GW Cost Cutting, Store Hours and More Changes to GW North America

[Brass Scorpion]

This will undoubtedly affect the hobby community in the stores that are being cut. How much we shall have to wait and see.

[Aldramelech]

Goodbye

[Akkon Sek]

While GW's business model has mystified me somewhat for quite some time now, the premise of single employee kiosk-esque stores is baffling.

This would _seem_ to indicate GW will rely on LGS to host events and provide gaming space, and yet they seem to make it increasingly difficult for those same independent stores to manage GW product at a respectable price point because they are pushing their internet sales. I guess they expect players to purchase online from them (relatively draconian internet sales policy if not GW), and then take it to the independent LGS to play the product?

My local store owner is constantly upset by how difficult it is for him to acquire product, how irregular it arrives, and then how he has to charge more than GW-direct because of his cost. I suppose it certainly could be smoke-and-mirrors to gouge... somehow I doubt it.

I'm not GW bashing, and it affects me not at all as I don't need a play venue. Just a bit confused about the business model.

[The West Coast Knight]

The other big problem with the GW stores is the fact that a few months back got a letter from corparate to push the Veteran players out of the stores so unless your a newb your not really welcome unless its to just buy stuff.
I stopped into my local GW this weekend which is now a one man store and the person was setting up a tournament.
I just wanted to pick up the new Battle Missions book and was asked if could wait 30 minutes for him to finish organizing the tourny.
I said no sell this to me now our I will just go to the FLGS down the road.

[billytwix]

personally i think it could work. adjusting hours to the core groups, cutting down on overhead, decreasing floor space for product, possibly having a better control over inventory. i really can't see mass looting and robbery at a smaller kiosk or micro store in a strip mall where all the product would be positioned behind the counter. i'm sure a new store model would also include a new store layout.

lets see what happens and go from there. i also agree w big red on local stores being able to capitalize on their gaming areas and hording customers to themselves. i think the kiosk store would serve as an excellent feeder to the local stores in the area by having that more centralized position in a mall area. not all new players stroll down into the hobby dungeons of yore, but alot of folks with mom's money go to the mall. where core gamers are less likely to tread.

i live quite a distance from an actual GW store. so when i stroll in its pretty much a place i want to leave immediately. as a person who has no interest in the current model i'd like to see a change: perhaps for the better?

ps i'm the most professional analyst of all GW business decisions since i make all of them and i buy all your figs back from the garbage when they die. i call for all the price hikes and i enjoy the stewing hatred and nashing of teeth when changes are made. i muddle the rules to cause you to feel like a loser when you get out gamed.
Just a light stab at all the trolls out there/JK

[Brass Scorpion]

Supposedly store operators will have a ton of freedom that managers currently do not have to run the store and events in the store as they see fit. This is one of the few positive changes I've heard from local GW employees. Hopefully this will offset some of the negative impact of the staff and hours reduction.

[HsojVvad]

So here is a question, if the stores do badly because of the one person running the store, who is to blame? Why do I have the feeling it will be the one person who is running the store that will be fired because he is not making enough sales.

[The West Coast Knight]

Supposedly store operators will have a ton of freedom that managers currently do not have to run the store and events in the store as they see fit. This is one of the few positive changes I've heard from local GW employees. Hopefully this will offset some of the negative impact of the staff and hours reduction.

Only problem is they will not be able to keep running large cool events and handle the ultimate device in the store being the cash register.
It will be up to members of the community to help the stores run events in house and its why GW needs to bring back the Grey Knight and Outrider programs to have dedicated volunteers to help do these things.

[Brass Scorpion]

A friend and I were already speculating last weekend that they will become more dependent on the community to run store events.

[Lord Azaghul]

A friend and I were already speculating last weekend that they will become more dependent on the community to run store events.

That's kind of how it works in my neck of the woods already. We don't have any actual GW stores, so usually the tourneys are hosted by the FLGS, who seem to keep more then one empolyee btw!

Even 'Ard Boyz: run by the FLGS. So I guess I don't really see this effecting me at all.

However I really don't see the rational behind the new business model, because those employees don't make enough money to really save the company that much money. Perhaps the GW stores are not doing as in much sales since the 'free' shipping is still in effect, but since they've been going their shipping model for about 9 months now it much be work. It actually encouraged me to order something I would have otherwise never purchased. So not all of GW Corp. ideas are bad!