GW LA bunker downsizing

[Colonel Bindoff]

Stores in the uk are generally a fair bit smaller and it doesn't astonish me to find out that large and presumably expensive stores aren't flavour of the month for The Company. Let's face it, small stores still have a couple of tables, someone to ask about painting etc and usually a decent range of stock. And the target customer often plays with mates in one of their respective houses or at a club anyway, so why provide a large venue for free?

I'm reminded of a shop that opened up here; had ten or so wargaming tables, stocked most systems. Very helpful, would talk to you for hours about tactics, painting, whatever. But was no where near as successful as the little GW down the road with a grumpy manager and an apparent dislike for letting people play. The big store was just a low cost play pen for big kids: people did major shopping online or at places offering more money off.

GW need stores for exposure an to get new punters hooked, not to provide long term support. That's what we all go to clubs and sign up to BOLS for.

[Defenestratus]

Please tell me how they are screwing over customers? Because 'GW' is expensive? Miniatures from GW are NOT expensive. Try a 'real' hobby, like paintball, shooting, carpentry, or building cars.

I think you and I are on the same wave length here.

[Psychosplodge]

the Los Angeles battle bunker announces closing its doors for 3 days to go from Bunker to a Hobby Center.

Shrinky Shrinky.

Think that's bad? They're closing GW Meadowhall completely, it'll be a right ball ache having to park in the city centre instead..

[billytwix]

Oh, I know its bad. sorry your store is closing. my original home store ceased their operations a long time ago. a closer (under 1 hour drive) shop closed last year near my place. the bunker was a 1.5 hour drive for me. i visited there 3 times. too far for me to make the casual free time trip to get a game in or just to stop by and visit. what blew me away was the spectacle of the store. Ohhh the serious armies on display, the cosplay items hung from the walls, the campaign board, the themed tables the miniature GW museum in the corner. so much visual candy to take in.

i hope they open up a few smaller stores preferably one 5 minutes from my house

[Psychosplodge]

Oh they're both the same distance, it's just parking...considering how far you have to go I'll stop complaining, well maybe just complain less...

[Mr Mystery]

And this is why I'm chuffed my local store is no more than 5 minutes gentle stroll out my front door.

Has it's uses, such as early Saturday 'bah, out of glue' disasters.

[Daemonette666]

In Australia, we have had a great many GW stores either relocate, downsize, or close down. Those that are left are only opening on certain days with reduced hours, and on the late night shopping nights they do not open as late.

We have 2 or 3 Battle Bunkers remaining in the Sydney and outer Sydney area, and most of the regular gamers (who go to GW stores) go to them to play their games. Other than that, there has been a moderate resurgence of independent gaming stores with a few old time stores finally closing their doors after decades because did not move to the online stores to back their in store sales and they they did not have gaming tables for gamers to play on.

The big winners are the independent gaming stores that have recently opened up and become a all-in-one store. They have a store to buy all your games, models, rules, scenery, and accessories. They have the gaming tables, may of which are modular, or have cupboards underneath to allow different scenery (different scale) to be set up depending on the game being played. To top it off many are adding a cafeteria or cooking area where food can be purchased and eaten at the dining area and sometimes at or near the gaming tables.

The biggest thing is they have a decent amount of staff who are taught many of the gaming systems (all the popular ones and some of the less popular ones), and they have an attitude where they do not force you to buy all the time. I find my local gaming store to be a home away from home, and since going over the last 2 years I have not purchased much at all from GW stores. I have also expanded into a number of other gaming systems and can almost always get a game from ones system or another. I have expanded into DZC, Dystopian wars and Warhammer Invasion. I still have my older collected armies/games - Classic Battle tech (2 Clusters, a level 5 formation, and 6 mixed regiments) and 40K about 150,000 points spread over 7 Chaos Marine Battle Companies, huge armies for Daemons, Sisters of Battle, Adeptus Custodes, Adeptus Arbites, Traitor Guard, Sisters of Silence, Primarchs and the Emperor, Sisters of Battle, Female Space Marines, Pre-heresy Thousand Sons, and dozens of Super Heavies and Fliers for them all).

Now most of my 40K collection has been purchased over the last seven years from either my local gaming store, Forge World, Overseas 40K traders (before GW stopped that) or from Ebay. About 1/10th of it all was bought from actual GW stores in Australia.

I personally have found more reasons to stay away from GW stores than go to them. I got sick and tired of the constant pressure from GW staff to buy the latest stuff. When I would not buy, they lost interest in me and almost ignored me when I wanted advice on a colour scheme, painting tips or tactical advice. When they decided to keep their prices high after the Australian dollar rose in value, and then stopped all European suppliers from exporting to Australia, I finally decided to look elsewhere to both buy and play my games.

Hopefully we will see more and more large Gaming stores open up in cities around the world similar to my local store and the new one opening up in Melbourne where they provide a full service gaming experience where you can eat, play games, card and board games, organise events and tournaments with the store owner, or just sit around and work on hobby and painting with free advise (no need to pay for painting lessons).

My local gaming store is 400 meters from my door step, so less than a 5 minute walk. Which is good because I can always go home and grab a board game or something if my planned game gets cancelled.

[gendoikari87]

Please tell me how they are screwing over customers? Because 'GW' is expensive? Miniatures from GW are NOT expensive. Try a 'real' hobby, like paintball, shooting, carpentry, or building cars.

STFU models from other companies not related to gaming cost half as much for the same quality. I actually priced some, and it's frankly disgusting. If you want to make the argument that the books and rules are expensive to produce fine, but put that cost into the books.

[Digitarii]

The fact that GW is downgrading the LA Battle Bunker is mildly upsetting to me, as I go there during my once per month visit to see my Fiancee in Fullerton. I really only go in to pick up White Dwarf and the occasional model, but it was a good place to watch a game or discuss games with other players while my Fiancee would shop at other stores. I have trouble justifying buying models from them when I can buy it from Ebay or Amazon for 20 or 30 percent less.

[robrodgers46]

I only went to the Bunker once, it was kind of gross. My trusty FLGS is a far superior place to play, and if you want the larger experience there are some non-GW stores not far away that have similar amounts of tables and far superior customer service.