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Well I say new, may have been happening for a while and I somehow missed threads talking over this, but going to buy Christmas prezzies for Aurelia last week and I was quite surprised to be told at GW Ipswich that the Shadow Seer and Death Jester where direct only.

Mainly as the troupe is so much better with them in, and I remember them being in GW stores not so long ago. If I'm honest It didn't strike a huge cord with me other than 'a bit of odd call' type musing. However looking on Maelstrom earlier for some Daemon stuff, its odd what they aren't able to stock.

Checking Gifts for Geeks and Wayland, they are also missing certain key items as well, Wayland is perfect for this as they note Direct only items on their list, but yeah. Greater Daemons of Chaos, Daemon Princes, Dark Elf Harpies, Bret Lord of Pegasus, Malekith, Typhus, Ork Warboss with Attack Squig, Kayvaan Shrike, Vulkan He'stan, Casket of Souls to name but a few.

I understand the reason of not stocking certain items in a GW store, space and all that, but to make some key models direct only, making them pretty much impratical (if not impossible) for discounters to stock seems pretty low.

I'm normally not bothered by GW's antics, but to me this just sems bizarre, and I do have to worry, will more and more of their range fall into 'direct only' just so we are forced to pay full price from GW for certain items.

Short answer: yes.

Unfortunately, retail operations are about stocking what sells. If something doesn't move in sufficient quantities, it's not worth the space on the floor as something that does.

Lesser-demand items, such as many blisters, fall into that category. Models that are no longer directly supported by their codex/armybook, but that are still somewhat desirable fall into this category.

The bad news is that if you want these things, you have to pay for them via direct order. The good news is that at least they're available there. Some retail operations would simply stop producing items that didn't sell well.

Yeah I suppose thats a bonus, although GW would struggle to maintain themselves at all if they stop supporting armies that don't sell as well as the others.

I generally understand all of that though if I'm honest, what I don't get is the reason to hold it back from other online stores.

If it's been given a box/blister before the sales in GW stores forced them to hold it at Lenton. I can't see why other online stores still can't sell them as many of these figures used to be available from places like Maelstrom.

To me the only reason to do that is to force us to go to GW.

There's also extremely limited Shelf Space in any given store, so whereas any Eldar player might want a couple of boxes of Harlies, each squad only requires a single Jester or Seer.

Is all about having the bread and butter units readily available. And of course, having people peruse your website to get the odds and sods doesn't hurt either.

Let's face it, every Eldar player doesn't field those blisters. It doesn't do much to their reputation or bottom line to put things like that on Direct Only and put Falcons, Guardians, and Spase Marien Tactical Squads(Hurr!) other Eldar units on the shelf where they're more likely to be bought on a whim to expand an army.

Yeah I totally think thats acceptabe for their own stores, I have no issue with it, but why then make it so other stores can't stock it.

Especially online stores who can potentially stock anything, the only reason in my view is to take another swipe at GW's biggest bugbear, which is online discounters.

Even though the sales do nothing to harm GW, they just make a bit more money by forcing us to go direct.

My main gripe is for many of the items I listed, plus many others I haven't, people like Maelstrom did stock them, some of them very reccently.

GW has basically taken certain items back off Independent sale so they can make us spend more at GW.

So as I stated in my original post, and I'll now ask my fellow Dakkites. Does anyone else worry that (much like the dreams of some Gaming companies) GW will slowly but surely move more and more of their lines from independent Online sales, so they can keep all the extra profit for themselves.

What happens if two/three years down the line 50-60% of their lines are only available from GW stores or the GW Online store?

Yeah I totally think thats acceptabe for their own stores, I have no issue with it, but why then make it so other stores can't stock it.

For my stores, I have access to everything on the GW website, including a lot of the things that say "direct only". It ships through a different part of GW, and instead of coming with my big orders, the direct items ship out separately. I pay no shipping either way. I can place special orders for items, or if I want to keep them instock in my store, I can just order them in.

Nothing new really, been like this for 2-3 years at the very least.

I don't really care for the way that some stuff is never released to the shops, it's only ever offered direct-only. This applies to several models which have never received a general release. It certainly is a ploy because they create artificial exclusivity forcing people to shop at their online store. To some extent seems yet another way to screw the independent traders, on one hand the rely on the independent store to stock their stuff where they don't have a GW of their own, but they simultaneously hold some stuff back to ensure customer come to GW first. So much for supporting the independents or indeed "the hobby".

