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Even though I game mostly at a club, and after that with FLGS's, I feel bad for people that are losing their gaming community. I've had enough experience with GW stores to know that they can be really great places when well run.

<pours 40 for my homies>

rockgod2304 wrote:
I don’t understand why people are getting the knickers in a twist over 1 man stores

I played in a one-man GW store for the first time about a month ago. It was a Saturday. Around 2:30, the guy running the shop piped up: That's time, guys!

<---"What?"

---> "My lunch time. Everyone has to leave for 30 minutes."

<----- *Looks at my lovingly crafted Black Templar army with forge world bits.* "I have to stop in the middle of my game and leave my crap here?"

----> "Yep! Come back in 30 minutes!"

<--- "For feth's sake!'

Never again. One-man stores can eat a ____.

NoggintheNog wrote:

rockgod2304 wrote:
i dont understand why people are getting the knickers in a twist over 1 man stores

1 man stores are a pain here in the UK let alone in a hige country like the US.

It is my understanding anyway, that this isnt just a store going to one man operation.

It is the equivalent of warhammer world closing down the gaming hall and bugmans and just having a one man shop instead.

That is not the sign of a healthy business.

My thoughts exactly and very well said! If GW will even gut their flagship store in a market as large as the US it is now impossible to predict what they will do next or what lengths they will go to in cost cutting. Perhaps they are planning to get out of retail altogether. They certainly seem to have little commitment to it at this point.

These 1 man stores need to hire three more people. 2 for the day and 2 for the afternoon.

Add in a couple more tables, and call it a day. increased hours= increased sales. Satisfied gamers= increased sales.


Its not rocket science.

Happy kids spend more of moms money. Satisfied mom= more pliable to the ways of the Grotster.
Mad moms are not easy marks.

 kronk wrote:

rockgod2304 wrote:
I don’t understand why people are getting the knickers in a twist over 1 man stores

I played in a one-man GW store for the first time about a month ago. It was a Saturday. Around 2:30, the guy running the shop piped up: That's time, guys!

<---"What?"

---> "My lunch time. Everyone has to leave for 30 minutes."

<----- *Looks at my lovingly crafted Black Templar army with forge world bits.* "I have to stop in the middle of my game and leave my crap here?"

----> "Yep! Come back in 30 minutes!"

<--- "For feth's sake!'

Never again. One-man stores can eat a ____.

Yeah, just leave your collection of lovingly crafted hobby items that probably cost you several hundred dollars just sitting there. No biggie!

GW is clearly not all there with regard to what it means to provide decent in-person customer service...

NoggintheNog wrote:
I think that is the most insulting part of the original facebook post where he says ' it will still offer fantastic customer service'. Unless there is more than one customer of course.

You're not looking on the bright side... with the downgrade to a one man store, they're much less likely to ever have more than one customer at any one time! Yeah.. that's the best I can come up with.

 kronk wrote:
I played in a one-man GW store for the first time about a month ago. It was a Saturday. Around 2:30, the guy running the shop piped up: That's time, guys!

<---"What?"

---> "My lunch time. Everyone has to leave for 30 minutes."

<----- *Looks at my lovingly crafted Black Templar army with forge world bits.* "I have to stop in the middle of my game and leave my crap here?"

----> "Yep! Come back in 30 minutes!"

<--- "For feth's sake!'

Never again. One-man stores can eat a ____.

you should have packed up and continued the game at a FLGS near by.

 catharsix wrote:

 kronk wrote:

rockgod2304 wrote:
I don’t understand why people are getting the knickers in a twist over 1 man stores

I played in a one-man GW store for the first time about a month ago. It was a Saturday. Around 2:30, the guy running the shop piped up: That's time, guys!

<---"What?"

---> "My lunch time. Everyone has to leave for 30 minutes."

<----- *Looks at my lovingly crafted Black Templar army with forge world bits.* "I have to stop in the middle of my game and leave my crap here?"

----> "Yep! Come back in 30 minutes!"

