Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Spaz431 wrote:
What caused that at the one man stores were regulars taking advantage of the laxity of those managers. It is a place of miniature business first and foremost. A cited reference was of a manager whom allowed a regular to bring in his own personal recliner (and leave it there) for when he was at said store. REALLY!? It's a place of business not a FLGS or a FLGC. If you need one of those, start one.

That sounds like a manager issue there. NOT to shut down gaming by using this as a lame excuse in a GAME store to run off gaming.

This particular Buisiness" runs on support of a gaming community.

Lose that, and lets time how long it takes to shut it down for good.

Reading between the lines, it sounds to me like little miss gameyard queen just doesn't want to allow gaming, or just outright can't handle working in a game shop and would just as soon sell bras and panties.

These stores are generic run of the mill company stores. they have non-indiependant streaks to them. It wouldn't have happened if home office didn't allow it.

The "Place of business" is selling games. not just a used car lot showing pretty painted models. You do that buy drumming interest and cultivating a need. THEN you keep people involved and playing- thereby needing to buy something in a store that they want to come in and see what the fuss is all about.

GW putting yet another cart before the horse. Seriously how many carts must this one horse push till it dies?!

Tyron wrote:
GW putting yet another cart before the horse. Seriously how many carts must this one horse push till it dies?!

It won't. Too many people are tied to the brand to ever consider letting go. I'm quite happy for GW to keep running forever as they are, not that I buy or really play anything they currently produce any more.

Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

Tyron wrote:
GW putting yet another cart before the horse. Seriously how many carts must this one horse push till it dies?!

It won't. Too many people are tied to the brand to ever consider letting go. I'm quite happy for GW to keep running forever as they are, not that I buy or really play anything they currently produce any more.

It will, it is only a matter of time. Sales are falling and if you read between the lines of the financial reports it is only because GW are cutting back on expenses that they still 'growing' (at a much slower pace than the rest of the industry).

Damn GW, that's just a weird move.
Me and my mates are going to Amsterdam in two months, we'll check the GW there to see what is going on.

Any case, it doesn't hurt us. Closes store is an indipendant retailer, where you can always play, and we've got a pretty good gaming club that meets every week for all sorts of tabletop gaming.

Any Dutch Zeeuwen around who want to join an awesome club? We are recruiting!

 jonolikespie wrote:

Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

Tyron wrote:
GW putting yet another cart before the horse. Seriously how many carts must this one horse push till it dies?!

It won't. Too many people are tied to the brand to ever consider letting go. I'm quite happy for GW to keep running forever as they are, not that I buy or really play anything they currently produce any more.

It will, it is only a matter of time. Sales are falling and if you read between the lines of the financial reports it is only because GW are cutting back on expenses that they still 'growing' (at a much slower pace than the rest of the industry).

You forgot about ridiculous price hikes.

 jonolikespie wrote:

Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

Tyron wrote:
GW putting yet another cart before the horse. Seriously how many carts must this one horse push till it dies?!

It won't. Too many people are tied to the brand to ever consider letting go. I'm quite happy for GW to keep running forever as they are, not that I buy or really play anything they currently produce any more.

It will, it is only a matter of time. Sales are falling and if you read between the lines of the financial reports it is only because GW are cutting back on expenses that they still 'growing' (at a much slower pace than the rest of the industry).

Sorry, but I honestly don't think that GW will fall. If they decided to run a 24 hour only 10% off sale and annouced it as "HELP GW", how many of the rabids would think "hmmm, I've always fancied starting X army and now I can help the company as well.............." and throw money at them?

Even when prices go up each spring, its always "I'll just buy the bits I need to finish my army and then thats it" - which is another bunch of cash being thrown at the company. Addicts are addicts, glad to say I'm clean now

Can I just confirm, this is not a joke? Also, has it been established what countries this will effect?

masterdoobie wrote:
Can I just confirm, this is not a joke? Also, has it been established what countries this will effect?