But individual figures is one thing, the worst is deliberately holding back essential parts for a model. Like the deathroller from the Ork battlewagon. Everyone is going to want one so why not put it in the box? Nah, not when they can put it on their webstore forcing you to buy from them direct and sticking an extra £8 on top of the original kit.

Or how about the Planetary Empires box where they actually show the Hive City tile on the front. You could be forgiven for thinking on first inspection that it comes in the box then, yet if you examine the contents on the back you find out that it's not in the box. It's actually a Direct-Only item costing another £5.

@ Mikhalia - Hmm interesting, I wonder if thats easier for US stores though as the Independents seem to rule the roost.

The three main UK discounters in the UK either don't stock the items I've noted, or in Wayland's case, stocks them, but they actually cost more to get them from Wayland than GW direct.

Which I must admit I find equally odd.



@Howard - yeah, I should note I'm talking about Blisters/Boxes that have physically been available in independents previously, not stuff like collectors editions etc which have always been GW only.

I also agree with what you said.

Howard A Treesong wrote:I don't really care for the way that some stuff is never released to the shops, it's only ever offered direct-only. This applies to several models which have never received a general release. It certainly is a ploy because they create artificial exclusivity forcing people to shop at their online store. To some extent seems yet another way to screw the independent traders, on one hand the rely on the independent store to stock their stuff where they don't have a GW of their own, but they simultaneously hold some stuff back to ensure customer come to GW first. So much for supporting the independents or indeed "the hobby".

But individual figures is one thing, the worst is deliberately holding back essential parts for a model. Like the deathroller from the Ork battlewagon. Everyone is going to want one so why not put it in the box? Nah, not when they can put it on their webstore forcing you to buy from them direct and sticking an extra £8 on top of the original kit.

Or how about the Planetary Empires box where they actually show the Hive City tile on the front. You could be forgiven for thinking on first inspection that it comes in the box then, yet if you examine the contents on the back you find out that it's not in the box. It's actually a Direct-Only item costing another £5.

Your first paragraph is rendered moot by mikhalia's post and my own experiences getting my FLGS to special order "Direct Only". Its not a problem for B+M shops to order this direct only stuff. Its just a different process, but still possible and can still get it at a discount.

I agree with your last 2 paragraphs though. Valid points.

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Yeah I totally think thats acceptabe for their own stores, I have no issue with it, but why then make it so other stores can't stock it.

Especially online stores who can potentially stock anything, the only reason in my view is to take another swipe at GW's biggest bugbear, which is online discounters.

Even though the sales do nothing to harm GW, they just make a bit more money by forcing us to go direct.

My main gripe is for many of the items I listed, plus many others I haven't, people like Maelstrom did stock them, some of them very reccently.

GW has basically taken certain items back off Independent sale so they can make us spend more at GW

I don't think it is some strategy on GW's part, after all, most bread a and butter lines (therefore lucrative) should be freely available at discounter retailers.

I would think that direct only items, which were latterly on open sale, were taking up retail shelf space which could be used by other, more lucrative products.

Sure, they are nice, but they are not 'must haves' or more importantly what GW sees as a must have. And in their distribution model I would assume that GW think that It makes sense to classify a mini as direct only and not have to deal with 'and or' exceptions to that rule.

IMO this would fit with what I assume GW thinking is.

Edit:
Just re-read Mikhailas post.

Thats equally possible I admit.

However these models still come in a box or blister, are still available in the US to independents as noted by Mikhalia.

I can't fathom how GW can't just send them on the independents in the UK. Maelstrom orders a lot of things in for orders anyways.

It's just bizarre in my mind, that I can get a Bloodthirster and Lord of Change from Maelstrom, but not a Great Unclean One or a Keeper of Secrets.

All four come in a sealed box, it makes no odds to (or at least shouldn't) GW if I get it from them or another authorized stockest of GW products. Just for some reason Maelstrom can't have two of them?
To me that doesn't make any sense, they had them a few months ago.

Which is why although I loathe 'conspiracy type' things regarding big buisness, I am wondering what is GW up to.

well, to be honest, can you really blame GW for trying to make the most bucks from their products.....by the way, making the most bucks doesn't just mean selling to a retailer or etailer, but getting you the punter to get jiggy with their online store in particular.

My guess, is that GW would probably make more monies in the long run if they were the exclusive sales point for their products......

No I don't really blame them if it is.

Like some loyal dog I will still buy from them as well, even if they decided that their new UK game plan was GW Stores and their online Store only.

But dang it... I can rant on the internets about it!