<--- "For feth's sake!'

Never again. One-man stores can eat a ____.

Yeah, just leave your collection of lovingly crafted hobby items that probably cost you several hundred dollars just sitting there. No biggie!

the store is closed at that point...

mind you he should have said he was going to lunch at 2:30 when you started and then at 2, and every so often as a warning...

My local 1 man store doesn't have any of these problems, rarly when he's out they will be closed, as they have a roving manager to cover abscneces..

I'd prefer they be open more often, but having another employee, in my area.. well the cost would be more then the benefit... being open at 10 am wouldn't help them, generaly people are at school and work durring those hours, you may get a few people, but generaly, they will just come in later when the store is open... not a lot of random walk by sales ass it is, let alone durring peoples school and business hours...

would be nice in the summer to pick up some summer help...

 Grot 6 wrote:
These 1 man stores need to hire three more people. 2 for the day and 2 for the afternoon.

Add in a couple more tables, and call it a day. increased hours= increased sales. Satisfied gamers= increased sales.


Its not rocket science.

Happy kids spend more of moms money. Satisfied mom= more pliable to the ways of the Grotster.
Mad moms are not easy marks.

As CRAZY as it sounds, payroll is one of those things GW can control. But doing it at the cost of potential lost sales is definately scratch heading.

In the case of Kronk's example can a US store legally force you to leave your property inside a closed store or are staff obligated to wait for you to pack up if you choose to leave the store at the time the employee takes their break?

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:
In the case of Kronk's example can a US store legally force you to leave your property inside a closed store or are staff obligated to wait for you to pack up if you choose to leave the store at the time the employee takes their break?

I have no idea. I just went to subway and had a drink, then promptly started pining for Cool and the Gang (my BTs).

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:
In the case of Kronk's example can a US store legally force you to leave your property inside a closed store or are staff obligated to wait for you to pack up if you choose to leave the store at the time the employee takes their break?

They would have to call the police to get him out if they had any right... by then he would be done packing... (in chicago he might be able to finish his game first too)

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:
In the case of Kronk's example can a US store legally force you to leave your property inside a closed store or are staff obligated to wait for you to pack up if you choose to leave the store at the time the employee takes their break?

In my educated, WAG, I'd say that if the store hours were posted, or the employee made it clear it would be closed for a break, they have no obligation to wait. You'd technically be trespassing.

The real question is if they create a bailment by holding your army like that.

I haven't been to the Battle Bunker in a few years. I've just been going to Mid-South Hobbies and Games to pick up supplies. Very friendly staff there, and always try into pull me in for a game, lol. I will miss the display cases for the old games they had. They were very interesting.

 kronk wrote:


I have no idea. I just went to subway and had a drink, then promptly started pining for Cool and the Gang (my BTs).

Spoiler:

LOVE that "gets hot" plasma Marine.

 Polonius wrote:

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:
In the case of Kronk's example can a US store legally force you to leave your property inside a closed store or are staff obligated to wait for you to pack up if you choose to leave the store at the time the employee takes their break?

In my educated, WAG, I'd say that if the store hours were posted, or the employee made it clear it would be closed for a break, they have no obligation to wait. You'd technically be trespassing.

The real question is if they create a bailment by holding your army like that.

Interesting. I just wonder who would be responsible if a player was "forced" to leave their property in a store and then something happened to that property while the store was closed (fire, robbery, natural disaster, ect.). I suppose that the player's property would be covered by the business insurance, but GW being GW, I was curious if they had any legal way to wiggle out of replacing items lost in a situation like that.

So, how many battle bunkers are left in the US now? Honestly the only thing that's been getting me to pay full retail (gasp), or even stick with GW models over alternative sources, has been the fact that the one over in Bowie, MD is an enjoyable place to hang out. Now I'm wondering how much longer that's going to last.

 Lansirill wrote:
So, how many battle bunkers are left in the US now? Honestly the only thing that's been getting me to pay full retail (gasp), or even stick with GW models over alternative sources, has been the fact that the one over in Bowie, MD is an enjoyable place to hang out. Now I'm wondering how much longer that's going to last.

