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**I did a search and found no other threads, and should this be posted in the wrong place please move it

Kansas City Missouri (misery?) will be getting a Games Workshop store, set to open Saturday May 26. We already have some great independent stores in the area, but having never been to a "true" GW, I'm relatively excited to see what it's all about. I'm sure opening day will see plenty of swag give-away's and what-not.....

Yeah, I heard this rumor a bit ago--good to see it come to pass (Being from St. Joseph is a plus!). What part of KC?

It is at Blue Ridge Crossing off of I-70, in the area where Blue Ridge Mall once was I believe...

I saw the news on GW's web site and admit that I'm very interested to see how well this works out. KC has two great independent stores and one good one so I am not sure why the community even needs a GW store.

It will bring the GW monthly events in play which could be a plus. It can also fill a void when the indies don't stock some of GW's items (like all of the Finecast models).

Does the GW store stock anything that the indies cannot?

I will say that the local GW in Mannheim Germany is worth my time even with four indie stores around. The manager is cool and I can always find what I need without too much fuss (except for the occasional overexhuberant red shirt).

Hoping that I can get back to KC in a few years to see how this all plays out and maybe do a 40K seance to awaken Ryan's 40K spirit.

I have a Necron army waiting to rain gauss death on you Chimeras JB~! I hope you move back soon--good gaming with you.


This will be a perfect test case for me to see how GW stores truly affect independent retailers. I've always read online that it kills stores--and this will be good to hear first hand from Joe how it's affected things.

I'm hoping that Joe at 31st Century and the good folks at Tabletop weather this change quite well. They stock and support a wide variety of games and miniature lines.

I expect The Basement to take the brunt of the damage since they don't stock much other than WHFB and 40K. It's also the newest store and likely the one with the weakest bank book.

Gauss? Sounds like it is time to bring back the footsloggin' horde.

I was suprised that they had put one back in St. Louis. I was kinda hoping we had run them out of town for good when they closed the original store

A couple of years ago Phil, the owner of Tabletop, told me that he would welcome a GW store in the city. He felt that it would help bring more people into the hobby. People that would then outgrow the GW store and move up to Tabletop or 31st.

Arschbombe wrote:A couple of years ago Phil, the owner of Tabletop, told me that he would welcome a GW store in the city. He felt that it would help bring more people into the hobby. People that would then outgrow the GW store and move up to Tabletop or 31st.

Well Phil is one of my heroes (ever since he tossed in a free Inquisitor Coteaz when I bought a bunch of figure cases from him) so I hope he benefits greatly from the new GW.

I have been going to Tabletop for 12 years now and while I am excited for the new store most of my business will still be going towards TT.

I'd say all of it should still go to TT unless you urgently need a character model that TT would have to order for you. TT is already a better store than any GW can ever be because it stocks such a wide variety of hobby products and has a large gaming space. GW stores are all small, cramped and geared for the hard sell. I never had Phil or Virginia try to sell me anything.

While I'm glad to see KC will be getting a local GW for those ATO items I don't want to pay shipping for ($9.00 shipping for two transfer sheets, or wait the 3 weeks til the local store opens...gee, wonder which I'll do), I don't think they chose the best area for it. There was a reason that the mall in that spot declined and was demolished, and the housing in that area doesn't suggest the type of people with the disposable income to pay GW retail prices. I don't think this will effect the two supportive local stores at all (Tabletop and 31st) due to it's location, it may impact the stores on the Missouri side that have trouble moving GW product already.

One thing I was happy to see when I peeked in the window after finding the location was that the tables appeared to be standard game size and not the 4x4 that I saw in both the St Louis GW when it was still open, and the ones I've visited in Texas. So maybe those monthly events won't be so bad after all.

Not to jack the thread, but apparently there is one coming Tucson, AZ also.

I was checking out jobs listed on the GW site, and they are looking for someone to run the store in Tucson.

There is no store in Tucson.

Yet?

Hopefully it will draw more players into our area, but all my business will be with Joe.

Wonder if the Tucson store will set up in ElCon?

Complementary Tenants: In locations, we look for Activity Generators such as movie theatres, coffee shops, and restaurants, as well as big box retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart.

I wouldn't, but they will have both a Wal-Mart and a Target, and I bet the owners are beyond desperate for any retailer to set up shop by now..

JB wrote:I
I expect The Basement to take the brunt of the damage since they don't stock much other than WHFB and 40K. It's also the newest store and likely the one with the weakest bank book.

I agree. I live on the Missouri side 10 minutes from The Basement, and unless i just need paint or something i usually make the 40 minute drive to tabletop because its that much better. I am pretty stoked for this GW store though. Now i can finally use my GW gift card that I've had for years.

Maelstrom808 wrote:I was suprised that they had put one back in St. Louis. I was kinda hoping we had run them out of town for good when they closed the original store

They did? Hasn't hurt business to much on the Illinois side of the river as far as I can tell. I haven't even so much as heard a word on it.

31st is where I'll be. Not travelling downtown, sorry.

KcK wrote: I'm sure opening day will see plenty of swag give-away's and what-not.....

You really haven't been to a GW store, have you?

GW doesn't "give away" anything. They allow you to purchase the swag.

