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Posted By Sarigar on 03/23/2007 3:34 AM

-Where do  you do business from?

Showcase Comics, two shops in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Posted By Nuwisha on 03/22/2007 11:22 PM
It might be different for your mikhaila, but my LGS owner has had never had much good to say about doing business with GW.

Course he isn't usually that positive in the first place...

This is an old, old question that always comes up.  The answer is that it’s virtually impossible to sort out exactly how much of a given store’s problems with GW are their fault or GW’s fault, unless you’re the guy running the store. 

 

A lot of people who run hobby stores are not retail professionals by a long shot; many of them have poor organization and cashflow, and if they fail to put in orders in a timely fashion, or to accurately gauge the demand for an item, their customers lose out.  In some cases it’s easier for them to blame GW than to personally apologize to the guy at their store whose order they mishandled.  I’ve known several store owners (one or two in person, others online like Mikhaila) who were well-organized and who understood the retail business, and who report good working relationships with GW.

 

On the other hand, there are certainly some corroborated and credible stories out there about GW sales reps who were unprofessional and/or incompetent and handled indy store accounts badly.  I’ve known a couple of other people who ran stores and did know what they were doing, who were mishandled by GW sales badly enough to stop dealing with them directly.  They either dropped the product line or started purchasing from a distributor despite the reduced profit margin. 

 

It’s really a mixed bag.  Enough so to make me take the horror stories I come across online with a healthy dose of skepticism, and to be pretty dismissive of the more conspiracy-sounding rants.

Posted By Iorek on 03/22/2007 8:56 PM
 It's nice to see some intelligent, even-handed commentary amongst all the shennanery going on lately.

Is "shennanery" even a real word?

I call shennananinninannins on you Iorek.

Posted By beefHeart on 03/22/2007 6:07 AM
I'm sorry, not understanding day 2 of micro-economics 101 makes them idiots in my book.

The economics here is surprisingly simple.  GW's verticle integration, as was mentioned by another poster, is the key element, here.

Let's say that there are two shops in Everytown.  One shop is mine and I sell my widgets at 100 bucks.  The other shop, Battletruck, sells my boxes for 80 bucks.

You have the choice of going to either store, each is equally convienent to get to.  You will go to the cheaper store.  By making my product available at Battletruck, I'm effectively cutting my own profits because I'm selling my boxes there for only 80 bucks instead of 100.  If Battletruck closes down, you will either buy at my store or not buy any at all.

Take this to the internet.  It truly is just as easy to log onto GW's website to order boxes and bits as it is any other site.  If you buy from GW, all of the profit for that sale goes to GW.  If you buy from one of GW's independant retailers on the internet, they have to share their profit with that retailer.  In a Brick and Mortar setting, that is a worthwhile compromise because it allows GW to sell product in areas where they don't have a store.  But on the internet, it is not a worthwhile compromise because GW's store reaches every customer that an independant retailer's website can reach.

BwB provides a service that GW's website provides.  Though BwB is selling GW's product, GW's profits are still being reduced because GW is only getting wholesale profit from BwB when they can get retail profit from their own website.  Allowing BwB to sell GW's product on their website is counterproductive to their own service.

Posted By redstripe on 03/23/2007 9:28 AM

Take this to the internet.  It truly is just as easy to log onto GW's website to order boxes and bits as it is any other site.  If you buy from GW, all of the profit for that sale goes to GW.  If you buy from one of GW's independant retailers on the internet, they have to share their profit with that retailer.  In a Brick and Mortar setting, that is a worthwhile compromise because it allows GW to sell product in areas where they don't have a store.  But on the internet, it is not a worthwhile compromise because GW's store reaches every customer that an independant retailer's website can reach.

That's a pretty well written distillation of the situation.  GW wants you to buy stuff from them, in the following order:
1) From their stores, so they can up-sell you
2) from their website, so they get full profits
3) From a FLGS in an area where there is no GW store, so the buyer gets hobby support at no cost to GW.
4) Mail order from a third party: where GW makes less money, the hobby isn't supported, etc.