Baltimore is gone.
Chicago was in Downers Grove, i don't see that listed.
Seattle was in Factoria Village, i still see a store there but with 1 man store hours.
LA, like seattle, shows a store there, but with one man hours.

I'm guessing they are all gone, but not sure.

With no Bunker in Memphis, and no staff, I suspect we will not see a Games Day in North America ever again either. Not that the last couple were anything but Lame now that Ed is gone, and the accountants run the show.

Blame Japan.....the 1 man stores started there, were a huge hit ( before the Japanese bubble burst and they closed most of them ) and with almost every store in the US being operated at a loss....well someone had a bright idea....

The gW model was always to recruit and recycle. Get players in and out the door and have them go to FLGS's or form clubs and get their own space, not to provide gaming areas for customers. And if we are to believe GW, the vast majority of people buying models never played the games...

I

 mikhaila wrote:
Seattle was in Factoria Village, i still see a store there but with 1 man store hours.

That store was officially closed Feb 23rd.

If the trend continues, GW will get a 1-man Nottingham-HQ with only Tom Kirby left.
But then again, he would have to actually work for his money

rockgod2304 wrote:
I don’t understand why people are getting their knickers in a twist over 1 man stores.

Ok they may close 2 days a week usually Monday / Tuesday, but back in the day high street stores always used to close half day on Wednesday & completely Sunday.

Who actually bought figures on a Monday or Tuesday & couldn’t wait unit the store opened the rest of the week.

Also less staff to hassle you, asking stupid questions on which army do i collect & have i seen the latest WD / new releases.

I think GW 1 man stores are a good thing ,ya ya the prices are too high & some of the models are super silly or crap, but it just might turn the ship around to being a proper hobby again, unlike a couple of yrs ago where it was more of a cresh in the stores.

Its easy if you don’t like their stuff don’t buy it

I ran it throught the spell checker this time.

Sorted

I'm sorry to see the Memphis bunker go (I refuse to call it world of battle it was a bunker). James is a good person and manager and deserves better than the rhetoric the company is forcing him to spew. Having worked a one man store I know how it can be to try and take care of everybody but you do the best you can and if people arent that patient there is little you can do to cure their condition. That bunker is where I got to sit with John for 40 hrs. and learn to paint with a good friend who opened the Indy GW one man shop and picturing that great place to play closed makes me sad. I knew a lot of people that worked there in Memphis and got to go thru that production facility several times, (actually saw the pewter casting machine when it was still there), and just thinking of all those jobs that have gone out the window in that facility in the last 3 years makes me very happy I am no longer part of the company, thanks Josh finished my degree and got a better job and a fun hobby. The only thing we can truly expect from GW is that they will make more crazy models and charge us dearly for them and while we bitch we will still open wallets to buy them no matter what is said here, still waiting for my new ork codex and goodness knows what silliness i will have to buy for my plastic crack habit. Just remember one and all this company exists to sell models... the game is a byproduct and the powers that be do not care about the game they just want to sell you as many models as possible. If FW becomes available from the regular GW site next month I'll be looking at the pricing and still buying because there are toys there I've always wanted and those that want to buy will and those that don't mean zero to them so flame away.

 Kroothawk wrote:
If the trend continues, GW will get a 1-man Nottingham-HQ with only Tom Kirby left.
But then again, he would have to actually work for his money

He'll get lunch off though, and lunch goes from 10:30 to 5:30. He'll also show up late and leave early. Problem sorted.

 mikhaila wrote:

 Lansirill wrote:
So, how many battle bunkers are left in the US now? Honestly the only thing that's been getting me to pay full retail (gasp), or even stick with GW models over alternative sources, has been the fact that the one over in Bowie, MD is an enjoyable place to hang out. Now I'm wondering how much longer that's going to last.