The GW store will be great to expand the number of events in the region, and for that I'm glad. But Phil and Joe still get my money when I'm in town, sorry. Tabletop was the first place I played at back when they were on Quivera, and I've played at every store since. (Well, the one and a half moves since. One was the big move out to 105/Metcalf, and the other was just moving to another spot in the same mall. )

Joe's spot at 31st Century is the site of my first Mega Battle and the location of many fun tournaments since. Though he has a really WEIRD predaliction for small points tournaments (850 fantasy? Really bud?) his store is packed with great terrain and good guys to shoot the breeze with.

I look forward to (hopefully) sanctioned GW tournaments (if they ever do such things again at GW stores) and other major events, but nope. No money from me, sorry.

I agree with most. I like Tabletop and I trust Phil. The GW store will see my business for the last minute paint buys and the odd blister figure that TT does carry as much of. I will pop and see what its all about......

I don't see that many events because the store was very small and had only 3 tables.

I happened to shop at Table Top when I was in KC for work for about a month and I think Phil will likely make money off a GW store moving in.

Why? He has the right mentality for a Independant Store owner. Firstly because he carries a large range of stuff but also because he understands what a GW store normally does. It's designed to recruit and grow gamers that then move out to other stores. That's been GW's way of doing business in non-bunker stores for over a decade in the US. And stores that embrace it have sales that generally increase. Ask Mikhaila if he'd have a problem with a GW store near by or has had problems in the past. The only stores I've seen have trouble are ones that don't embrace the relationship.

Another issue of GW not doing research before planting a store.

Isn't this the same location that the 60yr old church leader was shot and killed while jogging as part of a gang initiation?

Does GW not realize all the money is in JoCo? Phil and Joe do.

Uriels_Flame wrote:Another issue of GW not doing research before planting a store.

Isn't this the same location that the 60yr old church leader was shot and killed while jogging as part of a gang initiation?

Does GW not realize all the money is in JoCo? Phil and Joe do.

There is money in Jackson County as well, just not that part of Jackson County. Frankly, it will be the best GW supplier on the Missouri side and a central spot to all of KC MO suburbs.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?aId=19800008a

Well, according to that, SWAG will include a poster, button, patch, etc.....that said I'm not holding my breath in anticipation of any real freebies...

I'm glad this thread has garnered so much discussion from Kansas City folks. I agree that the location is a real head-scratcher. Ultimately though I don't see it hurting our super-awesome FLGS 's too much, if anything it might help them just by introducing more folks to the game(s), then the recent converts discover the indie shops that have awesome service and atmosphere and choose to patronize the more local options. Hopefully, anyway!

I'm just geeky enough to plan on being there opening day, I mean who really wants to go to the lake on Memorial Day Weekend anyway?

KcK wrote:http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?aId=19800008a

Well, according to that, SWAG will include a poster, button, patch, etc.....that said I'm not holding my breath in anticipation of any real freebies...

I'm glad this thread has garnered so much discussion from Kansas City folks. I agree that the location is a real head-scratcher. Ultimately though I don't see it hurting our super-awesome FLGS 's too much, if anything it might help them just by introducing more folks to the game(s), then the recent converts discover the indie shops that have awesome service and atmosphere and choose to patronize the more local options. Hopefully, anyway!

I'm just geeky enough to plan on being there opening day, I mean who really wants to go to the lake on Memorial Day Weekend anyway?

If the grand opening is anything like the one in St. Louis, anticipate a large crowd waiting outside and the store having a grand total of ten or so posters and patches to give away.

I agree that all the money is in JoCo and north of the River so GW where it is at is not going to hurt their business. Plus did GW do any research in the location other than look at a map? "OOOOOH, its next to 435 and a 70 and within spitting distance of to major sport stadiums. It looks like a great location so why is the rent so cheap?" Good job GW, how long before the store is robbed or thier people have held up at gun point for their armies before they relize that they sunk money into a horrible location. The store is in a crappy part of KCMO with a population with no money. They will see a bunch of nerds and geeks ripe for the picking. For one, I will not go to that part of KC Metro area unless I am driving to Independence Center or Bass Pro and that is only if I am desperate. I don't even get off the highway even if my car broke down. I used to be in law enforcement in the KCMO area and that place is crime ridden.

You will see that store move after awhile because they will be robbed, or broken into constantly and their customers assaulted. Don't believe me look at the KCMO crime reports for the area. It's not the deadliest zip code but it is damn near close to it.

They should have located the store off of Barry Road & I-29, 64th Street & I-29 or even in Parkville would have safer and nearer the customer base that has money.

So, all my local GW needs will be filled by Tabletop or 31st.

djones520 wrote:

Maelstrom808 wrote:I was suprised that they had put one back in St. Louis. I was kinda hoping we had run them out of town for good when they closed the original store

They did? Hasn't hurt business to much on the Illinois side of the river as far as I can tell. I haven't even so much as heard a word on it.

Yeah, it's in Chesterfield, off of Clarkson (being on the complete opposite side of the metro area is probablly why it hasn't touched the east side much). It's actually a pretty good spot for a a store. High traffic area, upper middle class neighborhoods, and fairly far away from any decent independants.

tdwg83 wrote:I agree with most. I like Tabletop and I trust Phil. The GW store will see my business for the last minute paint buys and the odd blister figure that TT does carry as much of. I will pop and see what its all about......

Good point