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Job postings for these locations went up on the GW site in the past few days. Don't remember GW opening this many stores in a long time so figured it seemed newsworthy. Not sure of the timing, but most applications close in about a month, which would suggest openings would be planned over the next 3-4 months or so..

Store Manager (New Location): Hudson / Marlborough, MA
Store Manager (New Location): Burlington, MA
Store Manager (New Location): Methuen Town, MA
Store Manager (New Location): Ft. Worth, TX
Store Manager (New Location): Braintree / Weymouth, MA
Store Manager (New Location): Franklin, MA
Store Manager (New Location): Tinton Falls / Freehold, NJ
Store Manager (New Location): Bedminster / Bridgewater, NJ
Store Manager (New Location): Cherry Hill, NJ
Store Manager (New Location): Metuchen / Edison, NJ
Store Manager (New Location): Devon, PA
Store Manager (New Location): Norridge / Harwood Heights, IL
Store Manager (New Location): Colleyville, TX
Store Manager (New Location): Garland, TX
Store Manager (New Location): Providence, RI
Store Manager (New Location): Des Moines, IA
Store Manager (New Location): Tulsa, OK
Store Manager (New Location): Madison, WI
Store Manager (New Location): Richmond, VA
Store Manager (New Location): Green Bay, WI
Store Manager (New Location): Spokane, WA

http://jobs.games-workshop.com/category/vacancies-by-country/north-america/us/

I was excited to see some Massachusetts stores again - but then I see one for Providence RI (go RiTides!) and that's even closer!

And not a single one in California.

There used to be one about 10 minutes from where I used to live, but by the time I realized it was there they'd been closed for ages.

Of course none of this will matter until we start seeing those Specialist Games rolling out again...

Devon, PA .. hmm, i might actually get to visit a GW store.

You're not meant to feed the albatross.

 Necros wrote:
Devon, PA .. hmm, i might actually get to visit a GW store.

Yeah, Devon & Cherry Hill makes a lot more sense for a GW than a sketchy part of North Philly.

But these are gonna be teeny shops with no battle bunker anymore these days right? and 1 employee for the whole store? What happens if he gets sick, the place is closed till he gets better?

 Necros wrote:
and 1 employee for the whole store? What happens if he gets sick, the place is closed till he gets better?

Forget being sick, what happens when the one employee has to have a lunch break?

(The store closes, and anyone who comes by at that time is a lost customer.)

Per the current model the shop is supposed to be closed for lunch between 30 mins and an hour ( up to the manager) though its no secret plenty of them never go to lunch or have some one bring them something so the store is not closed. As for sick . each store is allowed 1 on call person who covers the shop when they can not be there.

Iowa, really? There are two stores in Des Moines that already sell their products, and another in Ames. The community is small. Good luck.

 Cleatus wrote:
Iowa, really? There are two stores in Des Moines that already sell their products, and another in Ames. The community is small. Good luck.

Actually, there are TWO in Ames. Mayhem Comics and The Shield. Isn't there all ready a GW store in Des Moines though?

 cuda1179 wrote:

 Cleatus wrote:
Iowa, really? There are two stores in Des Moines that already sell their products, and another in Ames. The community is small. Good luck.

Actually, there are TWO in Ames. Mayhem Comics and The Shield. Isn't there all ready a GW store in Des Moines though?

Two in Ames, I stand corrected.
No, there isn't an official GW store in Iowa as far as I know. There are two Jay's CD and Hobby locations in Des Moines that carry a selection of GW products, and they have a game night at one location. Mayhem has a much bigger selection, and a huge game room with terrain for player use. Still, the existing playerbase is small AFAIK; I've met fewer than a dozen folks that play. I can't imagine GW opening a store in the area, the market seems to be saturated.

GW do tend to grow the community, it's their primary purposal albeit GW focused.

So funny. GW expands and contracts in a regular cycle. This will be at least the 3rd store in that area of NJ and their second time in Cherry Hill.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and look!

A GW store in Devon PA, right between my two stores.

 Cleatus wrote:
I can't imagine GW opening a store in the area, the market seems to be saturated.

That's what GW does - try to barge its way into areas that already have a scene (with stores already selling GW models) and steal away customers to buy direct instead of supporting local stores.

It happened to one of the stores I go to. When a GW store opened nearby, the independent store started having problems getting GW stuff in. Guess who doesn't sell GW models anymore?

 mikhaila wrote:

Oh, and look!

A GW store in Devon PA, right between my two stores.

See? And it's about half-an-hour from Enter the Realm as well.

 infinite_array wrote:

 Cleatus wrote:
I can't imagine GW opening a store in the area, the market seems to be saturated.

