So I go to the Games Workshop Los Angeles Battle Bunker yesterday for our big Imperial vs. Ork Apocalypse Game. And being that it was May 19th, the day GW was releasing their big slate of Space Marine Finecast, I was prepared to spend a hundred dollars or so for some cool models. Then I discover that all the new Finecast models are DIRECT ONLY. Meaning you have to buy them on the Games Workshop Warhammer 40,0000 New Releases page.
Now that makes no sense to me. Important Space Marine models that you are trying to sell tons of and you are only able to get them by ordering direct? That just makes no sense. I seriously believe that Games Workshop doesn't get the whole idea of the impulse purchase. Veteran gamers like all my buddies and I WANT to spend money on cool models. We will walk in the Battle Bunker and look for stuff to buy and add to our armies. But Games Workshop is taking that away and it hurts THEM, not me. Because with no impulse purchases, I will be much more clinical about what I buy. I have to go online to buy and that means I think about it a lot. NO impulse purchase.
I am not one of those people who disses GW at every turn. I love the company. But frankly, sometimes their policies make no sense. And this is one. I want these models in my store so I can pick them up, see them and have stuff to buy whenever I walk in the store.
Now we can await the price increases I guess.
Loken
Devils Advocate Here,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that direct only items probably lose some impulse sales, but there is also a cost to a full scale retail distribution. If you are running a business, you sometimes make decisions that lose sales, and hopefully in making those decisions you lose less in profit than you would have paid in cost.
On another note, direct only also allows GW to produce less of the miniature for a release (i.e. faster release) and to better control quality on the smaller quantities.
And also sell less before the annual price hike.
ReplyDeleteBy going to direct order only for finecrap, GW has eliminated the last line of quality control, your ability to select an unflawed/undamaged blister, by eyeballing every blister pack. They have successfully transferred the additional time and opportunity cost, brought about by their flawed product, from their bottom line to the customer.
ReplyDeleteI'd wager it's because they don't have the numbers to stock an excess of them in stores yet. Also, if they don't have to sell to the retailer at wholesale, you buy the whole thing from them at full MSRP (plus outrageous shipping) and they don't loose out on the 35% that normally goes to a store.
ReplyDeleteI believe it's not so much an issue of stock but rather price gouging, as they deny independent retailers the ability to carry the Finecast and undercut their prices. I'm betting they'll make them more 'available' post July price hike.
ReplyDeleteHuh? Any independent retailer can order these for you. My local one actually orders these as they get release. They look silly hanging from the rack in ther white generic blisters, but you can look at the back and decide to buy them or not. Just picked up a rune priest in fine cast a few weeks ago from them.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but whereas a retailer's cost is normally 55% MSRP for non-direct-only items, it is only about 90% MSRP for direct only items! That makes it so that retailers only stock direct only items if they are hardcore into supporting the hobby as opposed to making money. When you figure in the overhead, shelf space, etc - that 10% margin just isn't enough to support your FLGS.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the issue of store space. I don't know how big the stores in the US are, but here in the UK our average GW store (other than Nottingham) is generally quite small. An extra 40 blisters/box sets even if they only have one of each would take up more space than is available.
ReplyDeleteI agree. A finecast blister, which is nicely suited to conversions and creative work, sitting on the shelf when you're busy chatting with pals about army ideas? That's the core of impulse buys.
ReplyDelete