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Found out gw has an issue with their stores, my nearest store is actually smaller than my living room. With only 4 tables, it can be a struggle to find a match. I want to hear your thoughts on what they should invest in on their stores.

Close them down, then get bankrupt because of people not being stupid...mostly...and rather buying at other online competitors, get taken over by a company that knows how to design a game, everyone wins.

Focus on the LFGS and not shaft them.

Remove the 1 man store concept

Bring back the mega bunkers instead in Key locations as mini distribution centers and a showcase type place with awesome terrain and events that people can genuinely get excited for.

My only issue with it is the cliques and groups that eventually take over. so actual management needs to be a thing.

 Desubot wrote:
Focus on the LFGS and not shaft them.

Remove the 1 man store concept

Bring back the mega bunkers instead in Key locations as mini distribution centers and a showcase type place with awesome terrain and events that people can genuinely get excited for.

My only issue with it is the cliques and groups that eventually take over. so actual management needs to be a thing.

Yeah, pretty much as Desubot said. The one-man store concept is flawed in almost every conceivable fashion short of adding slightly more exposure for the company (I say "slightly" because the locations of these box stores is usually in a very backwaters area...well, at least everyone I've seen).

 Desubot wrote:
Focus on the LFGS and not shaft them.

Remove the 1 man store concept

Bring back the mega bunkers instead in Key locations as mini distribution centers and a showcase type place with awesome terrain and events that people can genuinely get excited for.

My only issue with it is the cliques and groups that eventually take over. so actual management needs to be a thing.

I think that's the only problem with the jack of all trades Hobby Shops which have a gaming community I've often found them a bit intimidating because of the regulars forming their own cliques and it's just not as easy to enjoy myself in a place like that. There are also players of a bunch of games so the cliques only deepen. At a GW everyone is there for the same thing and it feels more of a varied crowd comes in than lots of alpha nerd types.

The one man stores are pretty flawed though and seems to be something they did to maintain markets in small towns such as the one i live in. I actually remember first getting into the hobby we didn't even have a GW and i got my stuff from a Hobby Shop which is amusingly just 5 minutes walk from where they built the GW back in the day. Before it was built the nearest ones were a 60-90 minute drive to the nearest City so i was happy when we got a local store even if it's tiny. Used to have 3 staff when it started out and i wish they'd go back to it. Not so bad when it's quiet but when there are people doing games and painting lessons and you come in wanting to ask about stuff the one guy as much as he tries struggles to give people the one on one attention the interaction and on hand advice which is the reason people choose to go to a store over just buy everything online along with to use their facilities for stuff.

I guess the choice is really either increasing the minimum number of staff per store and to some extent the size. My local one is fairly small though not ridiculously small they'd need to figure out what stores are fit for purpose then get rid of stores not so much to save money while increasing staff numbers for stores they keep making them better able to suit the needs of customers. The only downside is that in some smaller towns they lose that local store and have to find ways to get to the nearest larger store but perhaps when you look at the size of these local markets who will either start using the internet, traveling to the nearest GW or the nearest Hobby Shop it's not such a bad thing. They could become more linked to local stores not really under their banner as official affiliates that they distribute to along with training some staff to teach games and painting along with giving advice so that aspect isn't lost for GW fans in small areas.

I completely agree with all of you, apart from the one man stores. They should have more staff in larger stores, but in mine you can hardly fit all the customers in. Adding more staff would just be uncomfortable for everyone.

Nothing, just write better rules.

Warhammer should be a setting for us to tell our own stories on the tabletop every weekend when you get your pick up game.

Assuming we want GW to maintain a significant store presence beyond centrally located megastores/battle bunkers in the big cities, they should go back to their roots and turn their stores back into actual game stores. Sell all the big games, support all the big games, be the FLGS.

Here is what GW needs to do.


1) Close all their stores, shift all sales to third party retailers, only sell a few select products directly. Let your distributors sell your product for you. Its more efficient and saves money in the long run.

2) Outsource all rule production and development to Fantasy Flight Games. People play your games for the rules, so let people who know how to make rules write them.

3) Make package deals that actually save customers money, have regular sales on various holidays. Have starter boxes for each faction that make a legal army and save the customer money. Allow your distributors to charge whatever they want for your product, you've already been paid.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Here is what GW needs to do.


1) Close all their stores, shift all sales to third party retailers, only sell a few select products directly. Let your distributors sell your product for you. Its more efficient and saves money in the long run.