As customers, we generally buy from places based on the following factors:
1) where it's cheapest
2) where we can play comfortably
3) Where it's convenient and we can get it quickly (if not immediatly)

The simple problem is that there is very little reason to buy most things from GW mail order.  At least at a store you get it that day, but if you're ordering, you might as well get a discount.  This is why GW is trying to stifle internet sales.  Note, they can't ban them outright (until they alter all contracts with their retailers), but they can hinder them.

The frightening thought is that GW might actually know what they're doing here.  They want to support FLGS's (a little, especailly in areas with no GW presence), but kill off mail order or internet orders.

Tabletop games also require a community to truly flourish. By supporting the FLGS they are also trying to support a gaming community that by it's very nature will grow more than people just playing at home. Without those stores a lot of miniature games wouldn't be near what they are now. By supporting FLGS stores they support themselves and create free advertising. Not exactly a bad thing.

Posted By Polonius on 03/23/2007 10:06 AM
As customers, we generally buy from places based on the following factors:
1) where it's cheapest
2) where we can play comfortably
3) Where it's convenient and we can get it quickly (if not immediatly)

None of those factors is my highest priority as a hobbiest.  Buying from a locally-owned store is my highest priority.  Contributing toward the economic health of my community is important, as is supporting the hobby locally. 

Well, it depends. Killing off mail/internet orders would, in effect, be like an across the board price hike for those consumers who purchase from mail order/online discounters. Now I'm no big-city businessman but it seems to me that if you've just watched your unit sales plummet for the umpteenth straight year, the last thing you would want to do is cut off avenues of distribution. Furthermore, if your falling unit sales are, as many believe, the result of pricing yourself out of the market, then shutting down those avenues of distribution used by the most price-sensitive customers would be pure idiocy. So that's what they're probably trying to do.

Posted By Abadabadoobaddon on 03/23/2007 1:27 PM

The frightening thought is that GW might actually know what they're doing here.  They want to support FLGS's (a little, especailly in areas with no GW presence), but kill off mail order or internet orders.

Well, it depends. Killing off mail/internet orders would, in effect, be like an across the board price hike for those consumers who purchase from mail order/online discounters. Now I'm no big-city businessman but it seems to me that if you've just watched your unit sales plummet for the umpteenth straight year, the last thing you would want to do is cut off avenues of distribution. Furthermore, if your falling unit sales are, as many believe, the result of pricing yourself out of the market, then shutting down those avenues of distribution used by the most price-sensitive customers would be pure idiocy. So that's what they're probably trying to do.

As you said, it depends.  Specifically, it depends on where they make their profit, and how much they make.  It also depends on what they are trying to maximize: total sales, or net profits.  The reason their stock is falling, IIRC, is because their sales projections are down, not their net profits.  Sales can drop while profits rise, and vice versa.

Here's a potential way to think about it.  This is purely hypothetical and speculative, but it's a solid possiblitiy:

Let's assume that for every $100 in retail product that is sold (by all retailers, GW makes a 10% profit for manufacturing it (call this $10 manufacturing profit, or MP for later)

Further, let's assume that the average storefront, FLGS and GW, makes a 10% retailer profit, once costs are factored in.  We'll call this $10 the retailer profit, or RP.

Even in this simple model, for every $100 that is sold by a GW store, GW makes $20, while only $10 is made when sold by FLGS.

Things become even more interesting when factoring in Mail Order.  Let's assume a mail order establishment can make a 10% profit even after a 20% discount.  This means that when TheWarStore sells $100 worth of stuff, GW still makes it's 10%.  When the GW Mail Order sells $100, it makes at least $40 ($10 RP, $10 MP, plus the $20 that TWS discounted.)