Baltimore is gone.
Chicago was in Downers Grove, i don't see that listed.
Seattle was in Factoria Village, i still see a store there but with 1 man store hours.
LA, like seattle, shows a store there, but with one man hours.

I'm guessing they are all gone, but not sure.

With no Bunker in Memphis, and no staff, I suspect we will not see a Games Day in North America ever again either. Not that the last couple were anything but Lame now that Ed is gone, and the accountants run the show.

Mikhaila, there actually is one in Maryland again- but I have to think it's days are numbered.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/storelocator/search.jsp?_requestid=2988287#page=details&id=12400016a&showGWS=true

There's a FLGS in the old Bunker location, much closer to Baltimore... this one is in the middle of nowhere. Really not sure why they bothered opening it after a several year hiatus, several other independent stores stepped in to fill the gap and it seems kind of redundant now... having lost tons of "market share" locally to other stores with the long hiatus, and new obscure location.

 RiTides wrote:
Yeah, I guess that move of the HQ from Maryland didn't really work out... and now there is an independent FLGS in the old Maryland Bunker location, so we're much better off for it

Dropzone Games is also run by the former GW staff that worked in Baltimore.

The move from Baltimore to Memphis worked just fine, at first.

The managers they chose to hire locally didn't exactly imbue the GW traits of "Honesty, Integrity and Humility" (IIRC the quote correctly). Over the next few years all of the staff they brought from Baltimore to work there were gone, the remaining staff had no connection to wargaming at all, it was just another job to them (and there was a ton of internal theft).

Then you had the "cost reduction scheme" (with the appropriate loss of staff). That was the initial nail in the GW Memphis coffin. The USA had stock issues so they had to order product from the UK, but the UK weren't even providing them with what was ordered. So you had a lot of managers trying to cover their collective butts because they had goals and objectives they had to fulfill, but couldn't and weren't.

You don't think they were just going to let themselves get fired, did you? Nope. The "blame game" got really bad around 2007. At this point the few experienced staff that was left were starting to become a threat to those less experienced, or less competent managers. Direct Sales didn't need 2 supervisors so one was "gotten rid of". If you fire someone you save money since you don't have to pay them severance.

The only guy left in metal casting never had moldmaking training and was only with the company for a few months. He wound up in DS picking orders and doing what little casting was needed, but most of what they needed before the Bits range was discontinued they ordered from the UK so the casting dept was pretty much "for show" from that point on. Even though it went down from 5 machines and 6 vulcanizers to just one casting machine that barely got used.

When you have managers who are more interested in their own skins and an HR manager that allows staff to be "thrown in front of the bus" those managers get to stay in power for a long time before they get found out. Too bad the damage is already done by that point. GW lost a lot of great staff that had experience the company needed. But we live in a disposable world now, the attitude is "We can always find someone else". Except that really isn't true, it very hard to find staff with real experience.

GW Memphis had a lot of potential, they even had plans for a Bugman's Bar there, but GW made very poor staffing decisions and those decisions had consequences that might not have been felt right away but you can (IMHO) pretty much blame much of what GW has become on events that transpired years ago in Memphis.

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:

 Ravenous D wrote:

Most of the stores in Canada are becoming one man stores. Langstaff and Durham are already one man stores, the Toronto "bunker" is still there with 2 years on the lease left. Square one is a mall store (and run by tits). I cant speak for the rest of them.

Ottawa used to have 2 stores; a Bunker in a mall and a (what used to be considered) small secondary store in another mall.

Bunker store closed down a few years ago and the small store turned the storage area into a gaming area and had about 5 or 6 tables. They closed down very recently - late last year and moved into a 1-woman store with - like - 2 tables and a demo table.

Good luck ever getting a game in there, you have to call ahead and reserve a table and even then as many have mentioned the hours don't make any sense. It's a damn shame, the bayshore location was decent, especially on thursdays.

 Kroothawk wrote:
If the trend continues, GW will get a 1-man Nottingham-HQ with only Tom Kirby left.
But then again, he would have to actually work for his money

I'm sure his parachute will have deployed long before then heh