# White Dwarf withdrawn from Newsagents



## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

I went down to my local Newsagents to purchase my copy of White Dwarf like i have done for the last 4 years and they did not have them on the shelves, i asked where are the White Dwarfs and the Newsagent told me that GW has stopped Newsagents from selling White Dwarf magazines.

I was shocked, and so i went around to other Newsagents that sold White Dwarf Magazines and asked where were they and they confirmed that GW has stopped White Dwarf magazines being sold through Newsagents.

I was told that the only place you can buy the magazine through GW and LFGS.

For me i just don't understand this, because those Newsagents always sell out of White Dwarf magazines.

*This only pertains to Australian Newsagents*


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## Zer0 (Jan 13, 2009)

Seems odd. Personally, I've never seen WD sold outside of GW or FLGS.


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## TheSpore (Oct 15, 2009)

A new chapter in the Great Moments of Stupidity of GW's time as a business


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Zer0 said:


> Seems odd. Personally, I've never seen WD sold outside of GW or FLGS.


In my local area there were 6 Newsagents that sold White Dwarf magazines, but now, as far as i have been told that White Dwarf has been withdrawn.


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

TheSpore said:


> A new chapter in the Great Moments of Stupidity of GW's time as a business


It does seem odd that GW would withdraw White Dwarf when it sold well at a Newsagent level.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Wait, what the hell!?


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Doelago said:


> Wait, what the hell!?


My reaction as well when i was told this by my local Newsagent.


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## newt_e (Jan 1, 2008)

I'll check my local Sainsbury's tomorrow. They normally have a dozen or so when the new one comes out - it's typically how I know there's one due as my subscription copy always seems to arrive a week or so late.


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## Codex Todd (Mar 22, 2009)

Still on shelf in my local co-op, will check next month again though! I subscribe personnally, but I don't understand why GW would limit sales to just its stores. It seems a bit stupid and counter productive, its how I got into the hobby a WD sat in my local shop, cover looked sweet and I just had to have the magazine, think it was the tyranid attack cover, still got it somewhere


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

I have made a mistake.

Apperently the Withdrawal of sale only pertains to Australia.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Phew... You almost caused me a heart attack there. :wink:


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Yeah sorry for scaring the shit out of all you non Australians.

My fault.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Lol, but it is still a bit weird that they would restrict its availability? 

How much more does WD cost over there than what it costs in the UK?


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Doelago said:


> Lol, but it is still a bit weird that they would restrict its availability?
> 
> How much more does WD cost over there than what it costs in the UK?


 
In Britain it costs 4.50GBP

In Australia it costs $11.95AuD

Which currently is 7.68GBP

or

8.97 Euro


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

Achaylus72 said:


> In Britain it costs 4.50GBP
> 
> In Australia it costs $11.95AuD
> 
> ...


£7.68??

And people in ENGLAND call it an over-priced rag. :laugh:


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## CommissarHorn (Apr 14, 2008)

Thats just typical.

Its like GW has something against Australia, since they're still using the exchange rate from 20 years ago.

"But it costs more for shipping!" Right, ok, if they shipped each individual box in a gold covered case surrounded by hot women and trained bears. Then sure, I'd believe it was all for shipping.


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## GreatUncleanOne (Apr 25, 2011)

It should shock me but it doesn't.


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## humakt (Jan 2, 2008)

Last time I was at GW HQ in the UK in January they had a notice up inhe canteen, hidden away, saying that they were no longer going to be selling WD in WHSmiths to try and increase footfall in shops when people came in to get the magazine. Not sure how logical that is.


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## redemptionlife (Mar 26, 2009)

I emailed GW about this happening about a year back. Their reponse was that all shops that were within a set radius of a GW store will no longer be able to stock WD, I told them that the idea was stupid and have not bought a copy since. Fingers crossed others will follow suit


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

I haven't noticed it disappearing but I have noticed that where Tesco and WH Smith used to have WD in the day before it was available at my GW store, they now have it a few days later. So I'm guessing they've been told to stop selling it early.


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## Bubblematrix (Jun 4, 2009)

I guess GW don't want to get sued for all the damage done when WD sucks soo bad it sucks all the other titles off the shelves...

