Why go to your local GW?

[ThePenitentOne]

My local GW is a five minute walk from work and located in a mall if I want snacks. It isn't huge, but they do have some opportunities for gaming. We have a few FLGS, but the only one that was really competition for GW in terms of product availability has closed. The people who work and hang out at the local GW are cool people. They've managed to find things that were unavailable elsewhere by contact suppliers in other cities I couldn't get to- I managed to get my hands on a copy of Into the Dark a month or so ago thanks to their hard work on behalf.

 

Even FLGS don't have some of the things I want in stock, and when I have to order online, I arrange store pick-up to take advantage of free delivery.

 

And FLGS has to sell other games too- this is fine, of course, but I am not in the market for other games right now, so the only thing that matters in a store is the amount of GW product.

 

Now when I visit my father-in-law in Barrie? Their FLGS has more GW stock (and rare stuff too) than my GW back home, but the also don't have a GW in town to compete with, so a large part of their business is being the default GW shop for the city.

[Kallas]

1 hour ago, Stitch5000 said:

What was it previously? 

For all this "nu-GW is bad and evil" rhetoric, it has ALWAYS been about making money and stores have always been a stage for selling. 

It absolutely has always been a place for promoting the business more than actually driving sales, but it used to be friendlier to veterans - I say this from experience of my time working there: we used to hold a Veteran's Night on Tuesday evening, with multiple tables laid out and people would come in to play, and if the normal spread of tables (fewer than Vet's Night, but still on top of the demo spaces) were available people could still come in to play; the notion was that people playing would spark interest.

 

Nowadays, and I saw this transition happening during my time there, pick up games in GW stores are typically not available - the space is used solely for demo games, or specific events that they're running which are almost all geared towards new players. I even tried to jump in to the Kill Team league my local GW started running, but the amount of time and space they allocated to running it (compared to the demo spaces which were overall larger) meant that the boards we got to play on were half the normal size, and games rarely actually finished (usually ending in Turning Point 2 or 3).

 

So while GW Stores have always been about getting name recognition and awareness, and less so about direct sales (more about the hook), they have definitely (in my experience anyway) transitioned away from a supporting part of a local gaming community and much more into an isolated and almost purely business driven endeavour. Hell, during my time working there, I was also a member of a local gaming club (which still runs, though COVID did a lot of work to weaken it) and the staff would regularly cross-pollinate: we'd go play at the LGCs (just because we were hobbyists, but also we ran events and stuff), and with things like Veteran's Night at GW we would help build the community (at VN, we'd be able to recommend people the LGC as an additional/alternative night for gaming, and growing the connections). 

 

So IMO it's not so much a hard 90 degree turn away from what it was, as much as it feels more like a long, slow turn away from community building and more directly into being just the media/marketing wing of GW as a whole. Others may disagree, and that's fair - I don't tend to frequent my GW much any more, because they have little to offer (in terms of range, because as others have said, prices are higher and the range is very heavily limited) and don't cater to my demographic (veteran, not a new player), so maybe other GWs are better for it, and maybe for those who are brand new to the hobby it's fine.

[Dark Legionnare]

9 minutes ago, Kallas said:

It absolutely has always been a place for promoting the business more than actually driving sales, but it used to be friendlier to veterans - I say this from experience of my time working there: we used to hold a Veteran's Night on Tuesday evening, with multiple tables laid out and people would come in to play, and if the normal spread of tables (fewer than Vet's Night, but still on top of the demo spaces) were available people could still come in to play; the notion was that people playing would spark interest.

 

Nowadays, and I saw this transition happening during my time there, pick up games in GW stores are typically not available - the space is used solely for demo games, or specific events that they're running which are almost all geared towards new players. I even tried to jump in to the Kill Team league my local GW started running, but the amount of time and space they allocated to running it (compared to the demo spaces which were overall larger) meant that the boards we got to play on were half the normal size, and games rarely actually finished (usually ending in Turning Point 2 or 3).

