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The GW store in the metrotown mall will be closing tomorrow, the 24th of January. They simply cannot afford the rent anymore but insist on re-opening within two to three months. They *claim* to be one of the top three stores, retail wise, on the west coast and that this will warrant a battle bunker type store when they choose their new location. They had between 30-60 players in the area, with about 15-20 coming on a Saturday/Sunday for 40k/fantasy respectively.

Hoorah, battle bunker? First on the west half of Canada?

**This felt like news, but perhaps it belonged in 40k discussion...

Well, SUPPOSEDLY the top one on the west coast is the Seattle Bunker. Next time I go to Canada, might stop by. That is, if you have a store then.

Surrey closed , Richmond closed , now Metrotown.

Every GW store near a major shopping center and sky train system is closing.

What i have heard is Metrotown GW is been bought out by large clothing company that planned on taking over that whole part of the mall.... though the manager promised giving us a new store with 4 times the playing area.

The (supposed) top selling store in Australia recently had to move to a new (pathetic) location 'cause it couldn't afford the rents.

It can't be good when the stores that routinely perform over target are still having to move.

I noticed something similar to this in my old hometown of Winnipeg. The GW went into a major mall and after a few years the lease was up and they moved a short distance away to a much larger location with lower rent just outside the mall. The manager of the store explained that the idea was to generate interest with the high foot traffic in the big mall for the first few years and then relocate close by to a location that better suited the size needs of the store.

It made sense because when the store was in the mall there was barely room for 2 or 3 tables to do demos and at the new location there was around 6 or 7 full size tables to play on and do demos.

Hopefully it's something similar in your area.

Well i do hope they get a new location by the summer... i was planning on being out that way around that time!

I hope you do get a bigger, better store, but don't hold your breath. The same things were said when they closed my local store last year, and nothing's come of it.

As for getting a Bunker store, they seem to think any store not in a mall deserves to be called a Bunker. The "Bunker" they opened before they closed my local has a whopping 2 tables!

When im in Vancouver, i always head to Imperial Hobbies. Way better than a Gw shop.

Sorry to hear that. I always hate to see a hobby store of any type close. We lost our Battle Bunker/HQ last year and are losing another area GW store next month.

Wow, I was going to head up there tonight on the way home....bad news indeed :(

What no no no not another one.
now i have to go to the F****** one in park royal, witch i cry as Bull... you get the point im not happy.
Richmond Surry Metro I bet you theres going to be a closer in park royal. dam man just dam i mean at least i still have my flgs

I did bring this up about 2 years ago that GW will be getting out of "most" major malls or big malls. GW does not want to be in malls anymore. I was told I am crazy.

I just find it funny how all these stores in the "malls" now are gone.

Pretty sad, but I have no idea why GW does this. I know someone said something about " people will go to the ends of the earth to find a GW store." I guess GW is full of themselves, I don't see how they will get fresh blood this way.

On the bright side: I'm resurrecting 40k nights at the Cambie Connection Games and Hobbies. George, a local painter (you should use his painting service!), has been nice enough to paint up a ton of delicious terrain and put together, with his friend, a few new tables.

In addition to open gaming, I'll be putting on a Armageddon-esque narrative campaign in the coming weeks...

Also, you're in Vancouver, Luna?

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I live like a block from that store! Now I cant just walk across the street and play!!!!

Pm sent to Slackermagee

At least the Park Royal one is a 20min walk from home which is handy, but if that goes too I'm a bit stuck - guess I'll have to spend over an hour getting to Imperial Hobbies

NO! That's my Games Workshop! I just noticed they closed the Surrey one too. Didn't know about the Richmond one. What the hell is going on with Games Workshop in BC? Business can't be that bad can it?
Meanwhile there's a store on Main and 24th called "Strategies". I recommend that if you need to get something Warhammer related.

I've been using the Connections on Renfew lately but it gets a bit crowded sometimes. Staff are friendly, and they did have some nice old box sets until I bought them!

Strategies on Main Street is a great place to go.
Staff are nice, and 2 Gaming Tables. They run alot of events and have open boards certain days of the week.

Slackermagee wrote:On the bright side: I'm resurrecting 40k nights at the Cambie Connection Games and Hobbies. George, a local painter (you should use his painting service!), has been nice enough to paint up a ton of delicious terrain and put together, with his friend, a few new tables.

In addition to open gaming, I'll be putting on a Armageddon-esque narrative campaign in the coming weeks...

Also, you're in Vancouver, Luna?

Burnaby , so the one in Metrotown. But i also liked the one in Richmond ( before it closed ) way better staff.

Confirmed, I have just walked past thier MetroTown location and it is boarded up.

Doubly gutted as I'm looking to move to Burnaby for work - maybe now I'm better off staying on the North Shore!

LavuranGuard wrote:Doubly gutted as I'm looking to move to Burnaby for work - maybe now I'm better off staying on the North Shore!

Nooooooo... come visit us at The Connections on Cambie!

Slackermagee wrote:

LavuranGuard wrote:Doubly gutted as I'm looking to move to Burnaby for work - maybe now I'm better off staying on the North Shore!

Nooooooo... come visit us at The Connections on Cambie!

Address?

Can't find it right now (wee bit too much drinking) but its under the skytrain rails just one block north of the Marine Drive, Canada Line station.

Connection Games is on the North East corner of Cambie and Marine Drive. Just get off "The Canada Line" at Marine station and walk up to the store. its at the North end of the building.
Or Map quest it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Any guess as to where GW will relocate thier MetroTown Battle Bunker??

They moved for a new store, not because they cant afford the old one, its been there for 15 years, and nothing went too wrong in that time.

Try living on north Vancouver Island. Nearest one is 2.5 hours away, and there's no way I'm driving the mountains in the dark.

Last time I did I counted 22 deer and elk.

GW keeps talking about how opening new stores is the cornerstone of their business, and then they keep closing them (and where is the Portland, OR store GW?!)

So according to google the only GW left in the lower mainland is in the North Shore. So of the 4 stores GW decides to keep the absolute remotest one with the smallest surrounding population. That's effing brilliant Games Workshop!
I'm sure they'll close that one too, completing their phased withdrawl from BC. In 10,000 years nothing has ever made the Space Marines retreat as badly as the somewhat damp rainforests of British Columbia!

"The rain y'know it just gets me down sometimes"
-Marneus Calgar

As a friend of the staff members there I believe there will be a new store opening.