With so many recent changes to pre-orders, pricing, and stock availability, Games Workshop alters their own deal again to game stores…
It’s already a rough time for game stores, as the late summer into mid-winter is one of the slowest periods for sales (not to mention people just aren’t buying as much now because of the economy), but GW really isn’t making it much easier on game stores.
This also comes on the back of Wizards of The Coast (Magic) and Asmodee (Marvel Crisis Protocol, Star Wars Miniatures, etc) doing something similar. So it’s rough out there for game stores in general.
Games Workshop Alters Their Deal Again to Game Stores
Games Workshop updated stores with the following statement one day before the rollout of their new Warhammer DOT com website:
As part of the update to our webstore, we have amended the icons identifying lines that qualify for discounts on Games Workshop.com
So, this is another problem for game stores that will undoubtedly cause confusion for hobbyists. While GW has always had web-only or direct items, they just recently changed how stores can even order their weekly new releases.
Now, products with the following icons will only be available for sale to stores (whom Games Workshop calls their trade “partners”) at the full retail price.
That makes any item with these symbols not ever worth ordering for stores as they would literally lose money on them, which forces more customers over to the new all-in-one Games Workshop website.
This means (as far as we can tell, there is no official designation key for these icons that we found) that MTO, Print To Order, Collectors, and Licensed Merch will not be getting any kind of trade discount.
Licensed Merch Symbols are found on McFarlane figures, etc, and probably more to follow.
Examples of Products Stores Will Not Order For Customers At a Loss:
The Rogue Trader rulebook is marked Print on Demand but also carries the direct order icon (arrow) that typically stores get a lower discount on, but with the PoD and collectors tags; this item is off-limits for stores to profit on.
It looks like any of the collector battletomes and codex books will all have this, meaning your store might actually lose money if you order one through them for your faction’s release.
There is no reason for stores to order items like these for customers now, as they lose money when you factor in payment processing fees and labor.
From the looks of this new policy, Games Workshop is trying to drive more and more traffic to its new webstore.
They even seem to put an emphasis on this across the site with branding like “…able to Buy the entire range of Warhammer miniatures in place online, and Free delivery to stores, etc.”
You’re Not A Game Store, Why Should You Care?
Legendary Wargame Store, Thailand
If you like getting out of your house and going to your local game store to play and meet new hobbyists, you may want to think about buying all you can from your local store when you can
Otherwise, without a significant pivot to another revenue stream, we predict that the game store industry, at least here in the States, over the next five to ten years, may experience a severe downturn as companies continue to go more direct to consumers.
We’ll have to see what stores can do to pivot (like pay-to-play subscriptions, etc). However, all this is made worse for stores when you consider all the MTO, PTO, Licensed, and Collector Items being essentially off-limits to games stores now. However, let’s hope that with the Christmas Battleforces and some other big GW releases coming, stores can get a big boost for the winter.
What do you think about the changes for stores and the new Games Workshop trade discounts?
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
