GW Store Closing, Arundel Mills Mall, Hanover, Maryland

[Brass Scorpion]

Games Workshop at Arundel Mills Mall is closing around Feb. 21. Apparently the Mall is raising rent on their tenants and GW was having no part of it. This is a closing, not a relocation.

However, the good news if there is any is that GW is still supposedly looking for a new Battle Bunker location in Maryland.

[TheBitzBarn]

No Sympathy for you there we lost the Only GW store with in 400 Miles a Year an Half ago and there was no good reason except old retail manager did not like having a store he could not micor manage what a dick move but they did it to a profitable store in a mall they could work a new lease with

[phoenix01]

You can thank the voters in Maryland and the planned casino at Arundel Mills for that one.

[Brass Scorpion]

You can thank the Mall for raising their rent again. GW has been getting away from expensive mall rent for years now anyway, so this really is not a huge surprise.

Fortunately, there are still a lot of GW stores in this area, but most of us are still sorry to see this one go. Because it was in the indoor mall, it was open 7 days per week, filling the gap when the one-man stores are closed two days per week. Besides, I'm always sorry to see or hear about a GW store closing no matter where it is located, unlike some people apparently.

[millsgamer]

Not true & speculation on your parts. GW is pulling out of Malls across the US. It's their new company policy/philosophy. They are moving to the more traditional (read: inexpensive) strip center locations.

This mainly has to do with the economy, individual store sales, customer discretionary spending & disposable income, etc. Not that I agree, but in todays hard fiscal/economic times it may be the only thing that guarantees the survival of GW (and, for that matter, similar type stores).

I love how the "casino" gets blamed for everything. If anything the casino would mean MORE visitors to it's current location. Which of course, would hopefully translate into more sales.

I only troll the forums, never having posted, but when I saw this one I had to register & jump in.

Please, do your research.

[phoenix01]

I love how the "casino" gets blamed for everything. If anything the casino would mean MORE visitors to it's current location. Which of course, would hopefully translate into more sales.

Yes, millsgamer, you are right. A casino would mean more sales. That's the reason I blamed the casino going into Arundel Mills:

Mall management makes money off of client stores in the mall through rent.

Casino goes in at the mall.

More visitors to the mall due to the casino.

Additional visitors shop at the mall while visiting the casino.

Client stores at the mall make more sales due to influx of casino visitors.

More sales means more profits for the client stores at the mall.

Mall management wants their cut of the added profits from the client stores.

Mall management raises the rent on the client stores.

Since the plan is to have the casino on the property under a tent/temporary facility awaiting the construction of a permanent facility, the casino can be operational in a month or two. The mall simply jumped in early. Personally, I could care less about a casino in Maryland as I will probably have one next door to me in Gettysburg before long.

[Valhallan42nd]

Me, I just wish it was more than slots. Hmmm... Table games.

I heart me some craps.

[LemanRussCommander]

First my local suncoast now my GW! i'm joining the rent is too da** high party. No battle bunker no Arundel Mills, are they trying to destroy my love for this game... I got out of the hobby for a long time after Waldorf GW closed those years ago

[Brass Scorpion]

Not true & speculation on your parts. GW is pulling out of Malls across the US. It's their new company policy/philosophy. They are moving to the more traditional (read: inexpensive) strip center locations....I only troll the forums.

I've spoken with people directly involved and I am not speculating as you clearly are. You can keep your own speculation to yourself please. I know I have a reputation for avoiding online "kerfuffles" and I'm a little tired of people trying to take advantage of me because of it, especially when I know what I am speaking about. I am not rude to people here and I expect the same respectful treatment in return. Please "do your own research" and if you can't say something politely, don't say anything at all. I have had relationships with GW staff for years, including HQ staff and I guarantee I know more than someone who "only trolls the forums".

As I already stated before you jumped in that GW has been closing its expensive mall stores you're not adding anything new with that tidbit. However, this particular closure was triggered at this specific time by a specific event. That event is the mall raising the rent and asking for very long-term leases from all its tenants now due to a specific changing situation near the mall, the new "slots parlor". GW does not sign 10-year leases, they like to be able to pull out when they want to do so and now they are doing that rather than be forced into a long-term commitment.

[Daemonette666]

I barely go to either of the local GW stores, one 8 km away the other 30 km away. When I am not working I go to the local gaming shop just 600 metres from my house. I is as big as a Battle Bunker, does not require you to be a member to play on all the tables, and they have so many gaming systems there for sale. In the last 2 weeks, I have played 40K, Warhammer invasion card game, Battletech Card game, Wings of Warboard game, Diplomacy board game, and Blood Bowl boardgame.

From February on the store is planning campaigns for gams that range from blood bowl, WH 40K, WH fantasy, warmachine, Napoleonics & gunpowder battles, Ancients/ in various scales, WWII - ROE and Flames of war, and the list goes on. They have a regular magic the gathering night.

Why would I want to go to a store that limits me to the 4 gaming systems they currently support, and prophibits me from talking about or painting miniatures from any of the other gamies I play. If I want to hang out with other gamers, play against others and paint I can do it at my local.

Sydney has 10 GW standard stores, and 2 battle bunkers. There are also atleast a 1/2 dozen hobby gaming stores that are large enough to have gaming tables to let gamers play games on, that I have visited.

Even if they closed a few here, we would still have another GW store within 30 km fom us. The latest GW store to open in Sydney is in a major shopping mall. Go figure that one out, t breaks the so called trend of pulingl them out of the shopping malls.