Retailers no longer stocking PP?!

[Nargacuga]

A year and a half ago, my favorite FLGS stopped carrying PP products due to some distribution issues (they claim). Since then, I've made most of my purchases online through a retailer that mainly stocked PP products and promoted themselves in that way.

Over a month ago, this online retailer advertised a clearance sale in which they began to sell off their PP inventory at 45% off. I assumed that they were clearing out stock for the new year or something. A month went by and when I visited the site again, I found that the clearance sale was still going with little inventory left, and no announcement of any new upcoming PP models in their release update section. I suspected that they were either closing up shop or they were no longer carrying PP products (most likely both, considering WM/H was their main business).

This is the response I got:

2010 was a difficult year with Privateer Press, at this time we are going through a reevaluation of our business and have decided to not carry Privateer any longer. We have lost many sales by not having stock in a timely manner and Privateer has been difficult to restock due to their delays to distribution that have typically run 6-8 weeks and sometimes longer. This economy is affecting all levels of this hobby and we are deciding what our future will be over the next few weeks. As of now if there are things you need I recommend you take advantage of the clearance as it will end Jan 31st.

If this is true, I really hope PP gets their distribution issues sorted out soon, because I'm saddened that the two stores that I used primarily are no longer selling WM/H as a result of it.

Is this just a crazy coincidence in my case, or is this a trend?

[Xnath]

Well if PP's online store is any indication... hope the renovation makes the new one better. Or at least allows them to put new items on it quickly (like lock and load badges for instance).

[Muffin Man]

I think it's a coincidence that they got dropped.

But their release issues last year were well documented, some were production related, some were shipping related, some were just from their amazingly ambitious release schedule.

Certainly their delays never got to the extend that Confrontation did and plenty of stores still sold that game.

Hopefully it's all behind them... but the Warpwolf Stalker has been out of stock long enough at my FLGS that I may have to alter my escalation league plans...

[CallmeGene]

I just blissfully purchased my new Everblight stuff today, and no problems here. 8')

[admanb]

There's a lot of evidence that PP has had mild to moderate distribution issues over the last year. Probably not that surprising given like 11 books in one year. **** happens.

I imagine any stores that are giving up on PP entirely have more significant issues than PP's distribution.

[PG_Sobek]

I've noticed these problems as well. I've had models on order since October, that my LGS's have been completely unable to get in stock.

[studderingdave]

I've noticed these problems as well. I've had models on order since October, that my LGS's have been completely unable to get in stock.

same here. i feel bad not being able to support my LGS as much as i could, but im a painting monster.

[PMAvers]

Out of curiosity, what online retailer was having the clearance sale?

[Whimper]

My local game store did a storewide clearance of Privateer products before they moved to new premises a few blocks away.

Now, they have a huge wall of WH40K, but don't have a single Warmachine or Hordes model on display. The only thing that's left is a few books and newer NQ issues.

[ScottEBJJ]

Do people play at your store?

My LGS just reorganized thier whole comic book layout to expand the PP section. They also have increased thier stock by at least a 1/4th. Any thing not on the shelves that you have to special order gets a discount.

[mrwombat]

They've had that ad up for production workers since August of last year; and my understanding is that if it's still up, they're still hiring. They were probably just overwhelmed by demand for Mk. II.

[Writer@Large]

Unfortunately i have also been experiencing issues at my FLGS getting WM. I ordered a Feralgeist that took more than a month to show up. Granted, when it did it was in the new packaging (with the PP logo stamped into the blister) and had a MKII card, but still. Now, I'm awaiting a Calandra Truthsayer, three weeks and counting. Sigh ...

--W@L

[ExiledinElysium]

This is a problem across the board. I'm really praying that PP in in the process of acquiring new facilities and employees to get their supply up to meet demand. If they don't, they'll go out of business because that demand will die of frustration.

[PG_Duckboy]

A local games store of mine told a person that ordered product from them that the Exemplar Errants were discontinued......... The LGS doesn't carry PP product but lets people order for a discount but after this little ordeal (where the dude that ordered product lost money) i think it is a lost cause for the store.

[Dais]

From what I hear PP has had some serious distribution problems this year and stores cant get orders in and get fed up. even on the warstore theres a notice about how stock can take a while to get in.

[Demeritus]

I ordered a black 13 for my friends birthday about a month ago and it just now arrived so I'd guess there have been problems, but then again holidays are always an issue for many.

[jack frost]

its interesting to note that PP is suffering from their own success. their distribution problems are mainly due to the fact that the popularity of their models is outstripping their (I'm assuming here) projected demand by a large enough margin. they're starting to catch up but no business in their right mind is simply going to (or be able to) lurch towards over production to sate demand.

funnily enough the OPs news is good news (in my mind)

[Exemplar Voss]

Is this just a crazy coincidence in my case, or is this a trend?

