Warhammer stores

[Halandaar]

And I really like Brother DBadger's points, as I always do from people that worked in retail (because I never did, so I always ask them for real advice).  Like with his concessions idea.  Big box bookstores, your Waterstones or Barnes & Noble, are unable to compete against Amazon and are closing down.  They probably would appreciate something like GW attracting business to their stores, split the rent a bit.  Parents who want to read could drop off their kids in the Warhammer part, or conversely, parents who want to play Warhammer could drop off their kids in the children's books section.  It's honestly a great idea in the face of the coming current Retailpocalypse.

 

GW used to do concessions, I distinctly remember buying from one in a Debenhams in Ipswich many years ago. I wonder if part of the reason they don't any more is because the most likely candidate for these sort of things - department stores (which already have concessions for things like makeup and fashion) - are in steady decline anyway. 

[General Strike]

I love my GW store, in A2, Michigan, it's big enough for hanging and painting, has two to three tables, sometimes four if we clear off the display set. The store manager is a great guy, super knowledgeable and helpful, useable bathroom, prime out back, no pressure to buy, unless he can tell you're fighting with yourself about it.

 

All just reminds me I need to get out of retail management, it's dying.

[DBadger]

 

And I really like Brother DBadger's points, as I always do from people that worked in retail (because I never did, so I always ask them for real advice).  Like with his concessions idea.  Big box bookstores, your Waterstones or Barnes & Noble, are unable to compete against Amazon and are closing down.  They probably would appreciate something like GW attracting business to their stores, split the rent a bit.  Parents who want to read could drop off their kids in the Warhammer part, or conversely, parents who want to play Warhammer could drop off their kids in the children's books section.  It's honestly a great idea in the face of the coming current Retailpocalypse.

 

GW used to do concessions, I distinctly remember buying from one in a Debenhams in Ipswich many years ago. I wonder if part of the reason they don't any more is because the most likely candidate for these sort of things - department stores (which already have concessions for things like makeup and fashion) - are in steady decline anyway. 

 

Debenhams went through a period of having concessions like that. Toy concessions, little GAME stores, etc. But they really cut back so I think it was Debenhams' decision to get rid of them all.

 

Similarly HoF did have concessions for Hamley's. Their predecessor, Beatties, used to have enormous toy departments that would put any Hamley's to shame - with huge modeling sections which I think included Games Workshop concessions? Either way they were great for hobby supplies. But as soon as House of Fraser bought them they stripped back to the barebones clothing and perfume.

[Wassa]

I love my local Warhammer shop. Everyone tends to know each other and are really friendly.

 

I do wish they would have more than 1 person working, and had a bigger range of stock in store.

 

Being closed Monday & Tuesday isn't too bad, but having to do an online order before Saturday and wait till Weds/Thurs for it to be delivered to the store is annoying.

Sometimes it's just easier to order it from a reseller for 20% off and next day delivery.

 

I don't really understand their business model though, why only stock the models in store that are cheaper from resellers?

Why even have online resellers in the first place, just reduce the price on the GW site?

[Bat33.1]

Some stores are definite more bare bones, but it depends on the area and how well they perform. My local is in an affluent area, people have disposable income and the store does well, hence they have more staff, more hobby space, doesn't close on certain days, multiple late evening opening times etc

My local is in the top ten performing stores in the UK according to GW data and still has a single staff member, limited hours, two 4x4 tables and little shelf space for new releases.

 

Space Wolves new release was coming and 2 weeks before they pulled almost every SW kit and returned it to base, we now have a starter box and grey hunters box plus a couple of clamp pack single figures. Everything else in the range is direct. Orks got Half their kits pulled a week before Orktober including Morkanaut, Deff Dread, lootas and more. I fear for the stores future at this rate as the area it's in has lost a lot of high street big names so footfall is way down.

[Wassa]

Wheres the GW data?

[Bat33.1]

The data is internal GW so no way to prove it here. Although GW did a test with an extra member of staff for a set number of hours per week for the top ten one man stores a couple of years ago, possibly 3 now, and my local was part of the test. The local store more than covered the costs of the part time staffer but most stores did not for reasons I won't talk about online so the idea to roll it out across the higher profit/turnover UK single staff stores was dropped.

[m_r_parker]

 

I don't really understand their business model though, why only stock the models in store that are cheaper from resellers?

Why even have online resellers in the first place, just reduce the price on the GW site?

 

That's nothing to do with GW or their business model, that's just a function of allowing third parties to sell products. 

GW can indicate what the recommended retail price of the product is (usually known as the RRP) but third parties are under no obligation to sell at those prices. As long as they make a profit, they can sell the product for as much or as little as they want. With most of these vendors now not having requirements for bricks & mortar stores, and needing to pay staff to keep them open and running, it's easier to decrease the price of the product without taking a hit in profits and also become more appealing in the eyes of the consumer and generating larger sales volumes. 

Taking third party trade vendors out of the equation won't make products cheaper through the frontline GW channel. If anything it'll have a detrimental effect in areas where GW items are nearly solely available through independent stockists, as local customers will move to other supported game systems. 

[Master Commander Ajax]

Bad Moon Cafe

 

Has anyone been here yet? It seems like a different approach that could work.