Not so rosie for GW

[manrogue]

A report on it i'm reposting purely as i like the title -
http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/comp...64920.html

Edit - and a final one from a retailer on Dakka who used to be massively pro GW-
GW report - We also experienced some decline in sales through independent stockists.

mikhaila wrote:
Saying what I really think would unleash a torrent of angry screams that would bring a tear to the eye of Khorne.

A toned down version.....

I think GW used to be one of the most awesome companies to work with, sold amazing models worth the money, and supported retailers more than any other company.

I'm sort of disgruntled because:
-Of the couple of hundred people I knew at GW, only a couple remain.
-Games Day is...lets say "lacking", and be polite. I used to take down 20ft displays with 1500 models and run events. Those days are gone.
-GW does not run any events besides "games day".
-I carry all GW items i can stock. That wall has shrunk by 25 feet in the last few years, as they offer less and less items, and move blisters, finecast, and even plastic model kits to mail order.
-So many kits are missing from my walls, that i can't sell someone an Army. I can only get Brettonian knights. Dwarfs are limited to miners, cannon, and warriors. Other missing kits include High Elf archers, minotaurs, and dire wolves. All blisters have pretty much gone away, so forget about special characters, and generals. Hard to sell a customer on a game when i don't have all the pieces he wants to play with.
-I come to Dakka for GW news. They don't tell me about new releases until the week before. No preview copies, no hints, no way to get pre-orders or excite the customers.
-I cannot use the marketing tools and techniques I learned from GW, because of GW's current disinformation policies.
-Prices are accelerating so fast that it is getting harder and harder to sell their games and models.
-Rules are published online. I don't even know what some of the 40k rules are, since I don't have those rulebooks.
-Specialist Games have been squatted.

I love GW games. I own dozens of armies and thousands of models. I'm disappointed that the company has fallen so far.

And mostly I'm angry because I don't know why. Nothing makes sense from a business standpoint. They are driving their business lower and lower. I can't believe that the people making the decisions care about GW as a company existing in the future.

I am old and bitter and one day I will find those responsible for ruining the company I loved and put a Choppa between their eyes.

mikhaila wrote:
Yes, that space has been filled with Bolt Action, Gale Force 9 Scenery, and bitz, and a life sized genestealer clawing its way through the wall.

And while GW shrank, the move to the bigger store let us double the space we gave to Warmachine, Malifaux, and Flames of War. We brought in Infinity, hugely expanded reaper, carry a lot more historical figures, and a half dozen other miniature games.

And GW keeps shrinking as part of the store, and my sales of GW go down because I have less to sell, and people are are rushing to pick up new games.

Because somehow GW sees this as a good thing?