Games Workshop has announced a new trade policy for North America that contains a number of changes including the extension of the ban on online sales of Games Workshop products from the U.S. where it was instituted in 2003 to Canada.  In its announcement of the new policy Games Workshop noted that the number of in-store retailers in the U.S. has increased substantially in the ten years since the adoption of the policy.  The "2003 policy" restricted online sales of its products to Games Workshop’s own corporate Website and prohibited the online sales of its products by United States retailers.  The new policy, which goes into effect on June 15th, extends the "2003 policy" to Canada.

 

The decision to comply with the Policy is up to the retailers, but Games Workshop reserves the right to terminate sales of Games Workshop products to any trade account that chooses to violate the Policy or any Authorized Distributor supplying a retailer choosing to sell in violation of the policy.  North American retailers are also only authorized to resell GW products domestically in the store’s respective county of origin (no foreign sales).

 

Games Workshop has also tweaked its General Requirements, which include having a brick-and-mortar store, selling only to consumers, and having a segregated section of the store for Games Workshop products.  Another requirement that could cause problems for some retailers is that GW product should not be sold in any store where other products deemed obscene or inappropriate for customers under18 years of age are displayed or sold.  And retailers are responsible for insuring that Games Workshop products are sold only to consumers meeting the age requirements listed on the products themselves.