Is this idea that GW hold these items back from online retailers fact or just something you have assumed? What's to say the likes of Maelstrom don't stock these models by choice rather than GW don't let them.

whatwhat wrote:Is this idea that GW hold these items back from online retailers fact or just something you have assumed? What's to say the likes of Maelstrom don't stock these models by choice rather than GW don't let them.

GW has a direct-only mail order list, which alot of game-stores (My FLGS at least), cannot order stock from and you have to order from them directly.

It's also not necessarily blisters that aren't often used, because the Space Wolf Rune Priest is on there, as is the Sanguinor, Sanguinary priest and others. If they don't sell more often than some of the blisters in my local store, I'd be very surprised.

---

OP, yes, it's likely a ploy to move business back from the discount wargaming retailers to them as much as possible. Sites like Wayland Games pay less than the consumer, and then sell it for less than Games Workshop, causing those who don't care so much about supporting their LGS to buy from them instead of GW, so moving models back to GW-only is a good way around this. Annoying as hell, but smart.

Howard A Treesong wrote:Or how about the Planetary Empires box where they actually show the Hive City tile on the front. You could be forgiven for thinking on first inspection that it comes in the box then, yet if you examine the contents on the back you find out that it's not in the box. It's actually a Direct-Only item costing another £5.

I'm surprised that doesn't run afoul of the UK's false advertising laws. I thought you guys were even stricter then the US on that sort of thing.

Well it's part of the reason I went back to Sphess Marinez. I know that GW will maintain, stock and sell them. I don't know that about more obscure units and armies.

It's quite sick that one tile costs £5 as well.

To be fair, you do get two hive cities for £5 (still expensive)

This:

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Even though the sales do nothing to harm GW, they just make a bit more money by forcing us to go direct.

My main gripe is for many of the items I listed, plus many others I haven't, people like Maelstrom did stock them, some of them very reccently.

GW has basically taken certain items back off Independent sale so they can make us spend more at GW.

And this:

Howard A Treesong wrote:To some extent seems yet another way to screw the independent traders, on one hand the rely on the independent store to stock their stuff where they don't have a GW of their own, but they simultaneously hold some stuff back to ensure customer come to GW first. So much for supporting the independents or indeed "the hobby"

Sure, there's a lot of stuff that probably doesn't make a lot of sense to have in stock at all times, but then again, not every store that sells Warhammer is 4x6 metres as my local GW. It's not exactly news that GW likes to cut out the middle man. They open stores in areas which already have an established gaming community through an independant store and this is just another part in the same process.

Direct only orders can be made through local gaming stores, but they dont get discount for them, so most dont bother, though some will order them as long as its part of a larger order.

The other annoyance is blister packs that are available with the standard reseller discount. Gaming stores are forced to buy 2 of them at the same time (they come packaged end-on-end wrapped in a sleeve) so if someone comes wanting 1 of a blister, the store is forced to buy 2 and hope like hell that someone else wants 1 more of the blister at some point in the future

Its a ploy to drive non GW stores under while supporting themsleves whole hog and denying you all a place to play.

fire4effekt wrote:Its a ploy to drive non GW stores under while supporting themsleves whole hog and denying you all a place to play.

Except for the fact that non-GW stores can order Direct Only items.

Kanluwen wrote:

fire4effekt wrote:Its a ploy to drive non GW stores under while supporting themsleves whole hog and denying you all a place to play.

Except for the fact that non-GW stores can order Direct Only items.

Do they get the store discount or do they have to order them 'at cost'? It's not clear from this thread, and if that is the case then the independents while being allowed to "stock" it are not in a position to make money off it without charging above RRP.

the GW direct models are held in stock at mailorder (be it Nottingham in the UK, Mephis in the US etc.) and can be ordered at the in store order point- or I believe ordered by indy retailers in a similar fashion (and its free shipping to GW stores- not sure on indy retailers- someone else might be able to jump in on that)

As for stocking them in store- its straight up an economics issue- giving an example I know of having seen someone ordering one today- and someone mentioned it before- The harlie Shadowseer- in my local GW they haven't had any of them in since the place opened which is just under a year- so lets assume they send each store just 2 blister packs (as they come in packs of 2) and one gets bought each year- thats stock sat on shelves (or pegs) for a year that they have to pay tax on- in one or two stores thats not too bad- but when you consider how may stores they have (130+ in the UK?) that adds up quickly-
The stores themselves now stock the fastest selling items- hence why you find your goblins and zombies and guardsmen- but don't find your sly marbos, black coaches and that huge orc warboss on flying thing (the £50 direct only one- which would probably make them backrupt if they sent one to every store!)

