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Oh, you did very well, the discussion concerning "toxic" and "net promoters" specifically, though we tend to call them simply "detractors" and "promoters", respectively, but the terminology changes from school to school, apparently. It's a very good point, though, as the most influential factor when it comes to a purchase decision is personal accounts from your friends, family, and peers. This is for a variety of reasons, chiefly that consumers trust their close social network to tell them the truth about products and places of business, and will most often act on that advice. The bottom line is, therefore, if you want to sell something to someone, make sure you give -everyone- the most positive experience possible, they'll tell their friends and family and so on and so forth, and your business will benefit.

Yeah it has been a while since I had to deal with CSAT feedback and those terms, but I recognise them. I am having flashbacks of the days they would decide to change the data labels on the database without notifying me, causing almost every spreadhseet I had that related to NPS metrics to simply not work.

That is an interesting point you mentioned about people being daunted towards going into a store, especially an empty one. I thought this may be the case, but had nothing to back it up with. I know that I personally don't like going in to a GW if I am the only one there since I know it means the staffer is going to instantly flock to me and try to sell me something. Where as I can just blend in a store with other patrons and go about my business. Even in other stores I still sort of feel this. Now I know why I always feel at home in a JB Hifi I guess, since they always seem to have people around. And the staff are dressed like regular people and don't seem to bother me unless I approach them for help. I didn't notice it before but upon reflection their toned down dress regulations helps build rapport with me at least since it makes them more approachable. To me they seem less like staff who are there to sell to me, and instead people of similar interest that happen to work there. By comparison GW, and places like EB, with a uniform seem to put me off.

Given you have finished your degree you may be able to help me with a query. In GW I don't see any prices listed on merchandise, or even the old price band poster up near them anymore. Do you think this would be because;
- Less overhead cost on price labels (and time labeling) given the regular price 'adjustments'
- A marketing tactic so as not to dissuade the customer due to the high prices whilst still at the shelf, so as to push the hard sell once they are already at the counter
- Or both
Thoughts?

And any idea as to why them seem to not take advantage of what I imagine would be a potentially huge revenue stream by making proper merch like shirts, key chains, etc? My Skink shirt from back in the 90's is still one of my most prized possessions. I'd buy the hell out of a Aquila keychain. And from what I hear I am not alone in this. Given GW's adoption of the iOS platform for digital distribution a =][= branded iPad cover would be beyond awesome (to go with my =][= background I already have on my =][=Pad). Even just a 'Dataslate' case for an iPad. Can you think of any actual marketing reasons they would avoid this?

Sorry it's taken me awhile to reply, I was at work (on a Sunday! Bah!).

So, to business!

About the products no longer having any prices listed, if your local stores are anything like mine, they will have simply put the prices on the back of the boxes, rather than removing them entirely. This could be potentially for many reasons, any of which are pretty likely. My educated guess, though, would be that given the rather high price of the goods, it does not aid sales to confront the consumer with a price as soon as possible.

Much of the time, first impressions are very important. This applies to both a consumer's first impression of a business and an individual product. Although these impressions can be changed, the average consumer won't usually give the business/product a second chance and will simply move on to a different option. This applies in this instance because it does not do well to give a potential consumer the first impression of high prices. Better to lure them in with well-painted models, enthusiastic and knowledgable staff, and a good atmosphere, then let them find out the price for themselves. You make a good point about the hard sell at the counter, as a lot of the time, as long as the price is not -too- heinous, the customer will commit to the purchase due to a combination of desire for the product and to avoid the social awkwardness of refusing a purchase due to price. This will of course vary extremely depending on the personality of the consumer, I'm sure many would feel perfectly happy with refusing a purchase at the counter.

TL;DR: Not putting obvious prices on product is essentially a marketing tactic.

Onto the merchandise issue, to my knowledge they have in the past sold branded merch (shirts, caps, etc) from Warhammer World, they still might, actually. And of course they often sell limited edition merchandise for important store events like major releases or store birthdays.
As for the iPad covers etc, they very well may be planning on doing exactly that very soon, as you say it ties in well with their usage of iBooks for epubs. The reasons why they -wouldn't- do this are again potentially many, but I'd think that in the main it'd be a return on investment issue. They won't produce a good they can't almost guarantee they'd sell a lot of, GW have shown themselves to be nothing if not conservative (though that seems to be changing, slowly, now) and iPad covers are a fairly limited market, and also a peripheral for a product Games Workshop does not themselves sell. As such, they'd probably be pretty hesitant to sell it from their stores.

TL;DR: They do sell branded merch, just in a limited timeframe. They don't currently sell iOS peripherals because they don't sell the product for which the peripheral is designed. Either way, it's mainly due to them not seeing a guaranteed RoI.

Hope this is informative!

My local GW is one of the smallest in England, it simply doesnt have room for dedicated gaming tables. Their way around it is to switch things around ad hoc, they set the tables for display, and clear them for gaming and demo as appropriate. It involves a lot of shifting but they get on with it.

 Makutsu wrote:
So the GW that I go to will most likely turn all the tables from gaming tables to all demo tables instead...

I am not sure if that is normal or not because I like the environment there...

Are there any other GWs that d that?

