23/2007 6:27 PM

Posted By Iorek on 01/23/2007 3:26 PM
You're going back to Louisiana?

WHY?!?!

~weeps for Nyarly~

I know. It is for a good cause though. Still, I'll be doing everything I can to make it as temporary as possible before fleeing elsewheres (Texas likely).

He heard there was a power vacuum in Nawlins, so Nyarly's gonna do it up, Nino Brown style.

Plus my old pal Cthulhu swept through there a couple times the year before last and said he had a great time. The same can't be said of the inhabitants...

They were in Cincinnati having chili.

Azathoth chili.

It'th thtupidly hot!

Hm...could Nyarlathotep really be...

Andrei Codrescu?/?

Posted By Kilkrazy on 01/23/2007 12:26 PM
Petrol costs about 90p per litre in the UK. That's $6.53 per US gallon at current exchange rates if I calculated correctly.

Pretty close:

I just filled my tank up at 83.9p per litre (or "liter" for colonial types...).  That equates to US$ 1.66 as of 9.15am GMT.

Translating that into gallons, it is worth noting that a US gallon is smaller than an Imperial gallon.  A "liter" = 0.264 US gallons, while it is only (IIRC) 0.220 Imperial gallons.

Therefore 1 US gallon costs 1.66/0.264 = $6.28.  At least from my local garage anyhow.  Prices vary from pump to pump of course.

Grief.... I need to get a life...!

Well, it seems to me that whatever GW do, GW US do even worse, so I?d keep the HQ in Blighty. Anyway, it is in Nottingham ? bring a flak vest if you can ? which is nothing like as expensive as London.

I even live close to Columbus and I still dont think GW would get much advantage from moving the HQ here, Hell as far as I know they dont even have one actual GW store in all of OHIO, let alone one in Columbus, its a big jump to move your head quarters to somewhere you have no real presence.

 On the flip side this would be great for me if they did as I could actually drive over and *female dog* at them in person.