Lets assume, again hypothetically, that GW drives all internet discounters out of business.  In this hypothetical, let's say that internet discounters sold $1000 worth of retail GW.  This means GW made $100 off of that particular market.  By shifting all mail order to direct only, to make that same $100 profit they would only need to sell $250 worth of retail.  (40% of $250 is still $100)

So assuming GW can retain at least 25% of the market that discounters held, they would still make all the profits, while having far less sales.  It's the joys of vertical integration.

Like I said earlier, this isn't what's happening, or even likely.  It's one possible explanation, using some nice round numbers to show the power of integration.

Your hypothetical discounts are quite a bit smaller than the real ones are, too. We have an Eldar Battleforce that we ordered at 37% discount from a distributor at the store where I work. Factor in whatever discount the distributor gets plus GW's margin added to their costs, and you see that the manufacturing costs are quite small indeed. Being able to sell directly from their website at full retail is VERY lucrative for GW.

PP: exactly! I lowballed the advantage GW has, and it's still staggering. there are a lot of folks saying that GW has a bad business strategy, and I'm just trying to show that they might not. They'er still screwing the veterans, and potentially even driving away new hobbyists, but they might be making a profit.

It's not as simple as GW selling $1,000 of stock from their own site being better than selling the same stock from an indy site and making less profit.

Stocking and transaction costs are higher to GW when they sell from their own site, and reduce the flexibility they can offer. Also, indy sites can offer a variety of "shopping experiences" which will be appreciated by customers. Lastly, stock that GW sells to indies is money in the bank whether the indy can sell it on or not.

BWB's key selling point is you can go there and buy 7 Tau shield generator units, 3 missile pods and the spare metal head from a Commander suit. GW can't offer anything less than a complete sprue.

In the UK there are many more actual GW outlets in easy reach of players, but this does not stop indies from stocking GW nor do GW try to prevent internet sales.

"Lastly, stock that GW sells to indies is money in the bank whether the indy can sell it on or not."

This is NOT how retail works. The brick and mortar store 'hires' ten boxes or Space Marines from GW. Those it sells it pays the balance for the rest they can return. If retailers had to buy all their stock in full before sale they wouldn't be able to be in business very long. Notice how some shops stay in business even with a low turnover of sales, this is because they only pay for a percentage of the stock up front.

There are exceptions, such as perishable goods.

It depends on the type of retail and the relative power of the manufacturer/distributor and the retailer.

GW have a unique product that is supposedly in high demand. They should be in a position to make sales to the retailer final if they want to. I don't know if they do or not. They probably sell on account and accept a certain amount of unsold stock back to redistribute to other areas.

In accounting terms, credit extended to a retailer counts as a balance sheet asset though it is not literal cash.

Posted By Kilkrazy on 03/24/2007 1:40 AM
BWB's key selling point is you can go there and buy 7 Tau shield generator units, 3 missile pods and the spare metal head from a Commander suit. GW can't offer anything less than a complete sprue.

You have placed your digit on the very nub or crux of it.  BattlewagonBits offers a service that Games Workshop does not.

 It's not that they can't- it's that they decided not to.  I am sure GW looked at the idea of hiring some low-cost labor to snip bits off sprues, sort  them into bins, and pick them as individual parts.  (The picking process can even be automated, as long as the correct gubbins always go in the correct bin.)  And I am sure they tought about it for almost five seconds before they said, "Nah, too little return."  Heavens, the stock-shrink from purity seals alone that break (and hence become unsellable) when they are removed from the sprue probably made the accountants go have a lie down.  And rightly so.  Imagine a dishonest employee, in his cargo pants and bulky jacket, smuggling out Defilers by the bit.

I don't think GW is going to shut down BWB because of BWB's business model.  If BWB becomes truly efficient and profitable, GW might offer a partnership or a buyout. 