Check out more than just the last page of the thread

Currently this announcement affects the King's Lynn GW only.

With that said, there are other stores around the UK and around the world that have had this policy in place prior to King's Lynn getting it. It's not widespread... but it's certainly getting there.

Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

 jonolikespie wrote:

Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

Tyron wrote:
GW putting yet another cart before the horse. Seriously how many carts must this one horse push till it dies?!

It won't. Too many people are tied to the brand to ever consider letting go. I'm quite happy for GW to keep running forever as they are, not that I buy or really play anything they currently produce any more.

It will, it is only a matter of time. Sales are falling and if you read between the lines of the financial reports it is only because GW are cutting back on expenses that they still 'growing' (at a much slower pace than the rest of the industry).

Sorry, but I honestly don't think that GW will fall. If they decided to run a 24 hour only 10% off sale and annouced it as "HELP GW", how many of the rabids would think "hmmm, I've always fancied starting X army and now I can help the company as well.............." and throw money at them?

Even when prices go up each spring, its always "I'll just buy the bits I need to finish my army and then thats it" - which is another bunch of cash being thrown at the company. Addicts are addicts, glad to say I'm clean now

The part you are missing there is the continuing falling sales. If GW doesn't do something about that they will reach a point where they collapse, but GW seem intent on covering up the problem with price rises and cutting costs rather than actually trying to bring people back into the hobby.

 NAVARRO wrote:
I was thinking how would a single man store control more than a very limited group of people in their stores?
For example a new customer pops in and a couple people are playing demos and others browsing new stuff, some maybe painting and then the phone call starts to ring... I feel sorry for the fella.

Kicking vets is the last thing you should do in one man stores because you know they can actually be those store managers unpaid extra eyes and hands etc.

I believe its in GW best interest to close most of these stores because what is the point if they strip down the community, limit gaming to minimums etc... They cannot even have tournaments in those small stores... Save those pennies and invest in Publicity and roadshows and participate in third party events for better bang for your buck I would say.

Before we were saddled with a GW, we used to have a proper FLGS. (Closure unrelated to GW opening.)

It was essentially a one man shop, but with a small team covering days off etc..

You know what the vets would do if it got busy? We'd help, at least those of us who felt competent and confident enough to do so. Answering the phone, taking cash at the till, engaging with the customer if it was an item or game we knew something about. We had a great group, the core of which still games together in some form or another to this day, some 10 years or more since those heydays. We cared about the shopkeeper and his business, and he looked after us. Hell, I even had a key and an alarm code for a bit, as the owner let us open up and game on a Sunday, even though he didn't officially open.

This sort of mutual support will NEVER exist in GW in its current state, not simply because of the logistics of till security etc, but because there is simply no way they could ever conceive of this sort of community. Believe me, I do understand the 'its a business' argument, but there isn't only one way to run a business, and that guy bought a house, a boat and supported his wife and 4 children in an ample manner for nearly 20 years off the back of our loyalty and fraternity.

The old adage "You catch more flies with honey" has never been truer.

 azreal13 wrote:

 NAVARRO wrote:
I was thinking how would a single man store control more than a very limited group of people in their stores?
For example a new customer pops in and a couple people are playing demos and others browsing new stuff, some maybe painting and then the phone call starts to ring... I feel sorry for the fella.

Kicking vets is the last thing you should do in one man stores because you know they can actually be those store managers unpaid extra eyes and hands etc.

I believe its in GW best interest to close most of these stores because what is the point if they strip down the community, limit gaming to minimums etc... They cannot even have tournaments in those small stores... Save those pennies and invest in Publicity and roadshows and participate in third party events for better bang for your buck I would say.

Before we were saddled with a GW, we used to have a proper FLGS. (Closure unrelated to GW opening.)

It was essentially a one man shop, but with a small team covering days off etc..