 

So while GW Stores have always been about getting name recognition and awareness, and less so about direct sales (more about the hook), they have definitely (in my experience anyway) transitioned away from a supporting part of a local gaming community and much more into an isolated and almost purely business driven endeavour. Hell, during my time working there, I was also a member of a local gaming club (which still runs, though COVID did a lot of work to weaken it) and the staff would regularly cross-pollinate: we'd go play at the LGCs (just because we were hobbyists, but also we ran events and stuff), and with things like Veteran's Night at GW we would help build the community (at VN, we'd be able to recommend people the LGC as an additional/alternative night for gaming, and growing the connections). 

 

So IMO it's not so much a hard 90 degree turn away from what it was, as much as it feels more like a long, slow turn away from community building and more directly into being just the media/marketing wing of GW as a whole. Others may disagree, and that's fair - I don't tend to frequent my GW much any more, because they have little to offer (in terms of range, because as others have said, prices are higher and the range is very heavily limited) and don't cater to my demographic (veteran, not a new player), so maybe other GWs are better for it, and maybe for those who are brand new to the hobby it's fine.

This is near word for word what happened to the old GW near me (25 miles away) that closed down back in the 5th edition 40K days.

 

It went from being a community hub of all things; painting, modeling, and playing to becoming basically all about hooking new people and getting sales made. (It always was, but you could feel and see in changes how it became THEE 'sole' objective) Drove pretty much all the existing players that frequented it away and we spread into the nearby FLGS

 

Which, I get it, a business needs to sell goods to stay afloat, and it almost assuredly closed down because it wasn't making good quotas; but that stopped all of us near unilaterally back in the day.

 

Crying shame really, the manager was super friendly, a great hobby loadstone for painting, kitbashing, etc... (Taught 14 y/o me how to drybrush and highlight) and absolutely wanted to return it to the older ways, but "orders from on high" said otherwise.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dark Legionnare

[GreenScorpion]

I would probably go to a local GW, at least to check on specific things, but only if I had one actually close.

This is actually the closest one and as you can  see it is not even in the same country

[Marshal Rohr]

If you already collect GW the brick and mortars aren’t for you and you’re not supposed to go to them beyond picking up your online orders and exclusives. 

[phandaal]

There are 2 GW stores within easy driving distance of me.

 

Last time I went to either was to order and then pick up the anniversary Votann miniature. When I went to buy the mini, the manager showed up late to open the store, and spent time unpacking some boxes before asking what I was there for. Then when the model arrived, I actually found out because I had set a reminder on my phone to call the store and check on it. So, the service at that one is not great.

 

The other store, I went a couple of years ago to pick up something on a Sunday when the nearby FLGS was closed (they have since added Sunday hours). The manager there tried to upsell me on a lot of things I did not need or want, which is what he did when I went there a couple of years before that last time.

 

So it is like any other store. If the experience is good and they give you something you want, then you go back. If not, you don't.

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by phandaal

[Orion]

It's a convenient location and the staff are chill.
They run events and stuff like armies on parade and combat patrol tournaments.

[Firedrake Cordova]

My reasons are exactly the same as those of @Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch's - the staff are all good painters, and very helpful and generally nice people.  

[Mechanicus Tech-Support]

Do I go there often? No, will I still pop in and pick up the occasional thing? Yes 

Would I go there to play? Yes 

 

Unlike the lucky Frater in the UK or US there is veeeery little discount to purchasing outside of GW here (Max 10% so really Im just not paying taxes on the models)

The Staff and especially the manager have been there fooorever (16ish years), the look on his face when I say I remember him from when I was 16 is priceless (im 34 now).

 

When the internet was getting horror stories about GW stores in the 2010's (no FW, no 3rd party bits, etc etc) this store allowed FW, would order for you through the store, allowed to use converted models (60/40 split between GW parts and non), gets REALLY excited when you bring in a scratch built anything etc. They've never seemed super....corporate and more fans of the hobby.

 

Does what they can to grow the hobby - The bit that sticks out for me was 2013/14'ish a bunch of older customers asked about running a necromunda (The oop original at the time) campaign. The manager could have said no they dont sell that anymore, instead they made an entire league, custom multi story hivecity board the whole works, would even let you go through the stores bit box to help with conversions.

