GW’s Feeling Good About Fiscal 2016-2017
We won’t see the full report for a few weeks but Nottingham is showing a little leg on their last year.
If there is anything we can say about GW in 2016-2017 – it would be “change”.
The year brought us the reinvention of the company that was the punching bag so many used to throw punches at. A quick walk down memory lane for the last 12 months gives us:
How to save a gamesystem with one small book.
- General’s Handbook
- Disciples of Tzeentch
- Blades of Khorne
- Burning of Prospero
- Wrath of Magnus
- Khardon Overlords
- Traitor Legions
- Gathering Storm Vol 1-3
I’m sure I forgot some, but that’s the highlights.
“I told GW to change… or else”
Then we get into the shocking outreach to their customerbase. This past year saw:
- Social Media Outreach.
- Use of 3rd party external playtesters.
- Support for non-GW organized competitive events.
- Opening of online carts for GW sales.
I know – utter craziness. Apparently they have something to show for all the changes. Here’s what they are saying about their past year’s performance:
“Following the close of its 2016/17 financial year Games Workshop provides the following trading highlights:
Games Workshop is pleased to announce that the sales and profit growth, which was discussed in the March 2017 trading update, has continued in the period to the end of May 2017.
AdvertisementWe expect the Group’s sales for the year to 28 May 2017 to be approximately £158 million and the Group’s profit before tax to be above market expectations at not less than £38 million. Sales and profits have benefitted from the continuing favourable impact of the weaker pound.
We will provide the detailed information on the audited results for the 2016/17 financial year at the time of our full year results announcement on 25 July 2017.”
For some baselines, here is how they did on their previous fiscal year report:
Now it’s still not matching the sales monster that is Asmodee, but than again GW doens’t have a giant conglomerate pouring money into it’s coffers to spend on growth. I’ll let you all argue about what changes were the most important, how much Brexit mattered, but what else contributed to this – but the numbers don’t lie.
~Have at it!