You know what the vets would do if it got busy? We'd help, at least those of us who felt competent and confident enough to do so. Answering the phone, taking cash at the till, engaging with the customer if it was an item or game we knew something about. We had a great group, the core of which still games together in some form or another to this day, some 10 years or more since those heydays. We cared about the shopkeeper and his business, and he looked after us. Hell, I even had a key and an alarm code for a bit, as the owner let us open up and game on a Sunday, even though he didn't officially open.

This sort of mutual support will NEVER exist in GW in its current state, not simply because of the logistics of till security etc, but because there is simply no way they could ever conceive of this sort of community. Believe me, I do understand the 'its a business' argument, but there isn't only one way to run a business, and that guy bought a house, a boat and supported his wife and 4 children in an ample manner for nearly 20 years off the back of our loyalty and fraternity.

The old adage "You catch more flies with honey" has never been truer.

+ 1 to the sentiment.

This was what we once had over here as well. One of the stores was indeed a GW. back in thier more indie days where community flavor helped the stores.

I didn't belong to the whole "have keys and alarm " thing, but I knew people in that sort of a relationship with the owner.

Honesty is a rare thing. A pure honor to play in such a place, Great stores like this? You can count on maybe 1 hand.

Oh its absolutely amazing to have a good store like that around, I've got an FLGS 30 minutes away that is the only one I go to, despite there being 2-3 closer ones to me. I've become friends with the couple that owns the store, they've always allowed me to just walk right in and start up a game, even if I never was actually going to buy anything. (That only happened a few times, I'm susceptible to shiny syndrome )

The Brand New Local GW store frowns on open gaming here ..
They have 2 small tables one is set up for demos ..of whatever the latest boxed set is ..and it is a one employee store ..so yea no open gaming ..the store operator ( not propriter or owner or manager ..just operator) knows barley enough about the games and non of the games history to work the store ..We have two FLGS's and one is more club than store. I have visited the local GW I have no further wishes to return ..nor do most who have gone in ..its too ..retail..

I thought for a while that GW was like an abusive friend you are thinking to let go, but they are so much fun at a party.

Now it is more like the old nutty uncle you were fond of that you see slowly wasting away.

GW I actually feel a bit of panic because I know they are doing all the wrong things and they are feeding on themselves to scrape up savings at the expense of future sources of revenue. They are too self absorbed to see it and make everyone angry by their oblivious nature.

Prediction: GW will come to the brink, look for a buyer. Find one that remembers the good old days and be so successful the prior managment will cry in their beer.

Couldn't have said it better myself actually. Wait. Dakka should hold a fundraiser/something to buy out ALL GW stock. We will effectively own the company. Change market tactics. Then again, I don't understand anything about the stock market, school never seems to think that'd be useful to prepare you for the future.

 azreal13 wrote:

 NAVARRO wrote:
I was thinking how would a single man store control more than a very limited group of people in their stores?
For example a new customer pops in and a couple people are playing demos and others browsing new stuff, some maybe painting and then the phone call starts to ring... I feel sorry for the fella.

Kicking vets is the last thing you should do in one man stores because you know they can actually be those store managers unpaid extra eyes and hands etc.

I believe its in GW best interest to close most of these stores because what is the point if they strip down the community, limit gaming to minimums etc... They cannot even have tournaments in those small stores... Save those pennies and invest in Publicity and roadshows and participate in third party events for better bang for your buck I would say.

Before we were saddled with a GW, we used to have a proper FLGS. (Closure unrelated to GW opening.)

It was essentially a one man shop, but with a small team covering days off etc..

You know what the vets would do if it got busy? We'd help, at least those of us who felt competent and confident enough to do so. Answering the phone, taking cash at the till, engaging with the customer if it was an item or game we knew something about. We had a great group, the core of which still games together in some form or another to this day, some 10 years or more since those heydays. We cared about the shopkeeper and his business, and he looked after us. Hell, I even had a key and an alarm code for a bit, as the owner let us open up and game on a Sunday, even though he didn't officially open.