Posted By Polonius on 03/23/2007 10:42 PM
PP: exactly! I lowballed the advantage GW has, and it's still staggering. there are a lot of folks saying that GW has a bad business strategy, and I'm just trying to show that they might not. They'er still screwing the veterans, and potentially even driving away new hobbyists, but they might be making a profit.

Except their brillant strategy is anything but. You have been looking over their records the last couple years, right? Higher prices, whether selling direct or price hikes seem to be the only thing keeping them in the black.

Becuase they sure arent selling a whole lot, especially in the US.

Posted By carmachu on 03/24/2007 7:50 AM
Except their brillant strategy is anything but. You have been looking over their records the last couple years, right? Higher prices, whether selling direct or price hikes seem to be the only thing keeping them in the black.

Becuase they sure arent selling a whole lot, especially in the US.

That's true, and that's why I keep saying that their sacrificing long term growth (increased sales) for short term gain (keeping profitable).

You said so yourself: higher prices are keeping them in the black, in light of decreased sales. 

Corporations exist for one purpose: to make money for their investors.  GW still pays a dividend, and is still making money for it's investors.  It's decreased sales figures are accounting for it's stock price dropping, which isn't making money for it's investors, but they're not losing money yet either (unless they try to sell their stock).

Would I run a company like this?  No, but i'm not a businessman.  I'm also not trying to say that GW has an uber-awesome business plan that'll make them tons of money.

My sole point is that the relentless "GW has no business sense" rants are at best, misleading, and at worst flat out wrong.

What customers are saying is "me and my four friends have all stopped buying GW at full retail.  Therefore the company is in trouble."  As somebody on Dakka once posted, the plural of anecdote is not data.  And I don't have the data, I actually haven't seen their sales figures, in a while, though I recall them being down.  What's interesting is the continued profitability.

As for decreased sales, all we have is correlation to link reduced sales to higher prices, not causation.  Sure, econ tells us that as price goes up, demand goes down.  What we don't know is how elastic the demand for GW products is.  In other words, if GW goes up in price 20%, do they sell 20% less, 40% less, or only 10% less?  Every hobby has had boom-bust cycles, CB radio, arcade games, home video games, home computers, role playing games, collectible card games, Clix games, etc.  It's possible GW has simply grown to it's maximum size, and is retrenching.  It happens.

Posted By Orlanth on 03/24/2007 3:58 AM
"Lastly, stock that GW sells to indies is money in the bank whether the indy can sell it on or not."

This is NOT how retail works. The brick and mortar store 'hires' ten boxes or Space Marines from GW. Those it sells it pays the balance for the rest they can return. If retailers had to buy all their stock in full before sale they wouldn't be able to be in business very long. Notice how some shops stay in business even with a low turnover of sales, this is because they only pay for a percentage of the stock up front.

There are exceptions, such as perishable goods.

That makes a lot of sense.  A GW store just opened here in Romania.  I was shocked.  Romanians really don't make alot of money, the average person makes less thatn $500/month, but here I was, playing against some kids who had decent sized armies. 

The store itself had all new merchandise and some terrain that was given to them, I got the impression from GW itself.  But knowing what I know about the average Romanian citizen, I was trying to figure out how in the world any Romanian could buy as much stock as was in this store. 

You just answered my question.

-Jmz

No. Just no. No. That is NOT how (most) retail works and certainly not how GW works.

Publishing DOES work that way, book stores can return unsold books to publishers for a refund.

Games and especially GW games do not. If a store has shelves and shelves of unselable LotR stuff or the privious edition of fantasy they are out of luck.

Posted By Kid_Kyoto on 03/24/2007 1:15 PM
Games and especially GW games do not. If a store has shelves and shelves of unselable LotR stuff or the privious edition of fantasy they are out of luck.

Not exactly true. But then, neither was what Orlanth said.

So far as paying in advance goes, stores that have a trade account with GW don't always have to pay up front... It possibly varies in different countries, or for different sized stores, but I know some stores at least have their orders on account, which means they can be paid off over time, rather than before the stock is received.