I really don't get GW's Australian marketting (lol) strategy


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## SilverTabby (Jul 31, 2009)

It actually makes a great deal of sense if you take into account how GW works. If you randomly find WD in a shop like WHSmith, your chances of following up on it with further purchases are minimal. Randomly come across WD in a sshop that also stocks GW produce? Chances increase greatly. 
And if you are specifically looking for WD? Well, forcing you to get it from a shop that stocks GW produce is a win/win for GW...

I guess having such limited outlets in Oz might mean that if you had to go all that way for the magazine, why wouldn't you buy figures at the same time? If you could just pop around the corner you'd have less incentive...


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## Abomination (Jul 6, 2008)

@SilverTabby - that makes alot of sense

I can see what GW are trying to do by seemingly restrict availability of WD. Whether it would work or not though, I personally doubt.


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Strategically it does make sense, you want a WD you have to go to a GW or FLGS, and after you pick up your WD it is likely that staff will steer you into further purchase.

Oh and our WD are slightly differrent than the British version and our WD's are printed in Australia


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## slaaneshy (Feb 20, 2008)

You people still actually buy that 'magazine'? Seriously???


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

news agents are supplied by wholesalers, who intern decide whats worth stocking, so it stands to reason that the wholesaler made the choice to stop carrying WD for what ever reason. News agents dont get magazine stocks direct from GW, they are produced by a publisher, who sends them to the whole saler who send then to stores/newsagents/supermarkets etc with all the other magazines. If the news agent cant sell WD i would say the blame lands at the door of the wholesaler who no longer wants to carry it,shelf space is limited, profits on Mags is peanuts so they want what sells in number, so niche hobby mags always get over looked, its really a susbscription Mag anyway,its never gonna compete for shelf space unless you go to one of the seriously large chain newsagents.


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## Azkaellon (Jun 23, 2009)

slaaneshy said:


> You people still actually buy that 'magazine'? Seriously???


Apparently not anymore.:grin:


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

*read in the future fiscal report on sales in Oz* "down another 13+%...."


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

I stopped reading WD some year or so ago. I only bought the most recent one because it had necrons all over the cover... 

That was low, GW. :no:


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## Callistarius (Aug 17, 2010)

I wonder if there is some theory that this might lead to increased sales of WD subscriptions? In my case, f'rinstance, the newsagent where I get (got?) WD is about 5mins away, as opposed to abot 30mins drive for FLGS or GW store. 
On a similar GW-conspiracy theorist note - did anyone else notice their FLGS getting Necron stuff a few days after release date? I'm not sure if its GW inspired paranoia, but the two FLGS nearest me both got their stuff the Tuesday/Wednesday after the Saturday release as opposed to GW stores having it all bright and shiny on release day.


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## High Marshall Mendark (Jan 25, 2009)

I've had the same problem, so I missed out on October's WD because it never showed up at my newsagent, but the same company newsagent 10 minutes up the road had the November issue?? What's up here?? I think I'll just have to begin to subscribe...It's a shame though, because it was through the newsagents that got me into this whole world, and it's the grass-roots stuff that actually built GW, not corporate power (well that as well, but the continued support is what I mean). I just wish they actually made them like they did in Eye Of Terror...IMO that was the best time...


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

must be part of the "australia marketing" that the inde FLGS are late, nothing here like that - but no GW store in OH as far as im aware.


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## Bubblematrix (Jun 4, 2009)

You really have to ask what prat is currently in charge of GW marketting, other insanity asside - you remove one of your only sources of external advertising to non-GW customers from a place where it might get at least seen by non-GW customer to a place where quite frankly it won't. And you do this on the back of selling more stuff to people who are already going to buy that stuff?

I really don't get it, I am a GW fan in most cases, but the experimental lunacy of the GW's comms team seems to go from borderline insanity to totally missing the point, I can only explain it by thinking that somebody in the organisation thinks they are "experimenting" and being "inovative" or "breaking the marketting trend" by moving to techniques which simply make no sense!


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Fallen said:


> *read in the future fiscal report on sales in Oz* "down another 13+%...."