This sort of mutual support will NEVER exist in GW in its current state, not simply because of the logistics of till security etc, but because there is simply no way they could ever conceive of this sort of community. Believe me, I do understand the 'its a business' argument, but there isn't only one way to run a business, and that guy bought a house, a boat and supported his wife and 4 children in an ample manner for nearly 20 years off the back of our loyalty and fraternity.

The old adage "You catch more flies with honey" has never been truer.

Bingo.

At most GWs around here you can find tons of ex-staffers and knowledgable vets that will help out, that is until the higher ups at GW stomped in one day and branded all ex staff with the lovely title of "renegades" and should be asked to leave or directed out of a GW store as soon as possible. As for vets helping that is a monstrous no-no as far as GW is concerned, I saw a manager get reemed out for getting a customer to help out, but thats more so about liability and insurance stuff.

I still get slightly amused by the old local store manager's reaction on one of the first occasions I went in after returning about two years ago.

As I'd been out of the hhhobby for a decade or so, and only been back for a few weeks, I was ignorant to how far GW had fallen.

Now, I'm a laid back guy, but I'm 6'5" and about 300lbs, and I know how to use it if needed, coupled with the fact I have a background in retail sales and management that would outshine most of the GW managers, a fact he was aware of from earlier chats we'd had. I also got the impression he felt he needed to up his game when trying to sell to me because of this.

Anyway, that's a load of exposition for a very short story, but I went in one vets night to see who of the old group was about. Because, you know, that was the sort of thing we used to do in the old shop.

Manager barrels up to me with £ signs in his eyes, makes some bs, script based attempt to try and open an opportunity to pitch something at me, to which I replied thanks, but I'm just here to visit.

I swear he shut down for a full 5 seconds while he tried to process the information, which is a lifetime in the middle of a conversation, try it, before basically just mumbling something and walking away.

I remain convinced that I temporarily overloaded his connection with the mothership and he needed to reboot!

I've seen it become worse and worse for just over one year time. All the rather good managers and floor workers get the sack before you know it. I've already seen 3/4 of them get fired in less than a year. It used to be that you came in and asked to play a game you could. They've become rather meh about it, even thought they have 2 free tables next to the demo one.

 Sirius42 wrote:
My store did exactly same thing, in October last year. Has pretty much killed my hobby as the only time I had free for hobby was on store run vets nights. I still have that time, just nowhere to game it

There has to be a club near you, I have never spent any length of time in an area with a GW where there wasn't (although a couple were exceptionally poor clubs).

There are clubs here, but not on nights I can do saddly, I realise its my problem more than gw's buti have 1 free night a week, which is not a club night, it was vets night before the change though. I guess that's what I get for being busy busy busy :p

 azreal13 wrote:
I still get slightly amused by the old local store manager's reaction on one of the first occasions I went in after returning about two years ago.

As I'd been out of the hhhobby for a decade or so, and only been back for a few weeks, I was ignorant to how far GW had fallen.

Now, I'm a laid back guy, but I'm 6'5" and about 300lbs, and I know how to use it if needed, coupled with the fact I have a background in retail sales and management that would outshine most of the GW managers, a fact he was aware of from earlier chats we'd had. I also got the impression he felt he needed to up his game when trying to sell to me because of this.

Anyway, that's a load of exposition for a very short story, but I went in one vets night to see who of the old group was about. Because, you know, that was the sort of thing we used to do in the old shop.

Manager barrels up to me with £ signs in his eyes, makes some bs, script based attempt to try and open an opportunity to pitch something at me, to which I replied thanks, but I'm just here to visit.

I swear he shut down for a full 5 seconds while he tried to process the information, which is a lifetime in the middle of a conversation, try it, before basically just mumbling something and walking away.

I remain convinced that I temporarily overloaded his connection with the mothership and he needed to reboot!

ahaha I love doing that, I've worked in retail at different levels and shutting down their sales pitch is fantastic! I *hate* it when people jump on me as soon as I walk into a store