Additionally, while the stock is theoretically sold to the store on a no-return basis, from my (admittedly brief) experience working in a games store, GW are generally pretty good about cycling old stock. When 4th edition 40K was released, retailers in Oz were given a chance to pack up their 3rd edition rulebooks and starters and send them back for credit, although this had to be done during a particular timeframe.

It's in GW's own best interests to ensure that stores have the recent releases on hand, rather than having all their cash tied up in old inventory that isn't going to sell...

Posted By Polonius on 03/24/2007 10:33 AM

My sole point is that the relentless "GW has no business sense" rants are at best, misleading, and at worst flat out wrong.

What customers are saying is "me and my four friends have all stopped buying GW at full retail.  Therefore the company is in trouble."  As somebody on Dakka once posted, the plural of anecdote is not data.  And I don't have the data, I actually haven't seen their sales figures, in a while, though I recall them being down.  What's interesting is the continued profitability.

As I said before: you dont know what your talking about.

GW is a publicly traded company. Their data gets posted twice a year. EVERY posting except 2004 keeps seeing a decline in unit sales in the US from the point they pretty much banned internet sales. Thats just plane FACT, not the "me and my four friends dont buy GW at full retail, therefore GW is in trouble."

Last posting or two, slaes have slumped in other areas outside GW. They've borrowed  twice to cover stock profits.

There isnt much profitablility at the moment, only increases have covered them.

Posted By Kid_Kyoto on 03/24/2007 1:15 PM

This is NOT how retail works. The brick and mortar store 'hires' ten boxes or Space Marines from GW. Those it sells it pays the balance for the rest they can return. If retailers had to buy all their stock in full before sale they wouldn't be able to be in business very long. Notice how some shops stay in business even with a low turnover of sales, this is because they only pay for a percentage of the stock up front.

No. Just no. No. That is NOT how (most) retail works and certainly not how GW works.

Publishing DOES work that way, book stores can return unsold books to publishers for a refund.

Games and especially GW games do not. If a store has shelves and shelves of unselable LotR stuff or the privious edition of fantasy they are out of luck.

That is totally wrong. I know of 2 hobby stores that were able to pack up unsold LOTR and send it back to GW.

Posted By Orlanth on 03/24/2007 3:58 AM
"Lastly, stock that GW sells to indies is money in the bank whether the indy can sell it on or not."

This is NOT how retail works. The brick and mortar store 'hires' ten boxes or Space Marines from GW. Those it sells it pays the balance for the rest they can return. If retailers had to buy all their stock in full before sale they wouldn't be able to be in business very long. Notice how some shops stay in business even with a low turnover of sales, this is because they only pay for a percentage of the stock up front.

There are exceptions, such as perishable goods.

As others have stated, this is wrong. When an independent store, orders from GW, it's non returnable. (exceptions noted below.) In comic/game/wargame/hobby stores in the US, 99% of what you order is non returnable. There are several ways to pay:

1) COD cash. The box arrives, and you hand the UPS driver a certified check or postal money order for the account. Generally, this is for brand new stores with no credit history, or stores that have never dealt with GW before, or who have bounced checks to GW. You can later apply for better terms.

2) COD Check. Same as above, but you can use a company check. Avoids the bank fees, and gives you a few days of cashflow while the check heads to GW and then to your bank.

3) Terms. Generally GW gives 30 day terms. If you get a shipment for 500.00 in stuff on April 13th, they'd like to have a check at their office by May 13th.

4) Extended terms. Store openings, and big restocks. You order 15,000.00 in GW to start your store. You get several months to pay. Something like 3,750.00 down, and 3,750 each month for 3 months. (Screwing this up and being late with a check is a good way to get put on cash COD, see option #1 above.)