So the easiest way for them to do it is to keep a small number of them in stock at HQ and ship them out to where they are needed.
As for indy retailers- I can only assume it works in a similar way- if my local indy retailer wanted to stock 2 sly marbos, I'm sure he could order them, but probably won't because both guard players who frequent that place already have their own ones!

Howard A Treesong wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:

fire4effekt wrote:Its a ploy to drive non GW stores under while supporting themsleves whole hog and denying you all a place to play.

Except for the fact that non-GW stores can order Direct Only items.

Do they get the store discount or do they have to order them 'at cost'? It's not clear from this thread, and if that is the case then the independents while being allowed to "stock" it are not in a position to make money off it without charging above RRP.

Read Mikhaila's post.

But from everything I've seen: They don't "stock" them regularly, but they can special order them for people. They'll ship independently of the store's primary order.

Kanluwen wrote:Except for the fact that non-GW stores can order Direct Only items.

Yes, but only by buying the items themselves at standard price and then selling them on again (essentially 2nd hand, despite never having been opened) at a slightly higher price to cover their own costs. It's no different to me buying a Direct Only item and then selling it to you. It's not a store 'stocking' the item by any means.


What it boils down to is the typical method where GW takes one extra unnecessary step that takes a good idea and ruins it (just like their current 'Bitz' service). Now shelf space is a commodity, especially in smaller GW retail outlets. That's a given, and we all accept that. You cannot stock everything, and as all the lines expand and they add newer and newer items to the range they need to free up space. We've seen that with thinner/more efficient box packaging, even the orientation of the boxes to give more horizontal space on shelves. Having more boxed plastic items and less blisters is another part of that strategy, and so is having multiple items as 'Direct Only' - it's all there to ensure that their stores sell almost the full range, but keep low selling items (usually blisters) from sitting on store shelves and hangers for months (or years) on end.

But then we add the GW spin to it, where non-GW retailers cannot order Direct Only items (outside of buying normally them like a regular customer). It's that one step further that simply isn't necessary. Direct Only items are a good idea (just as a more realistic bits service and Wave releases were a good idea), but as usual, it doesn't work, so we have GW-only items that you can only buy from GW (some might call that anti-competitive and monopolistic).

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Except for the fact that non-GW stores can order Direct Only items.

Yes, but only by buying the items themselves at standard price and then selling them on again (essentially 2nd hand, despite never having been opened) at a slightly higher price to cover their own costs. It's no different to me buying a Direct Only item and then selling it to you. It's not a store 'stocking' the item by any means.


What it boils down to is the typical method where GW takes one extra unnecessary step that takes a good idea and ruins it (just like their current 'Bitz' service). Now shelf space is a commodity, especially in smaller GW retail outlets. That's a given, and we all accept that. You cannot stock everything, and as all the lines expand and they add newer and newer items to the range they need to free up space. We've seen that with thinner/more efficient box packaging, even the orientation of the boxes to give more horizontal space on shelves. Having more boxed plastic items and less blisters is another part of that strategy, and so is having multiple items as 'Direct Only' - it's all there to ensure that their stores sell almost the full range, but keep low selling items (usually blisters) from sitting on store shelves and hangers for months (or years) on end.

But then we add the GW spin to it, where non-GW retailers cannot order Direct Only items (outside of buying normally them like a regular customer). It's that one step further that simply isn't necessary. Direct Only items are a good idea (just as a more realistic bits service and Wave releases were a good idea), but as usual, it doesn't work, so we have GW-only items that you can only buy from GW (some might call that anti-competitive and monopolistic).

Italics added by me to highlight a couple of wrong assumptions. Stores with GW accounts can put in an order for Direct Only items, and buy them at wholesale. GW ships them to us free of charge, in separate orders, even if it's only one blister. I think it's linked to the partnership/stockist program, but frankly, I've been doing it for so many years that I don't remember the details at this point.

Customer says "Mike, can you get me Specialmodel XXX", and I just email my rep and say "Hey, Mark, I need SpecialorderXXX". Couple of days later it shows up. So very little hassle to give me access to a lot of models.

I knew I just needed to summon the Mystical Mikhaila for a more detailed insight!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Except for the fact that non-GW stores can order Direct Only items.

Yes, but only by buying the items themselves at standard price and then selling them on again (essentially 2nd hand, despite never having been opened) at a slightly higher price to cover their own costs. It's no different to me buying a Direct Only item and then selling it to you. It's not a store 'stocking' the item by any means.

I didn't actually say they "stock" the item though, HB. I just said that they can order it for you.

There is no independent retailers discount on direct only items.


Its a ploy, a not so secret one.