 

I can literally pop in on almost any day of the week and sit down and paint, no hassle   
Plenty of tables for open games, actively encourages said open games, just call in first and make sure there's no corporate event running or something.

 

TLDR: At GW I get the same friendliness and pretty much the same price as my FLGS just a muuuch bigger selection 

[The Praetorian of Inwit]

I like my local GW but its just so unreliable as to when it will be open or not. I like buying from there as I like to support physical stores wherever possible and Warhammer is extremely important to me so I want to support the hobby as much as possible. 

[Blurf]

My local GW is about a 25 minute drive from both my house and my work, compared to half that or less for every FLGS in the area. The only time i've gone there is if I was already in that area for some reason or for the 'in store only' promotions.

 

If I'm paying full retail, I'm doing it at stores I play at.

[CL_Mission]

My local store is in a shopping centre about 25 minutes away, if I'm over there for other things I'll pop in for paints but I wouldn't make the trip just for GW. The staff seem nice enough and I've had some ok conversations with them about painting. I'm not really sure what it's like when it comes to opportunities to game since I've never inquired.

There is an independent store a little further out from the GW, not really convenient for buying a couple of paints but I know they have much better facilities for gaming though I think it's limited to certain days (other days are given over to TCGs and board games). It's got a lot of great stock for various systems but I just don't find myself in the area very often.

Edited October 26, 2023 by CL_Mission

[FashaTheDog]

With four and a half (the half has no gaming space) local stores and a GW within an easy 45 drive or less plus another that is a less than easy 45 minute drive, the fact that I have only not stopped in the GW store more than once has been a combination of recovery from major surgery and events I cannot yet finish at other stores.  I plan to head there from time to time as I heal if the timing will not interfere with things like work or family obligations.

 

The one time I stopped in gave a good impression and I can see me shipping there and picking up so I have an excuse to buy something else.  Not that I need an excuse, but my towering wall of 'hobby to do', that is literally 10' high demands an explanation on why I am trying to fit more on the 4' wide floor to ceiling bookcase next to me that is making ominous creaking noises.  I assume those noises are assurances that all is well.

[Flaherty]

The browsing experience at a GW store is hard to beat. Having most of the boxes facing front, and everything sharing a consistent look is a pleasant aesthetic. They also tend to have a lot of inventory, particularly paints. I wouldn't make it my main store, but it does tend to encourage the occasional impulse buy.

 

I'm lucky in that my local LGS might as well be a GW with the inventory they carry. It's nice to support a locally owned business that offers a decent discount. 

 

 

[Naryn]

On 10/25/2023 at 10:29 PM, Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch said:

@Dark Shepherd’What is enough to make up for larger gaming space, public bathrooms, easily-available snacks, multiple staff meaning the store doesn’t have to close for the manager’s lunch break, 3rd party models, paints, and tools, secondhand models on the cheap, and more amenities, such as a more convenient location?

 

Well, the easy answer is that my local GW has all of those things except for 3rd party stuff, and is like a block from my work. All the employees are friendly, huge painting and gaming space, treats and beverages for when I get hungry... I spend an alarming amount of time and money there. My local non-GW gaming stores are cheaper, but inconvenient to get to and don't do secondhand models.

[Warden-Paints]

10 hours ago, Naryn said:

Well, the easy answer is that my local GW has all of those things except for 3rd party stuff, and is like a block from my work. All the employees are friendly, huge painting and gaming space, treats and beverages for when I get hungry... I spend an alarming amount of time and money there. My local non-GW gaming stores are cheaper, but inconvenient to get to and don't do secondhand models.

 

Your local GW sounds like a great store. They sell food, drinks and second hand models? 

[Bryan Blaire]

Only for exclusive models/items.  I’m too far down the hobby trumpet for me and GW to expect anything else, and both parties know it.

 

Last time I was at a GW was to pick up my Cursed City expansions.

[Bouargh]

It is too far away from where I live now (3:30 hour drive, which makes it closer than @GreenScorpion´s one from 1 hour drive) and I currently have NO reason to go there anyway.

