GW's Behavior Already Backfiring

[Caitsidhe]

If "impulse" buys are truly their concern, they need to hire some more reputable firms dealing with sales consulting. The prices on Games Workshop products lodge them firmly in the luxury range. Only a select few people "impulse buy" luxury items. Most of us have to think long and hard about dropping the kind of coin their product requires. In short, their product is not good for impulse sales in the first place.

If you doubt me, go to your local store (any level from Walmart to Boutique) and look at the items placed by the register. These are the ones intended as "impulse" purchases. You will find that these are the cheaper items that particular store sells. By contrast, most companies that sell luxury items start an advertising campaign which hits the public long before the item itself is available. This is because they want people drooling over it and thinking about it and working it through in their minds.

I find the whole notion of "impulse" buys laughable, but sure let's go with that. Explain how seeing a picture of an elf on a bird a week early will allow this person to change his/her mind?

[Maelstorm]

The real question now is if BOLS will do the same thing. I think it would be hilarious if BOLS removed all mention of GW products from their site and youtube channel for the rest of the year. Lets see if their is a correlation to quarterly statements. I'd love to see some more focus on the star wars x wing game, warmahordes, dystopian wars, infinity, etc.

Take a look over at Beasts of War - They have gone from 75-80% Games Workshop content on their front page down to 10-20% GW content. This occured almost immediately after the last bone-head move by GW - the one that caused Mini-Wargamming to close down their storefront.

[DrLove42]

I know that to be a fact. I stopped a lot of my new Tau plans the second I heard Eldar were soon

[Power Klawz]

I guess I just don't see GW merch as luxury priced. Sure its a "luxury item" in the same sense that video games and movies and Kanye West are luxury items, they don't really do anything but waste your time (hopefully pleasurably.) but the price point is not that crazy. Like, I wouldn't impulse buy a 7 series, that's 6 figures and all that. But a hundred or so bucks here and there on a few boxes of plastic crack? Its not that far out of the picture. I'd spend that money on something else if it wasn't toys, and it would be equally as useless.

So really your definition of luxury item is purely subjective and largely dependent on your income, and if your income isn't sufficient to consider GW merchandise as a viable impulse buy then I posit you are not the target demographic, which ostensibly is the genesis of a lot of the hate swirling around GW in the first place.

[daboarder]

I know that to be a fact. I stopped a lot of my new Tau plans the second I heard Eldar were soon

And I know for a fact that hearing tyranids were getting redone had me staying in the hobby.

Stop with anecdotal evidence please.

[Power Klawz]

As to how having a longer period of time to think about a purchase before actually throwing money at it can negatively impact the impulse to buy...

well uh... yeah. That's kind of like one of those questions that answers itself don't you think?

[Inquisitor Hate Machine]

I wonder how long people will say "if they don't stop, I'll leave!" Before they actually leave...

[Nurglitch]

I did that. I got all self-righteously fed up with the early 4th edition and left. Then I tried to get other people to leave, wrote my own game, and tried out various thirdy party games. Finally, I got back in because my game had flopped and I wanted to play games that people played. And I enjoyed it. I think I needed the perspective.

[confoo22]

I wonder how long people will say "if they don't stop, I'll leave!" Before they actually leave...

As long as there's an internet where you can post anonymously so people won't know that you were at your local FLGS the next weekend looking through the GW section.

[Power Klawz]

I stopped playing for quite a few years, not because of any dissatisfaction with the product or anything though. I was just preoccupied for a few years trying to get girls to like me. Also being in the military.

I was kind of surprised that after so many years that GW was still in business. Not really sure why, I guess I just sort of figured that video games would have killed the whole market by that point in history.