From a contact in GW has told me that.

So far this year it is down by 15%

Last year it was down 11%


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## Shady ed (Sep 9, 2010)

They keep losing money in Australia? Maybe they should try fair pricing as a market strategy.


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## Usaal (Apr 9, 2008)

Local Chapters store use to sell White Dwarfs, I just have not checked in a year or so as I have been going to the LFGS to pick mine up instead.


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## The Sullen One (Nov 9, 2008)

TheReverend said:


> I haven't noticed it disappearing but I have noticed that where Tesco and WH Smith used to have WD in the day before it was available at my GW store, they now have it a few days later. So I'm guessing they've been told to stop selling it early.


Yeah, I remember with WD379 my local Tesco had it out a day before GW because the stand-in guy from Manchester was surprised when I said I'd already seen it. That's still the case now and if GW are going to try and boss Tesco around... well, good luck on that.


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## Achaylus72 (Apr 30, 2011)

Whoo Hoo.

I am pleased to report that White Dwarfs have once again re-appeared on Newsagents shelves.

It appears that it wasn't GW after all, it appears that it was a distributor problem.

Happy i am.


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## CraftworldSurathin (Dec 18, 2011)

Weird. Though maybe sales are just low, or they're switching to digital? I buy White Dwarf from my LFGS, and they always have extras (granted, only a couple, and I live in a rural area).


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## Kale Hellas (Aug 26, 2009)

Achaylus72 said:


> Whoo Hoo.
> 
> I am pleased to report that White Dwarfs have once again re-appeared on Newsagents shelves.
> 
> ...


thank christ im a good 45m-1hr drive from my closest gw and thats without traffic so thank god for that.


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## ohiocat110 (Sep 15, 2010)

Fallen said:


> must be part of the "australia marketing" that the inde FLGS are late, nothing here like that - but no GW store in OH as far as im aware.


They're (finally) opening one in Cinci at the end of January. Kind of astounding, as Ohio has been a center for wargaming and tabletop gaming for a long time. That's why they put Origins (one of the biggest gaming conventions) in Columbus on a permanent basis. But better late than never I guess.


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## Son of mortarion (Apr 24, 2008)

Shady ed said:


> They keep losing money in Australia? Maybe they should try fair pricing as a market strategy.


You do realize that australia is not only in a rather remote point of the planet which makes it more expensive to ship product, and has a rather high import tax, both of which raise prices beyond the normal rate of exchange?

I would be more sympathetic if it were a country that was closer, or did not impose such high import duties, but since it is a country that is as far from england as humanly possible, and had high import duties I cannot. Try lobbying for a reduction in import duties instead of blaming GW.


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## Shady ed (Sep 9, 2010)

Son of mortarion said:


> You do realize that australia is not only in a rather remote point of the planet which makes it more expensive to ship product, and has a rather high import tax, both of which raise prices beyond the normal rate of exchange?
> 
> I would be more sympathetic if it were a country that was closer, or did not impose such high import duties, but since it is a country that is as far from england as humanly possible, and had high import duties I cannot. Try lobbying for a reduction in import duties instead of blaming GW.


The could close all their stores and let us buy them from wayland. Problem solved.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

Shady ed said:


> The could close all their stores and let us buy them from wayland. Problem solved.


If the stores down under are as unprofitable as people assume dont worry they will, but then i expect the hobby would also dry up in those regions without stores too.
Even now after 30 plus years of GW store trading people still dont seem to get the stores=hobby model GW use with success, if GW honestly thought they could run and be profitable and viable as a company without the massive expense of hundreds of stores world wide they would drop them like a whores knickers on bargain bonk Tuesday.


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## Admiral_HACKbar (May 5, 2011)

Achaylus72 said:


> From a contact in GW has told me that.
> 
> So far this year it is down by 15%
> 
> Last year it was down 11%


I know so many people that have stopped buying GW and gone to other games. I wonder what the next 6 months will be like? How long d GW want to lose money in Oz with their expensive stores....