 

6 or 7 years ago, while I was in a diferent country, the closest GW store was 2 blocks away - 10 min walk max - and there was no other FLGS (unless driving 100 km). But even through this proximity and monoply situations, I went only for pick up online order. Why? Clearly the quality of the service was low because of the One-Army-Man policy. The lone store manager/seller had too much to do between welcoming customers, managing stock, doing the usual job of painting advises and animations/referees for events... And the bad cop/good cop role too because of ill education of kids there. Steping into this store was not an experience worth of being recorded. A clue about it? The sheer turnover of this single Store Manager: head was changing every 4 o 5 months. Sign of an exausting job.

At this time already the target was attracting new young players. The vets were big enough to manage their hobby´s life by themselves...

 

Should I accidentaly  be in the neibourghood of a GW store I would anyway eventualy stop and step in. Afterall, I am addicted, so I would probably drop an eye (or two) and buy a small stuff I do not need or more. Just like in a IKEA store... You do not need anything or wisj to lurk only at 1 not so critical item and yet you end up this 10 other small products...

[LameBeard]

On 10/26/2023 at 12:04 PM, Beaky Brigade said:

1. The sprue recycling collection - This is really appreciated and I hope they continue it

Does this still happen everywhere? I had forgotten about that - will ask the next time I am in my local GW. I buy paint or White Dwarf now and then. The manager's a nice guy. Mostly I go in there to moan about Star Wars Legion because I know that he'll be contractually obliged to join in.  If Asmodee has a physical store near me I could go there and moan about GW.

[MegaVolt87]

On 10/26/2023 at 8:19 PM, Felix Antipodes said:

I used to swing by my local GW a lot, mainly for the latest White Dwarf or BL release but loading up on hobby supplies or the occasional mini I was after but hadn’t picked up yet.  While there I’d check out the painters and ongoing games and have chats with staff and/or customers.  I’ve never had one particularly close to me but that was okay (and probably made it a bit of an adventure).

 

Nowadays, they are small(ish), under-stocked and, worst of all, under-manned.  Several times when I’ve been in the area, I’ve swung past to pick up something only to find the joint closed lunch/nature break, something I find aggravating (and not just a GW thing nowadays).  If they are open, I rarely find any painters or gamers on site as there is usually not enough for both.

 

To make matters worse, there is even a FLGS in the immediate area either.  Maybe I should have had a different set of priorities (instead of near schools or transport links) when I was house shopping! 

 

This is pretty much my GW experience in the last ten plus years. The worst products are BL novels in stock. Most GW's had an extensive range, now its a small shelf with a hodge podge of rando crap. I never used to have to shop anywhere else for BL novels but a GW store. I think the small, dinky warhammer stores hurt the brand. GW sees its products as premium, but the shopping experience for them is certainly not. 

[Cenobite Terminator]

I got some really cool pins today. One is an Imperial Fist the other is a dwarf.

[Ahzek451]

Mostly never, but I'll go if:

 

1. Exclusive mini pickup.

2. I'm in the area and bored

3. Last resort if I need a paint or model my usual stores may not have at that moment.(I'll order online if I'm not in a rush). 

[RWJP]

For me, I only ever go into a GW store if I am picking up the free mini of the month, or if i'm killing time while I am out and about.

In my area we have two big FLGS and two GW stores. The FLGS are closer and easier to get to and both have free parking nearby. The GW stores are both town centre stores and nearby parking is expensive. Add on the discounted prices from the FLGS and it's really a no brainer.

[KJB]

Easier to hide purchases from the store than trying to intercept the Amazon driver...

[Helias_Tancred]

I go for two reasons. First one, I like the current manager, he has been a store regular for years before becoming the manager. A very likable guy. I like to throw some money his way and support him in his job. Plus he's done a terrific job with bringing in new people, putting on store events, etc. He's very enthusiastic.! So yeah him. Secondly there's often times the GW store has something, especially paints, that the several local game stores in the area don't have.  It's a 30 minute drive for me, but I don't mind.  Yes I do patronize my local GW store and those are my reasons why.