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 Kosake wrote:
China is doing pretty good today. They are no longer just the source for cheap, low-quality plastic junk. I think almost anything can now be produced in china at pretty high quality, if you take care of propper quality control.

Personally, I don't think that production in UK is so much more expensive. They have everything they need in place. Yes, the wages are higher, but given the possibilities for automatization, I don't think there are that many people employed in production lines anyways. Packaging can be done by students and similar jobbers for low wages...

If GW would actually do some market research and refrain from alienating what fans and customers they still do have, they could easily reduce the prices and still make more money than they do now.

It's sort of a economy of scale thing. Even if you save 1 cent having them made in china, if you are making a million boxes, then you save $10000. I don't have any numbers, ,but that's kinda the basic idea. The more product you make, even the smallest saveings and costs add up fast.

Not only that, there's lots of below the line costs to employing your own staff.

There's National Insurance contributions, pensions, you have to employ people to make sure you're employing your other people correctly, then there's things like sick pay and holidays. Then maintaining a safe and healthy work environment brings yet further costs.

Believe me, if it were as simple as just paying the cost of the salary and nothing more, outsourcing would be much less attractive.

Even below-the-line costs need to be met when outsourcing.
If the employees cost less to 'run' for the outfit in China, that's another reason they can undercut the locals.
But, since a lot of the cost of an employee is for things staff in China are reported not to get, cost of living just amplifies that.

So, if GW opened a GW-owned factory in China, no problem.
If they outsourced the work to a company based in China, that's not the same at all. I'd rethink my purchases from then-on.

But, since there used to be a US-based factory, they're less-likely to open a new one when they've already closed down an old one.
There's a huge difference between a US factory and one in China, though.

My main expectations of moving manufacturing to China:
GW's revenue going out of the country, just by a UK-based company currently employing UK employees,
Quality staying about the same,
China's general employment standards reportedly being poor,
Extra restrictions brought in by GW because their grip on their IP is loosened, and the chance or recasts going up.

Can't say it would bother me in the slightest. Once they are put together and painted, theres no real difference.

Didn't GW attempt to move production to China a few (probably many now, I'm getting old) years ago, then realize it wasn't worth the hassle (missing/ripped off product) and brought it back to the UK?

They had some FW stuff for a very limited period made in China.

They had some Vac formed terrain made there, it was terrible.

But that's about it other than the now closed Memphis plant.

 slowthar wrote:
I'd be like... Konichiwa, bitches.

Not too related with op but... This is pretty racist. And offensive.

 adamsouza wrote:
I buy GW products made in China all the time.... Oh... wait, did you mean GW products actually produced by GW ?

Brotha from anotha motha.

 Azreal13 wrote:
Not only that, there's lots of below the line costs to employing your own staff.

There's National Insurance contributions, pensions, you have to employ people to make sure you're employing your other people correctly, then there's things like sick pay and holidays. Then maintaining a safe and healthy work environment brings yet further costs.

Believe me, if it were as simple as just paying the cost of the salary and nothing more, outsourcing would be much less attractive.

Yes, being a responsible corporate citizen sucks! I kid you, I kid. As a privately owned business, it's our point of pride to contribute to national programmes like those. It means we recognize the good that publicly funded projects like insurance and infrastructures can make. As a publicly traded company... I don't know how corporate ethics and "vision" come into it. Pretty low I would wager.