2) Outsource all rule production and development to Fantasy Flight Games. People play your games for the rules, so let people who know how to make rules write them.

3) Make package deals that actually save customers money, have regular sales on various holidays. Have starter boxes for each faction that make a legal army and save the customer money. Allow your distributors to charge whatever they want for your product, you've already been paid.

Gasp! but then they would need to actually compete in the market!!!!

Lower their prices.

Da Stormlord wrote:
Found out gw has an issue with their stores, my nearest store is actually smaller than my living room. With only 4 tables, it can be a struggle to find a match. I want to hear your thoughts on what they should invest in on their stores.

Get rid of them all. The retail locations are a stone around GW's neck at the moment because they really don't return any value above what could be had for far less of an investment if GW focused on working more closely with local retailers.

At least that's the situation in North America.

GW isn't Apple. GW doesn't need it's own flashy line of retail locations, nor can GW afford to do it properly these days.

Money sink. Get rid of it.

weeble1000 wrote:

Da Stormlord wrote:
Found out gw has an issue with their stores, my nearest store is actually smaller than my living room. With only 4 tables, it can be a struggle to find a match. I want to hear your thoughts on what they should invest in on their stores.

Get rid of them all. The retail locations are a stone around GW's neck at the moment because they really don't return any value above what could be had for far less of an investment if GW focused on working more closely with local retailers.

At least that's the situation in North America.

GW isn't Apple. GW doesn't need it's own flashy line of retail locations, nor can GW afford to do it properly these days.

Money sink. Get rid of it.

GW WILL NEVER DIE!!!!!!!
LONG LIVE GW!!!!!!

I don't think many people quite appreciate what it is that GWs store accomplish.

As for what to do;
more staff.
continue to refine locations to manage rents while maximising footfall.
Better opening hours and open Mon/Tues (enabled by more staff).
More formal linkage with clubs or FLGs, so there's a route for more experienced gamers to stay in the hobby and feed the greater community.
Tournaments or at least support for them.
Regional bunkers, real 'destination' stores to Kickstarter greater communities in cities. I think that this would be a better way to expand in the US, where the concept seems allot more popular.

Its ether that or more Community harboring programs and perhaps regional style campaign systems (since its a narrative game and stuff)

That also adds more content into WD and stuff too.

Obviously I can't speak for else where, but for those saying just shut the stores and use other retailers to sell stuff etc etc, if GW shut their local stores, I'd have no where to play, and no one to play with, as there are no local retailers, or clubs I can access.

As for making the stores better, they should just let the managers run the stores how they want to, and let the, create their own store rules etc. From what I've observed GW stores tend to be more successful when they are run as a club and less as a store

Well statu, I should clarify- the store at least in the U.S. are largely pointless and serve to only create conflict between the FLGS and the GW store (GW's idea of "buy here, play there!" Just doesn't jive with people trying to make a living).

The UK, from my understanding, is an entirely different case, so I don't have much opinion on how stores should exist there.

I like my local GW because they:

+ Allow FW
+ Allow Unbound
+ Allow any GW formations
+ Play more Maelstrom
+ Insist on painted models
+ Limit use of non-GW models

My local GW manager is very involved, friendly and supportive, and they run 3 tables.

Some of my LGS are also cool but some of the, are cliquish that don't allow FW, have weird rules like no Formations, etc.

But I can see how some don't like GW stores exactly because of the above.

Either expand them to at the very least have most/all their own lines in stock

Make sure there are at least some tables for play in places like the US that have a game in store culture (a lot less important over here)

or

dump them all (phased over a few years based on how long their leases are etc,

and spend what they save on stores and staff on advertising and at least one simple 'single box' game that features their IP to be sold to 'normal' toy/hobby retail stores


as they are they are a millstone dragging them down as they don't carry enough to prevent people from having to use online retail, (and when customers start doing that a lot of them stop shopping in the stores too)

 notprop wrote:
I don't think many people quite appreciate what it is that GWs store accomplish.

I know that they accomplish eating up nearly 50% of GWs yearly costs while only generating around 30% of the revenue. They also piss off a lot of customers with their short and constantly changing hours, endless turnover of managers and sometimes ridiculous store policies. If they were done properly, they could be great for GW. Unfortunately, the only area where GW can surpass their incompetence at rules writing is their total inability to properly run a retail store.

 notprop wrote:
I don't think many people quite appreciate what it is that GWs store accomplish.