Being able to pay your bills on time is part of being in business. If you can't manage it, GW, (and other distributor), will help you out with this by making you a COD account. Some stores prefer this. While it costs more in fees, and you have worse cashflow, it also means no having to keep track of when the bills are due.

It's up to the retailer to decide what he wants to order on new product. By knowing what you can sell, you limit having too much. It's easier to go lower than higher. You can always put in another order for product, it's harder to get rid of an overstock.

RETURNABILITY: Basically there is little or no returnability in the games industry. Buy too many of a DandD adventure, a new card game, or a wargame figure, and you have to figure out how to get rid of it. There are a few exceptions: Some new product that a manufacturer wants to push are made returnable, so that more stores try out the game. Few and far between, but nice when it happens. GW at times will let retailers return out of print product. I've done it a couple of dozen times over the years. When Epic went away, (twice), we returned all we had left, similar for warmaster, necromunda, mordheim, and bloodbowl. I just shipped back 4000.00 in old product, clearing out blisters that will never sell, 6th edition rulebooks, and models that aren't supported anymore. GW is the only manufacturer that does this, and it's made a huge difference in selling their games over the years.

The simple problem is that there is very little reason to buy most things from GW mail order.  At least at a store you get it that day, but if you're ordering, you might as well get a discount.  This is why GW is trying to stifle internet sales.  Note, they can't ban them outright (until they alter all contracts with their retailers), but they can hinder them.

The frightening thought is that GW might actually know what they're doing here.  They want to support FLGS's (a little, especailly in areas with no GW presence), but kill off mail order or internet orders.

What alot of people don't realize is that in some areas it is very easy to get a business license. So Joe Schmo gets a license, calls up GW, gets an account, buys product, puts it in his spare bedroom, and wham....he has a store. He can sell on the net with little work, no overhead, and steal sales from real BnM stores where people play.

GW does nothing to twist people's arms in buying from them directly by phone or mail order. The purpose of the GW store, and the number one purpose of the redshirt ( besides annoying veterans) is to recruit new people into the hobby.

Of course they want to make money. But without the BnM stores, they will go out of business.

Oh, and another one are a group of guys who get together and make a "store"....and simply use it to order gaming product at discount.

Support your FLGS, dammit.

 

In the US, at least, you can't open an account with GW unless you are a B and M location. Not to say people haven't been creative over the years to bypass that restriction. I know of at least one person that took pictures of several stores, inside and out, to cobble together 'his store'. Eventually though, they tend to get caught and cut off. The interenet has made this much easier for GW, and other distributors. BWB did this for a bit, and was cut off, and now gets it 2nd hand. It's one fo their ongoing problems with GW. But that all might be fixed, depending on what they announce next week.

Looks like GW has done it again.

Sounds like BwB will no longer be able to do online bits sales. Must be mail order or over the phone. Additionally, they have to open a brick and mortar store. Check out the news page at bwbits.com.

Curse you, GW. You take a good idea that works, is easy to use, and make it harder and more difficult.

it is a love hate relationship. Love the game. hate the company. 

I am currently a retailer. BW Bits was a great idea! I was totally jealous I hadnt thought of it first.  My only beef was when he started selling boxes on-line.  I pay rent in my store, he lives in Grandmas basement and undercuts me dramatically.  Free Market, yes.  But G-dub doesnt allow it.  He can, and probably does do well solely with bits sales. It would be a shame if GW doesnt let him continue to sell bits.

Posted By mikhaila on 03/24/2007 3:56 PM

RETURNABILITY: Basically there is little or no returnability in the games industry. Buy too many of a DandD adventure, a new card game, or a wargame figure, and you have to figure out how to get rid of it. There are a few exceptions: Some new product that a manufacturer wants to push are made returnable, so that more stores try out the game. Few and far between, but nice when it happens. GW at times will let retailers return out of print product. I've done it a couple of dozen times over the years. When Epic went away, (twice), we returned all we had left, similar for warmaster, necromunda, mordheim, and bloodbowl. I just shipped back 4000.00 in old product, clearing out blisters that will never sell, 6th edition rulebooks, and models that aren't supported anymore. GW is the only manufacturer that does this, and it's made a huge difference in selling their games over the years.