That's what GW does - try to barge its way into areas that already have a scene (with stores already selling GW models) and steal away customers to buy direct instead of supporting local stores.

Not what happened here in MN. We have I wanna say 6 stores in a 30 minute circle from Minneapolis that sell GW product and we got a GW 2 years or so ago. All those stores are still there and so is the GW. And I haven't heard any of the store managers of the other stores I visit complain about the GW store. I've heard the opposite as those new hobbyists move out into our larger community and different stores with playing space.

 infinite_array wrote:

 Cleatus wrote:
I can't imagine GW opening a store in the area, the market seems to be saturated.

That's what GW does - try to barge its way into areas that already have a scene (with stores already selling GW models) and steal away customers to buy direct instead of supporting local stores.

It happened to one of the stores I go to. When a GW store opened nearby, the independent store started having problems getting GW stuff in. Guess who doesn't sell GW models anymore?

 mikhaila wrote:

Oh, and look!

A GW store in Devon PA, right between my two stores.

See? And it's about half-an-hour from Enter the Realm as well.

And Enter the Realm opened near my other shop. And a store carrying GW in the King of Prussia Mall. Compleat Strategist below that. A very saturated area. And yet the Exton area to the west 10 miles has much better demographics with massive growth going on, and no game stores at all.

The problem is, GW doesn't do their own research, they rely on real estate agents, which has resulted in some pretty crappy spots that they close later, or put in saturated areas.

I've got a call into GW to ask what current policies are, point out distances to current stores, ask questions.

And if it still goes in, will just kick their ass repeatedly until they go away. And gladly take any new gamers they create in that time. Not really too pissed about it. Shops open and close around me all the time. It would have been polite for GW to at least give me a call to let me know, given that we have over 2 decades of history with them.

Hulksmash - To be fair, that was something I had direct experience of many, many years ago although it's quite possible it's not the case now.

Working in an independent, the moment a GW store opened in the same town the new releases started coming in weeks late, in reduced quantity or not at all. The rep tried to give all kinds of BS excuses for why that happened repeatedly but the store lost the GW sales as obviously most customers aren't going to want to wait. In the end the owner of the store just gave up and stopped selling GW.

 Pacific wrote:
Hulksmash - To be fair, that was something I had direct experience of many, many years ago although it's quite possible it's not the case now.

Working in an independent, the moment a GW store opened in the same town the new releases started coming in weeks late, in reduced quantity or not at all. The rep tried to give all kinds of BS excuses for why that happened repeatedly but the store lost the GW sales as obviously most customers aren't going to want to wait. In the end the owner of the store just gave up and stopped selling GW.

Might be a difference in the way it was handled between the US and the UK. Most of those horror stories do seem to come from UK posters and don't jive with my experience working in GW, the people I still talk to in GW, or store managers that I talk to in areas with GW's nearby. Not saying it didn't happen over there. I just haven't seen it happen much in the US. Even when they were first really expanding into specific metro's in their first US growth which would have been the time they most likely would have gone that route.

Tulsa? Why? From all accounts, the OKC GW that opened a few years ago is pretty barren but in a decent location. The main problem being lack of gaming space and a tool of a manager who makes fun of people's RT and 1st/2nd edition era models for being "too old".

None in CO huh? Well fine, GW

I never thought I'd the see the day when a 2nd GW hobby center opened in PA. They really need to reconsider their placement though.

And CA remains a dead zone.

:/

 Desubot wrote:
And CA remains a dead zone.

:/

They can't afford the rent. Heck, people who live there can't afford the rent.

 agnosto wrote:

 Desubot wrote:
And CA remains a dead zone.

:/

They can't afford the rent. Heck, people who live there can't afford the rent.

Oh California you so silly.

Haha, several GW stores out in Eastern MA. Nada for Western MA, even though we have a large community and several stores.

 Dez wrote:
Haha, several GW stores out in Eastern MA. Nada for Western MA, even though we have a large community and several stores.

But it only takes like, what, 45 minutes to drive across MA?

Wow, only one in the West Coast? That seems kind of dumb. I'd think San Francisco would be a great location.

Garland, TX, huh? That's pretty close to Madness Comics territory. And not hugely far from the Frisco one (assuming that one is still open).

 Peregrine wrote:

 Necros wrote:
and 1 employee for the whole store? What happens if he gets sick, the place is closed till he gets better?

Forget being sick, what happens when the one employee has to have a lunch break?

(The store closes, and anyone who comes by at that time is a lost customer.)

In my area the stores close for half an hour in the middle of the shift. It sucks and I wouldn't do it but it's a thing. As for the illness thing, it can go two ways. The store closes until the manager gets better, or a "alternate" can be brought in to cover if necessary.