Of course we do - they are an anchor being thrown to a drowning man.

The Auld Grump

 notprop wrote:
I don't think many people quite appreciate what it is that GWs store accomplish.

Thats a fair point. Having spent most of my gaming life without a gw store around, i really don't appreciate what they accomplish. I just see a large expense that otherwise replicates an indy store. I certainly don't see the need to pay more for them to exist (elsewhere).

 Grey Templar wrote:
Here is what GW needs to do.


1) Close all their stores, shift all sales to third party retailers, only sell a few select products directly. Let your distributors sell your product for you. Its more efficient and saves money in the long run.

2) Outsource all rule production and development to Fantasy Flight Games. People play your games for the rules, so let people who know how to make rules write them.

3) Make package deals that actually save customers money, have regular sales on various holidays. Have starter boxes for each faction that make a legal army and save the customer money. Allow your distributors to charge whatever they want for your product, you've already been paid.

In the long run this may be how the company pulls itself out of the fire.

 KiloFiX wrote:
I like my local GW because they:
+ Limit use of non-GW models

They allow this??? In a GW shop? Wat?

 Zaki66 wrote:

 KiloFiX wrote:
I like my local GW because they:
+ Limit use of non-GW models

They allow this??? In a GW shop? Wat?

What I meant was "prevent use of non-GW models"

Little Debbie used to (and may still, I don't know) have stores that sold their products. Now imagine that they opened these right next to small convenience stores/gas stations, and simultaneously put a bunch of restrictions on those 3rd party stores that sell their product. Those gas stations would switch to selling other companies products, and Little Debbie would lose the customer who walked in looking for a twinkie but walked out with a box of oatmeal cream pies. And the snack selection at the gas station would lose the valuable contribution that fudge rounds and zebra cakes add, resulting in a net loss for the snacker.

As others have said, close them all down (at least in the U.S.). They are a seriously stupid investment, and a cancer on the tabletop gaming/hobby community.
A GW store sells only GW products, which means that someone who is not interested will never walk in that store, while your typical LGS also sells comic books, Magic, Warmachine, and other games; meaning that your product is being seen by people already pre-disposed to buy it and a broader clientele in general. Selling via an LGS gives you advertising and eliminates the overhead of paying for staff and building. GW stores also compete with a general LGS, hurting their sales of GW product making it more likely that store will cease carrying it and thus end GW gaming at their location. A webstore is fine for 99% of the population if their local 3rd party retailer doesn't carry something. The end product of GW stores is a net loss to the gamer.

Not saying it's right or wrong but GW sees itself like a boutique store.

Like an Apple Store (only carrying Apple products), or like a Lego Store, or a Disney Store, Harley Davidson Store, Swiss Army Store, Nike Store, etc.

Where all of the above examples are also carried in "big box" super stores.

The only difference between GW and those companies is a couple billion dollars in annual revenue and a niche company compared to household names.

 Sigvatr wrote:
Close them down, then get bankrupt because of people not being stupid...mostly...and rather buying at other online competitors, get taken over by a company that knows how to design a game, everyone wins.

That is what i am sayings! fuk gw and their dip $hit hq.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 statu wrote:
Obviously I can't speak for else where, but for those saying just shut the stores and use other retailers to sell stuff etc etc, if GW shut their local stores, I'd have no where to play, and no one to play with, as there are no local retailers, or clubs I can access.

As for making the stores better, they should just let the managers run the stores how they want to, and let the, create their own store rules etc. From what I've observed GW stores tend to be more suessful when they are run as a club and less as a store

I am already there! no stores around me!

 KiloFiX wrote:
Not saying it's right or wrong but GW sees itself like a boutique store.

Like an Apple Store (only carrying Apple products), or like a Lego Store, or a Disney Store, Harley Davidson Store, Swiss Army Store, Nike Store, etc.

Except there's a big difference: those companies use their own retail stores as a marketing tool. There's an Apple store full of nice shiny iThings in every major mall, where countless people can walk past it and be tempted to come in and take a look. But GW doesn't use their stores this way. They put them in random strip malls in the middle of nowhere, where the only customers that will ever come in are people who already know about GW and want to buy something. So they aren't doing anything that the independent stores aren't already doing, and that makes the GW store completely redundant. It's just an independent store with a smaller range of products to sell, limited hours, and usually less gaming space.