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## Admiral_HACKbar (May 5, 2011)

Son of mortarion said:


> You do realize that australia is not only in a rather remote point of the planet which makes it more expensive to ship product, and has a rather high import tax, both of which raise prices beyond the normal rate of exchange?
> 
> I would be more sympathetic if it were a country that was closer, or did not impose such high import duties, but since it is a country that is as far from england as humanly possible, and had high import duties I cannot. Try lobbying for a reduction in import duties instead of blaming GW.


Well I use to be able to get it form Maelstrom free shipping to Oz. And GW were already making a profit on that. 

I don't mind paying the import duties, I just don't want to pay for GW stores that I do not use. Leave it to the local game shops.


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Back on topic, I have now noticed that for the last three months, White Dwarf hasn't been available in either Tesco or WH Smith until up to 2 days after it goes on sale in GW stores, where as it used to be available in those stores the day before or on the day at the latest. 

I think there are two reasons for this: 

1) the whole media-leakage crackdown (that some believe is linked to the Hobbit release http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2012/01/hobbit-and-its-implications.html)

2) by making it available at GW store first means you switch to buying it there as your first port of call. That makes a lot of sense as existing hobbyists want it asap so will start buying it in GW stores again and casual gamers could pick it up at any time during the month so there is zero impact on potential customers.

Anyway, just some thoughts. 

Rev

PS - I asked a GW staffer about the Hobbit-media thing and she didn't know anything about it. I'll ask my local GW store manager when I pop in again though as he's usually pretty clued up.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

or 3 the Menzies delivery day for magazines has changed


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Well in the midlands WH Smith take care of newspaper/magazine deliveries to retailers, so GW must control what day WH Smith get their delivery.


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## andrewm9 (Aug 21, 2008)

bitsandkits said:


> If the stores down under are as unprofitable as people assume dont worry they will, but then i expect the hobby would also dry up in those regions without stores too.
> Even now after 30 plus years of GW store trading people still dont seem to get the stores=hobby model GW use with success, if GW honestly thought they could run and be profitable and viable as a company without the massive expense of hundreds of stores world wide they would drop them like a whores knickers on bargain bonk Tuesday.


I can tell you that stores in the SE US probably don't amount to whole lot of sales period. There are exactly 3 stores from Florida to Tennessee which is quite a lot of area. Florida (where I live) is a big state and the nearest store to me is almost 125 km just to drive to it. Double that round trip. Picking up one magazine early (since I can acquire nowhere else other than a hobby store) will not draw me there. There is no draw to the store since I can acquire my models (and WD) at a much closer store for less. Honestly I fail to see the point of GW stores in the US as a whole.


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## SilverTabby (Jul 31, 2009)

The US (store-wise) is a market that GW struggle with. I seem to recall a meeting about 6 years back where Mr Wells said that they were closing a vast swathe of stores there to reopen later using a better strategy for the States as the old one wasn't working. 

They aren't afraid to just shut up shop and try again later if something isn't working...


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## Rameses (Aug 21, 2011)

bitsandkits said:


> If the stores down under are as unprofitable as people assume dont worry they will, but then i expect the hobby would also dry up in those regions without stores too.
> Even now after 30 plus years of GW store trading people still dont seem to get the stores=hobby model GW use with success, if GW honestly thought they could run and be profitable and viable as a company without the massive expense of hundreds of stores world wide they would drop them like a whores knickers on bargain bonk Tuesday.


 
I've always wondered on this. Are the GW stores franchised?


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## Shady ed (Sep 9, 2010)

No they are all owned by GW. But why would anyone want to have to mortgage their house to get in on this hobby when we could buy them for a lot less if GW closed their useless stores and let us buy them from independent retailers or online for a lot less and they still make the same profit per unit. That would increase sales and increase profits....


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## Rhino 88 (Jan 1, 2012)

you call em Newsagents in Oz..?

:grin:


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## koby (Apr 4, 2011)

My local Asda still sells it, albeit very late in the month. Takes them about a week after the white dwarf is released for them to get it onto the shelves when before, it was shelved on release day. I presume GW is just holding back before sending retailers their stock?


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## ThoseKrazyKasrkin (Aug 2, 2011)

Rhino 88 said:


> you call em Newsagents in Oz..?
> 
> :grin:


Yes, we're not completely backwards here ; P


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