Where is your FLGS/GW?

[Wolfshade]

Do the hobby /geeky shops tend to be localised within the same location?
I would imagine that it would be mutually beneificial if they were, and I would also suggest that rather than being smack in the middle of the main shopping locale they would be a little way off from the centre so that they could benefit from a slight reduction in rental prices.
What do you think? Is this your experiance? How about country by country variation?

GW in Birmingham went from being next door to a alternative market, with 3 tables (or 2 tables and a painting area), to being in a very prominent position within a new (re)development which was a two table, open-fronted affair (I think that that was a 1 man shop) to now being back twards where it used to be, though slightly further away (oposite side of an island), near a forbidden planet with more space then ever before.

[Psychosplodge]

None of the GW's I've frequented have anything in the direct vicinity, sometimes there's another game/model shop in the same city/town centre but not in the same location.

[DrLove42]

We don't have any alternatives. Our GW is at the back of the high street, not far from our Forbidden Planet

[alshrive]

in leics they are opposite sides of the city centre pretty much, probs a 15-20 minute walk between the 2 of them.

GW is very close to forbidden planet though, i have noticed this seems to crop up quite a lot! definitely in leics and city centre of nottingham off of the top of my head!

[ironwarrior]

Our GW in middlesbrough is right next to a forbidden planet, seems its the norm.

[JMichael]

8th largest U.S. city, and no GW store. Although this year has seen 2 new LGS open up which puts up at 4!

[orkward2.0]

my gw is in lakeside but i'm more angry that unlike everyone else i have no forbidden planet unless i go to shaftsbury avenue gottta get my garth ennis fix

[Night System]

Thinking about which shops I mostly frequent to, Leicester and Loughborough stores are actually very close to the town centre (opposite mcdonalds, the only objective location for central commerce I can think of ;) whereas the derby store is very fitting of a geeky toy shop as it is down an old narrow street a good 10 min walk from the nearest mcdonalds :)

[The AKH]

In Canada, hobby shops/geeky retailers are few and far between - In Greater Toronto, of the two GW company stores, one is in a medium sized, somewhat sketchy shopping centre, and the other is in a fairly nice midtown neighbourhood - between an Italian restaurant and an insurance office (pretty much a high street type location). The FLGS that my gaming group frequents recently relocated... it's now in a bigger retail space sandwiched between a sex shop and an Italian restaurant. Its old location was just up the road from the new one, a tiny space on top of a Japanese restaurant.

I can't think of anywhere in Toronto where there are multiple "geeky" type shops in close proximity to one another. Hell, there are more bong shops than hobby/comic shops downtown.

[SotonShades]

What alshrive and Night System said. GW Leicester has always been a flagship store though, and something like the 6th biggest in the UK or something daft like that...

As DrLove said about the Southampton store, just on the edge of the main shopping precinct. Southampton does have a decent number of larger empty store though, so I'm almost surprised GW haven't capitalised on it, especially as they barely have room for more than one gaming table.

I think to some extent it depends on the age of the store. When GW started openning stores 20+ years ago, they wanted big, fairly central locations where they could really show off the hobby as their only form of advertisement aside from WD. In more recent times with the expansion of the internet as their main sales and advertisement abilities and a much, much bigger and more aware player base, the stores have become a much more minor concern. Still able to attract new people to the hobby, but less financially viable as the costs of rent, utilities and insurence has risen dramatically. Thus they have decided to opt for many stores in as many towns as possible, to increase access, but smaller, more sales than hobby driven to try to claw back as much of the outgoings as possible.

[Psychosplodge]

I remember when GW had a warehouse unit on an industrial estate next to meadowhall, had about 30 gaming tables in it, don't think it lasted very long...

[Night System]

What alshrive and Night System said. GW Leicester has always been a flagship store though, and something like the 6th biggest in the UK or something daft like that...


Doesn't stop them from trying to half the size of the store though, apparently the rent would be cheaper to just have unused space.. :/

[Wildeybeast]

GW Derby isn't near any similar themed stores (though since our Forbidden Planet closed a long time ago, there aren't any similar stores in Derby for it to be near). Thankfully they have resisted the urge to move to the Borg Cube of Rampant Capitalism that is our delightful Westfield centre, though I've always found the fact that the GW store is next to tattoo parlour to be curious juxtaposition. I've often wondered if they've ever had any GW themed tattoo requests.