Well, for the second, keep in mind that he sent out a newletter a while back (at least a year ago, maybe two) saying he had a serious illness. It might be that as much as anything else. Plus, they used to sell a lot more stuff, and had gotten to the point that they just sold PP models and some clearance junk they couldn't get rid of.

PP did have some distribution issues last year, but it seemed to be more with certain models than the whole line.
As for your FLGS, obviously I don't know for certain, but it may have been a matter of sales. Our local store is getting a resurgence of interest in PP products (largely due to the efforts of one of the store staff), but had he not put the effort in, it wouldn't necessarily have been in their interest to keep a lot of product on the shelves.

[teejayv]

Out of curiosity, what online retailer was having the clearance sale?

dungeontrader.com, and I too have made a heap of purchases from them in the last month or so. I've ordered over $200 worth of merch that I should have paid close to 400 for.

[Creaux]

Considering that I've seen 4 or 5 people play their first game in my LGS within the past month, yeeeeah, they're still growing at a very rapid pace.

[PG_Fellio]

Considering that I've seen 4 or 5 people play their first game in my LGS within the past month, yeeeeah, they're still growing at a very rapid pace.

I had a 50 point tournament on sunday, and the Game store owner and I managed to sell 4 battle boxes that day from people who were interested after seeing it played.

I've noticed issues with PP's stocking. Took me a while to get brigands.

[icyshoes]

well i just got some gatormen posse =D i dunno how you guys are sayin this stuff is rare

[TinRobot]

I've had a lot of trouble lately with getting anything in stock in a timely manner...besides new releases. First I thought it was the distributor and checked into another but same problems. I was starting to think it was just regional but I guess a lot of people are having trouble with getting things in stock.

Its nothing to make me boycott the game but it is frustrating.

[frozenwastes]

Privateer hasn't exactly succeeded when it comes to getting stock through the channels it needs to in order to reach the customer. My own local store had huge problems with all the distributors and eventually started ordering from PP directly. And there has still be back orders, delays and the like. I'll buy stuff off the shelf now, but too many special orders coming back with my items back ordered has pretty much ended my regular monthly special orders of stuff I want for my armies. Basically, the problems have diverted my hobby money to Reaper Miniatures and D&D stuff.

[Lanz]

I know that in my local meta nearly half the current players are new players(Warhammer converts), and I know someone picked up a retribution starting force just a week ago as well. Still growing.

[hengist]

WM in the area I am in appears to be growing in popularity. Getting some models has not been easy but not impossible. For stores, the customer base will largely dictate what they do or do not stock. Inability to get stock can be a major issue just as having too much. The WM/Hordes game continues to expand at quite a rate and I would expect the game to continue to grow for now.

[Gareson]

Unfortunately i have also been experiencing issues at my FLGS getting WM. I ordered a Feralgeist that took more than a month to show up. Granted, when it did it was in the new packaging (with the PP logo stamped into the blister) and had a MKII card, but still. Now, I'm awaiting a Calandra Truthsayer, three weeks and counting. Sigh ...

--W@L

Sounds to me like you'd be better off with an online retailer. I'm for supporting a LGS but not when pricepoints and customer service aren't competitive.

[PG_gdaybloke]

In our area we know a lot of the blame lies on the primary distributor.

Example: The Windless Wastes league kits.
They ordered the kits in, but since the journals didn't sell so well last year, they didn't bother getting any in. At All.
The REASON the journals didn't sell so well last year was that they didn't get enough league kits in; no league kits, no demand for journals. So this year they got league kits, but without the journals...

Never mind that the FLGS would put in a huge order, and then the distributor would only order in backordered stock in seemingly random portions.

I would think that if there's a backorder for, say, 500 items, that the distributor would order the 500 items from the suppliers... but no. They apparently decided to work through the backorder at 100-150 items a month.
(not actual numbers, but the ratio's about right).

We have a burgeoning WM/H community, but at this point even the new players aren't bothering to special order anything. If it's not on the shelf they go elsewhere.

[Gareson]

This is a problem across the board. I'm really praying that PP in in the process of acquiring new facilities and employees to get their supply up to meet demand. If they don't, they'll go out of business because that demand will die of frustration.

That doesn't make any sense. In a worst case scenario they miss out on an expanded customer base(which would be bad business mind you) but they would still have a loyal core customer base. Go out of business in an era of increasing demand for their product? Weird analysis. I think there clearly has been a critical miscalculation, but...go out of business? GW has far greater customer service issues and has stayed in business with, in my opinion, an inferior product. PP is here to stay...but I do hope they get 'on track' such as to not discourage protective WM/Hordes players.

[frozenwastes]

Yeah, go out of business is a bit much. I may have drastically reduced my PP purchases because of availability issues, but six new people have started playing at the local store in the last few months.

