Games Workshop's annual report is out, and sales and profits both increased in its last fiscal year, which ended June 1.  But growth was slowest on a percentage basis in the Americas, where sales grew less than 10% compared to a 19% growth rate over-all.  Global sales were up over 20 million pounds vs. 2002 to 129.1 million pounds; pre-tax profits rose to 17.5 million pounds from 13.5 million pounds in 2002. 

 

GW's sale increase in the Americas was driven by its own stores.  It opened twelve new stores, all in the first half of the year, bringing the total in the Americas to 54.  The company also reported an increase in same store sales.  It called sales to independent retailers 'sluggish' (which we translate to 'down'), and the percentage of sales to that channel dropped in the year.  This continues trends seen in the first half of this fiscal year (see 'Games Workshop Sales to U.S. Retailers 'Challenging'') and last year (see 'Games Workshop Continues To Struggle with sales to Independent Retailers').

 

Games Workshop did make one move popular with U.S. brick and mortar retailers recently; it is trying to eliminate Internet retailing of its products (see 'Games Workshop Shuts Off Internet Retailing').  It has also built a regional sales rep program to improve communication (see 'Games Workshop Speeds Regional Rep Program').