Sqaure 1 right? If thats the case its because Stan is a total minion to his bosses, he moved to toronto from nova scotia just to work at a mall for $12/hour.

What makes it more sad is that they'll fire him when the lease runs up, GW has screwed countless people I know, it was that reason why I got the hell out of the company. I can give you a laundry list of people that got used and thrown out, it makes me wonder why GW employees are such rampant dicks, there is no up in the company, there is no commission, the pay is meh, you see your bosses a handful of times a year and you're expendable in the extreme


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 kronk wrote:

 Makutsu wrote:
Ok, so the store I go to has 2 demo tables, 1 painting table and 2 gaming tables they're removing the gaming tables for more demo tables which as far as I have seen no one actually plays the demos beside throwing dice out the door.

It is a big store though like 4 employees so not a small store.

It might actually be the same store in the other guys post.

It might just be your store manager. This is the first I've heard of Demo only tables at GW stores. I would have thought we'd have seen a leaked email or two if that was a new rule that GW was pushing.

From what Ive noticed and heard from people I know in the company the higher ups dont want gaming in stores anymore, they just want to sell stuff and get you the hell out, apparently having nerds in contact with each other eventually leads to them being negative about gws policies. Isolated individual people have little people to share an opinion with, a group of people exposed to truth of GWs dark side leads to more informed purchases and critical thought. Essentially GW wants to crush free speech and thinking in their stores under their jackboots. Its sad really that GW makes destination stores and thinks they are still mall hubs, it just proves that the management of GW have zero clue how to run a gaming store and have zero cares about the front line.

 Makutsu wrote:
to be honest I was talking to a FLGS guy and one point he made was that GW should stop those big stores and turn into little demo stands around everywhere, cheaper and better promotion at the same time.

He says that they should go out and do the promotion while FLGSs sell their product, but according to him GW sees them as a threat to their sales instead of helping them. So that's probably not going to happen.

It also makes sense for GW to do promotion instead as FLGS sells the same stuff for a lower price, because even if I game at a GW I will NEVER buy from the store. However I do buy at FLGSs.

well, the selection at FLGS are at maybe 25% of non "new" items. If you want to find the latest release, it'll be there...but beyond that it's pretty hit and miss.

GW doesn't need stores to sell their product. They sell more online or through FLGS then they do in their stores, by far. From talking to the manager of a store I visited in Texas when I was on vacation...they want their one man stores to at least break even and recruit. The one advantage that GW has in the marketplace is that they have 100 stores that are focused on recruiting to get new people into the hobby. If you go into your FLGS, you aren't going to get a demo game....or even a game probably, you can buy stuff and then you gotta go play at home.

I like playing at GW, but honestly....playing on tables ISNT what keeps them in business. Actually for one man stores, neither is selling things..it's just a dude who's pimping the hobby and bringing new people in so the hobby stays healthy now and in the future.

Here's the question...not to be a jerk. Why do you take up space in a GW when you have no intention of buying anything? You said you will never buy anything from them, you only show up to breathe the air and use their tables...so if they took the tables away they wouldn't lose a dollar from you. Seems like a solid plan on GW's part....in the end it's a business, not a hang out. If you like the FLGS so much, go play there or encourage them to get tables if they don't have any. People hanging out and not buying anything is probably the exact reason why they are taking away the tables...

Here's the question...not to be a jerk. Why do you take up space in a GW when you have no intention of buying anything? You said you will never buy anything from them, you only show up to breathe the air and use their tables...so if they took the tables away they wouldn't lose a dollar from you. Seems like a solid plan on GW's part....in the end it's a business, not a hang out. If you like the FLGS so much, go play there or encourage them to get tables if they don't have any. People hanging out and not buying anything is probably the exact reason why they are taking away the tables...

This is fine except how they generally treat their LFGS, which in my area are reducing GW product because of their recent protocols with those stores. So their competition is moving in and taking their place in those stores.

This Jeckel and Hyde mentality on how they handle their relationships with LFGS will be one of the reasons for their eventual downfall.

While I can't speak for everyone, here is my take on this, and my situation.

My local GW is a 1 man store, it has a demo table and another 2 regular gaming tables as well as a painting table. The ONLY reason I've ever bought anything in that store was purely because it offers gaming space and I don't have a table at home to play on yet. Take away the tables and I have no reason to ever step foot in the store. I can get everything that store sells at 20-30% off brand new online with flat rate shipping.

Now there is another GW retailer across town which sells the whole line, but they don't have tables, and thus I have no reason to buy from them.

The tables are a commodity. Without them, all the store offers is no shipping cost or time at the price of paying full retail. I'll gladly wait a week and spend $6 on shipping to save $150 on my large purchase.

And once I have the room for a home table, my needs for a local store will disappear altogether.

As for people hanging out and not buying, I'll refer you to the marketing stats about empty stores. Unless those loiterers are costing you money somehow, their existence in the store is not a hindrance. If anything they help sales by promoting an image of local community involvement.

Lack of Tables is the reason i rarely play at my local GW. They have a table with the DV models assembled on it, which I have never seen used, the same thing but I think with Island of Blood, and a table connected to a painting/modelling station, which is sometimes converted to make an even bigger painting station. Plus, when playing games, they dont even allow you to use a chair.
Still a good store though.