[Psychosplodge]

Aye especially since the anime stall went from the market, can't see any reason to visit derby anymore lol...

[chromedog]

My local FLGS is located 2 doors away from 2 brothels (one 2 doors away either side). It is ACROSS the road from the local haberdashery/crafts store, so some hobby staples can be found nearby.
The local Comics shop is a few blocks further into town.

There's nothing otherwise geeky about the only GW between Sydney's mid northern suburbs and the next state border.

GW Parramatta (Battlebunker) is next-door to one of the better comics stores in Sydney and around the corner from the local SF/Fantasy bookshop.

[Wildeybeast]

Aye especially since the anime stall went from the market, can't see any reason to visit derby anymore lol...

But we're the best place in the world to drink Real Ale according to Lonely Planet!

[Psychosplodge]

Pffft, I've drunk there it's not a patch on anything the abbydale or kelham island breweries produce...

[SotonShades]

My local FLGS is located 2 doors away from 2 brothels (one 2 doors away either side). It is ACROSS the road from the local haberdashery/crafts store, so some hobby staples can be found nearby.
The local Comics shop is a few blocks further into town.

There's nothing otherwise geeky about the only GW between Sydney's mid northern suburbs and the next state border.

GW Parramatta (Battlebunker) is next-door to one of the better comics stores in Sydney and around the corner from the local SF/Fantasy bookshop.

I love that two brothels fall within the boundaries of 'otherwise geeky'. I know geeks are known for failing to attract the attentions of the fairer sex, but is it really that bad down there? I suppose the prices of GW in Oz mean the brothels are probably cheaper...

[Toyz n the Hood]

In Barcelona there is a "friki" corner with lots of comic shops and wargames stores. Strangely I didn't see a GW store there but there are plenty of stores stocking it.

I live in the leadbelt of Nottingham - we've got Flames of War, Warlord Games. GW Nottingham and Warhammer World, a Forbidden Planet and a whole host of other gaming stores. They're scattered all through the city but it does seem that GW being based in Nottingham (and two universities) has caused a concentration of gaming.

[badlybuilt]

In Canada, hobby shops/geeky retailers are few and far between - In Greater Toronto, of the two GW company stores, one is in a medium sized, somewhat sketchy shopping centre, and the other is in a fairly nice midtown neighbourhood - between an Italian restaurant and an insurance office (pretty much a high street type location). The FLGS that my gaming group frequents recently relocated... it's now in a bigger retail space sandwiched between a sex shop and an Italian restaurant. Its old location was just up the road from the new one, a tiny space on top of a Japanese restaurant.

I can't think of anywhere in Toronto where there are multiple "geeky" type shops in close proximity to one another. Hell, there are more bong shops than hobby/comic shops downtown.

Same deal west of Toronto. Very spaced out , pretty well one local retailer in each town/city. Mississauga is the only place I know of where there is a local retailer nearby a GW store. Most of the places near me ( Acton) mostly deal in card games rather than miniatures. Almost all of them are located in some back corner strip mall. They do carry some stock and have a few tables to use, normally a 1 or 2 guy operation.

[Wildeybeast]

Pffft, I've drunk there it's not a patch on anything the abbydale or kelham island breweries produce...

It's not so much what we produce as the sheer number of places that serve a huge variety of the stuff. I'll take you round some of the hotspots if you are ever round this way with nothing to do.

[The AKH]

Same deal west of Toronto. Very spaced out , pretty well one local retailer in each town/city. Mississauga is the only place I know of where there is a local retailer nearby a GW store. Most of the places near me ( Acton) mostly deal in card games rather than miniatures. Almost all of them are located in some back corner strip mall. They do carry some stock and have a few tables to use, normally a 1 or 2 guy operation.

It's a simple fact of operation in Canada that you can't make a living as a FLGS if you don't stock and buy/sell cards. There was a game shop that opened up in my neighbourhood a few years back that closed up after a year because my friends and I were their only customers buying miniatures, and they weren't making enough money selling cards.

[Psychosplodge]

It's not so much what we produce as the sheer number of places that serve a huge variety of the stuff. I'll take you round some of the hotspots if you are ever round this way with nothing to do.

I'll hold you to that lol.