[scud]

Last I heard, the weekly gaming night in NYC is up to about 14 people not including myself and most of the original people that started it in the first place. The store that hosts it doesn't even carry the models (though they do supply the books and NQ).

I've definitely noticed the distributors not getting certain stock but unless considering it isn't unique to one location, I don't see a reason for a retailer to cut the line altogether. Hell, considering PP are making resculpts of many units/solos/jacks, maybe they're pulling back on production of the old molds for the time being.

[PG_msherman31781]

I (and my community) may be one of the lucky ones, but our store carries the full range of PP product and has pretty much 95% of all the models in stock every week. If something is not in stock, they get it in 7-9 days, max. Our player base is also growing... in the last 2 events I've run (past 2 months), we've added 5 or 6 new players to the group... bringing it to a total of 30-35 with 12-20 showing to events regularly.

[ColinT]

Ya, the last couple things I've ordered from my LGS took several months to come in, and by the time it came I was into something else. Not cool PP but I'll still play yer game!

[enoto]

PP products still seem relatively healthy in my area, but that's just anecdotal so who knows. The warstore notice was weird. I wonder how much of a sales boost PP got from all the talking-up they've been getting from Penny Arcade, and if that added to the problem? (Which seems like one of those "good problems.")

[DemonCalibre]

This has actually been an issue for me.

Everyone I talk to everywhere has been having trouble getting minis. I love my hobby but it feels me with a bit of worry, there has to be a reason for them not getting minis out. right now I am optimistic that it's because of vastly increased demand and they are having problems like they did in 2005.

Though I don't think it is, otherwise they would just come right out and say it no?

[ScottEBJJ]

This has actually been an issue for me.

Everyone I talk to everywhere has been having trouble getting minis. I love my hobby but it feels me with a bit of worry, there has to be a reason for them not getting minis out. right now I am optimistic that it's because of vastly increased demand and they are having problems like they did in 2005.

Though I don't think it is, otherwise they would just come right out and say it no?

It's only the old product that I've noticed both LGS and online retailers having an issue with, all the new releases have been available with no issues. As such it would seem that the issue is keeping up with old stock and not issues moving forward.

[PG_aterdaeus]

well i just got some gatormen posse =D i dunno how you guys are sayin this stuff is rare

Our store hasn't been able to order Gatormen for a couple months. They do, indeed, seem rare.

[PG_aterdaeus]

I (and my community) may be one of the lucky ones, but our store carries the full range of PP product and has pretty much 95% of all the models in stock every week. If something is not in stock, they get it in 7-9 days, max. Our player base is also growing... in the last 2 events I've run (past 2 months), we've added 5 or 6 new players to the group... bringing it to a total of 30-35 with 12-20 showing to events regularly.

Our store carries the whole line as well (we're spoiled) but there are orders every week where I can't get product. It varies on which models I can't get but the "PIP just doesn't make this model anymore" jokes are quite frequent. It hasn't hurt our growth (we've had a huge resurgence recently) but it is still frustrating.

[sharpe]

Seems to me that three or four years ago it would have been pretty easy for stores to stock the whole line of PP models, but that if a store really wanted to keep that up at this point you would need to be increasing the space you commit to that almost all the time. The game stores around here (Toronto) pretty much have the same amount of space commited to PP as they always did.

Anyway, just wondering whether the increasing size of the model line has limited the capacity of stores to stock the line, and how this might effect the whole production/distribution/retail stream in this industry.

[Khaunshar]

I am actually part of the PIP promotion team in a store here (disallowed to be Pressganger sadly, as I work part time at a store during some months to help out with events and such), and the primary problem is that the range is just FAR too huge, and costly, to fully stock. Its inefficient, especially since some items see virtually no interest for months, and suddenly the local meta switches, 4-5 people want for ex. Alexia Ciannor at once, which the store cannot get in time... and thus the players just buy online.
Since many online stores routinely lie about availability ( flagging something available on a friday when it arrives in store on monday, where you can blame the weekend for shipping delays between order and shipping date is very common practice in austria and germany nowadays) and often slash prices to ridiculously low levels on PIP (they dont on Games Workshop, interestingly. Might have to do with the more retail-friendly pricing/discount policy of GW).... this all adds up to making the PIP products very friendly to online shops, but bad for brick and mortar.
Which obviously is a big deterrent for the stores like mine to get behind the game, since the competition is not only very strong, but its also harder to get stock, costly to keep it, and often the payout isnt all that great (or you cannot compete price-wise)

Not to mention that there are tons of former MK1 players around who sell their old stuff used.

IMO, PIP should go for a pricing policy similar to what GW is doing ,where undercutting too much costs you your retail discount. Or, rely on clubs and gaming groups to make up for the lost promotion when stores dont want to run/stock PIP stuff much.