D&D 5E Chapters/Indigo and the death of the FLGS

[doctorhook]

I don't understand this -- if they've bothered set a release date and are trying to support game stores, Chapters' actions undermine that completely. (as I tried to set out in the OP).

I think WotC sets the WPN release date as a gesture of good faith to small hobby retailers and the gaming community. WotC genuinely does care about those small stores, because they're the ones that provide all the avenues for brand-building opportunities like Organized Play. That said, WotC can't do much to stop a large retailer like Chapters from breaking the street date, because it's a risk to prokvoke them with threats, as @Mirtek and others have pointed out. I suspect WotC can't afford to bite the hand that feeds them so many sales and displays their products in the mainstream public sphere.

Another point to consider is that Chapters is Canadian, and that Canada's market for D&D is probably around one tenth the size of the United States' (and probably only half to two-thirds the size of the UK market, as well). Globally Canada probably only accounts for a small fraction of D&D sales, so even a "big" street date break in Canada is minor. WotC might even consider these early Canadian releases as free hype in the week before the other 95% of the world can buy the same products. It still sucks for Canadian LGSs, but WotC certainly isn't losing in this arrangement.

Or Chapters doesn't care what WotC says since it's such a small part of their business that they wouldn't notice it in their books when WotC removes them from their list of retailers.

Sure, it's one thing to ignore the street date of the newest Twillight or Harry Potter and be excluded from selling their sequels, but no longer being allowed to sell D&D is quite different.

I can easily imaginge a conversation:

"WotC just informed us that we're banned from selling their D&D books."
"Wait, what? We sold D&D? Isn't that this game for satanists in steam tunnels?"
"Actually didn't really know we sold it either. Seems we broke a street day or something, whatever."

This is a great post.

 

[Tony Semana]

At Barnes and Noble, if corporate listed a book as SOS (strict on sale), meaning you cannot sell it before that date, its in bright red on the computer when you get it in, or print out a list to shelve. And they warn us about the fines. Because there are books with street dates that are not fined, and its okay to put them up early if the truck brings them to your store.

so...one slip up by NOT marking it "SOS" or the Chapters equivalent, and the stores think its all good.

As one of those that were able to pickup the PHB and HotDQ a few days early, I can postulate that in this case it seemed like breaking the street date was at the picking/shipping/store level;

When I went online in that morning, the book was still 'available for preorder' on the website, and doing a 'find stores' search brought up that single location with any copies showing as available. When I went to pickup a copy, the clerk mentioned in passing that "as soon as it's out a bunch of you come to get it". To which I laughed and informed her that it was because they're the only ones with it out, and the release date was Friday (today). She seemed surprised and said there weren't any holds in the last shipment, but also sheepishly admitted that it happens some times.

Not defending Chapters/Indigo as a corporation, just providing some input as to my specific circumstance. And that said, it was nice to have the book a few days early, but I am going to my F(not so local)GS this weekend to pickup my pre-ordered copy and will be gifting it to a buddy.

 

[Beleriphon]

If you check their website and click "Find in store", it'll tell you how many the stores have in stock. I've searched all of Canada and I can only find stores in Ontario that have them, however.

I agree, and the shipping for preorders is probably going out now since their standard free shipping is up to three weeks via Canada Post so sending it now to get there by the 22nd isn't exactly unreasonable. I've order next day shipping from them at 2am on a Monday (so it gets sent at 8am) and Canada Post still took three days to deliver my books.

Also, unless WotC and Hasbro has an in with a Canadian publishing house, or distributor, there actually isn't a lot they can do about anything. The intricacies of Canadian book publishing are Byzantine to say the least and involve things like Canadian content and government enforced rules. Its part of the reason that Amazon is only allowed one distribution centre in Canada.

 

[Haffrung]

Speaking as someone who lives in Canada, Toronto specifically, I tried calling all the gaming stores I know of in the area to find a possible WPN store that would have the early release. I couldn't actually find one that would have it early, nor did they even know much about the new release of D&D.

I would love to be able to support an LGS, however I haven't found one that meets my D&D needs, and so I go to Chapters because the books are available, and honestly much cheaper.

Whereas my FLGS had 200 copies of the PHB as of today. There are still good stores out there.

 

[Agamon]

Whereas my FLGS had 200 copies of the PHB as of today. There are still good stores out there.

Yeah, I preorded my copy, got to the store and they put up a new shelf, mostly full of Player's Handbooks, but also holding Starters and HotDQ. So the preorder was unnecessary, but it was a bit of a drive and I wanted to make sure I was leaving there with one.

So if Indigo can easily get away with this, couldn't Amazon do the same thing? Amazon doesn't just dwarf WotC, it's bigger than Hasbro. Makes me think that Indigo isn't doing this on purpose, but just doesn't have the technology/staff/warehouse space/whatever that Amazon has to withhold items after they've received them for X amount of time.

 

[Joe Liker]

Speaking as someone who lives in Canada, Toronto specifically, I tried calling all the gaming stores I know of in the area to find a possible WPN store that would have the early release. I couldn't actually find one that would have it early, nor did they even know much about the new release of D&D.

I would love to be able to support an LGS, however I haven't found one that meets my D&D needs, and so I go to Chapters because the books are available, and honestly much cheaper.

You need to level up your google-fu. It took me less than 5 minutes to locate this:

http://www.401games.ca/products.php?cat=Dungeons and Dragons

 

[Kobold Stew]

You need to level up your google-fu. It took me less than 5 minutes to locate this:

http://www.401games.ca/products.php?cat=Dungeons and Dragons

401's a good store -- I've bought a few things there.