The Discount Wars

From: Peter Ramos <pramos2_at_...>
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 10:16:04 -0500

Hi!

Those who frequent the news groups may have seen the many threads regarding
GW and the war on online stores. As of August 1, 2000 GW will only allow
discounts up to 20% from online stores or they will close their accounts. I
am really not sure of the legality of this in the US, but the online people
are running scared and no opposition is being made. GW wins by default. Of
course GW may lead this but it is the regular hobby shops who are also
applying pressure to the distributors to deal with online stores. Alliance
distributions (a major games distributor) has "axed" online stores with no
physical storefront. Gameshack a online store that gave 40% off on GW stuff
is not distributor-less. This due to a rat hobby store owner who complained
about him.

Its getting pretty fierce and in the end we are the losers, since great
discounts will soon disappear from the net. As an ex-retailer I do not
subscribe to the notion that online discounters affect hobby stores. I blame
it on the their almost universal lack of business sense that they may be in
financial straits. In my travels through the country one thing I always do
is visit local stores. I can say that in all those visits I have found TWO
stores that really stand out, all the rest being rather ill-runned with lack
of merchandise on the shelves or good customer service. Most successful
stores have an online presence too and discount so they don't have to fear
from the online-bogeyman.

Store loyalty? My loyalty is to low prices and good customer service, of
which I have found more online that at stores. In house gaming? I have
played more on my own turf than a store, besides the reason to have in house
gaming is to attract more business, not some altruistic feeling of helping
the game community.

What is everyone stance on these issues? Is your local store good enough? Or
do you buy almost exclusively online?

Peter
Received on Sun Jul 02 2000 - 15:16:04 UTC