I think that YMMV depending on which GW region you do business in.  While I am not a retailer, I have several close friends who are.  The difference in support that retailers in Canada get is staggering - Just for the record, I've been with the GW hobby for over 10 years and have participated in gaming groups in 6 Canadian cities.  The following seems to be the level of support that retailers get:

1.  You are a successful store in an area where GW has little (or no) presence:  GW is very helpful with orders, special events, terrain etc.  (These areas always suffer the prospect of GW setting up shop - though in the -one- case where I encountered this scenario, the FLGS loyalty was such that GW would get PWNed if they opened up.)  GW seems to take returns of old / overstock items.

2.  You are a successful store in an area where GW has a strong presence:  GW is selectively helpful.  They help out with events, terrain etc.  However, often these retailers will be bumped when there are shortages of new releases.  GW may or may not take back old or overstock.  One of my old stomping grounds has a pile of old (and unsellable) V4 Marine battleforces that GW won't take back - not to mention OOP starter kits.

3.  Woe betide you if you are a startup or are not-so-successful.  These guys are living hand to mouth.  Not only does GW give these guys a hard time for "not supporting the hobby enough and failure to drive sales"... but they don't take returns on OOP stuff... and occasionally ship them un-asked for unsellable bizzaro stuff.  One of the stores I used to visit had a bunch of old OOP stuff (like the kind of stuff GW outlets blow out in their "auctions" ) arrive in one shipment - i.e. unboxed metal OOP models with the store's name written on them in marker.  These weren't freebies, they weren't part of a bitz order, and were on the store's invoice.  Needless to say, GW wouldn't take them back...

Many shop owners won't divulge the direct discount that GW Canada offers but I suspect it is not more than 40%, since ome of them was lamenting over Christmas that they could mail-order certain stuff from Neil (i.e. battleforces and starters) for cheaper than they were getting them from GW direct.  At any rate, I could be wrong, since this is mostly from observation...

Here is what John was referring to:

BWB News

"26 March

Battlewagon Bits Mail Order
Recently we were met by the Vice President of Games Workshop USA. The result of that meeting and the discussions thereafter have led us here at Battlewagon Bits to revise the way we will sell GW product. While GW recognizes the service we do for the hobby, we have both decided that it would be best for us to move forward together with the hobby, and not against it. Legitimacy is key for any business to succeed and grow to full potential, and BWBits is no exception.

Over the next few weeks we will add the ability for you, our loyal customers, to phone, email, or fax in orders for GW items in both finished (boxed) and component (bits) form. You will also be able to purchase GW product from our soon to open BITS BUNKER storefront in Eastern Virginia USA. While you will also be able to order these items from us over the web in shopping cart form, we will not be able to provide that service much longer. We will however continue to sell all of our other items such as Vallejo Paints, Privateer Press Models, Trading Card Games, and many more new items on the internet. We will still sell GW items for the same discount as before, and still provide the same great service to you.

To help with the transitioning of bits sales to Mail Order, we will be publishing a Bits Catalog in the next week or so that will be available for download, or purchase.

We will also be adding "Bits Ninjas" to take orders over the phone, and process email/fax orders. If you live in Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain or the UK, you can email us a request for a callback from a "Bits Ninja" to take your order over the phone for FREE.

This weekend we will be at Adepticon in Chicago, IL playing and promoting BWBits. After our return we will dive right into building a BIGGER and BETTER Battlewagon Bits. Change is in the air, the best is yet to come!

Thank you to all, for the continued support."

 

BWB isn't closing down, it's simply going to be a bit (Get it? Bit!!! I kill me.) harder to order your bitz than it was before.