Re: [Epic] GW Drivels! Um, I mean speaks!

From: <duckrvr_at_...>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 09:29:28 -0600

Just thought I'd let you guys know, I sent a critique of GW's ridiculous
rhetoric back to them.

Thanks for forwarding it to us, Keith.

At 05:22 PM 3/13/97 -0500, you wrote:

>>Sorry to loose you, Keith. The whole reason we wanted stores to buy Epic
>>racks is so customers can be assured of finding what they need to play at a
>>store, and not have to hunt around.
>>Any store that isn't interested in
>>carrying the Epic line properly, meaning having enough for players to play,
>>isn't really interested in helping their customers very well. So we'd rather
>>deal with the ones who really want to support the hobby well.
>>Please give us a call if you'd like to discuss it further.

The previous message was forwarded to the Space Marine mailing list at
majordomo_at_...

I have to say it is patently absurd. If you want to assure that customers
can find what they need to play, then change your distribution system.
Forcing marginal stores to buy stock that will not move quickly (if, indeed,
at all) is a heavy handed marketing technique. A friend of mine owns a
chapter approved store and carries 2 racks of WHFB and WH40K, along with a
rack of Epic, so obviously it won't hurt him greatly. However, yesterday
when I asked him about it, he said that 3 or 4 years ago he wouldn't have
been able to carry Epic at all under those conditions.

To insinuate that small stores don't have the desire to serve their
customers because they don't have the spare capital to invest in an entire
rack is at best insensitive, and at worst verging on being slanderous. GW
knows as well as any store owner that many of the items on the rack have
extremely long turn around times, and some just simply won't ever sell in
any quantity. Go into any good-sized store that carries GW figs and you
will find a box, bucket, or crate full of figs from years past that are
gathering dust, regardless of the fact that they are 50% off.

For example, how many high elf spearmen can a person buy? Everyone that
plays WHFB has 20 of them, and if they don't play high elves, then they sell
them dirt cheap or give them to their buddy who does. Pretty soon the high
elf players have a couple hundred spearmen, and never buy a metal fig. So
the small store that you have pressured into buying an entire rack has tied
up precious resources into high elf spearmen that will NEVER sell.

You are NOT ensuring that the stores carrying your products are caring for
their customers. What you are doing is eliminating any possible competition
before it grows - half-baked rhetoric not withstanding. This is fine for GW
in areas where your products are already popular, but in more rural areas
that may have a single, small comic/game shop you are simply ensuring that
the residents there will not be exposed to your product, and are therefore
limiting your own market.

At least have the common courtesy to recognize that the majority of your
customers are relatively intelligent beings capable of critical thought.
You can admit that you are using your position in the market place for
maximum leverage. Most of your customers realize GW is a business and has
to look after the bottom line (Incidentally, though, judging from the amount
of people claiming they are abandoning GW games altogether, I'd say you are
getting perilously close to crossing the elastic demand maximum point.). If
you are afraid that admitting this would alienate too many clients, then at
least have the decency to invent less transparent rhetoric.

Sincerely,
Neal Hunt
Received on Fri Mar 14 1997 - 15:29:28 UTC