Richard Gain of Jester's Playhouse in Northfield, New Jersey saw our article on Games Workshop's financial results (see 'A 'Bad Year' For Games Workshop') and feels that the cut in support for independent retailers has been part of the problem:

I keep seeing articles on Games Workshop's continuing decline in sales.  I looked over the financial reports and for the most part it looks like a stabilizing of sales after the increase caused by Lord of the Rings.  There is a definite peak with a slow decline and right now, their sales are above their 'pre-LOTR' stage.  Back then everybody was doing OK with GW when it was just Warhammer, 40K and one of their side games like Necromunda, Mordheim or Gothic.

When GW blames independent retailers for this trend, they are partially right.  In our store, the sales of GW have dropped, but not due to us not supporting their games.  In the past three years, GW has cut almost all its outside support for its games other then Games Days.  There is almost no GW presence at major conventions.  I have not seen our regional rep in a year and a half.  They cancelled the battle wagon program which was a great way to build excitement on a regular basis.  At the same time pre-painted miniatures have increased and competition in the miniatures hobby is at all time high with companies like Battlefront, Privateer Press and Rackham.  GW and all the unpainted miniatures companies have a rocky road ahead of them.  Our customer's free time is down to an all time minimum.  A lot work too much and then spend all their time that they used to paint playing on-line games like World of Warcraft.  I hope this is just a cyclic problem, but it might not be and our business model might have to change.