Games Workshop sales fall as new staff adjust

Games Workshop, the fantasy toy soldiers retailer, saw revenues and profits fall in the six months to November 28 after replacing staff in its stores to reduce overheads.The company posted a pre-tax profit of £6.7m during the period, down from £7.9m over the same period the previous year, as revenue fell to £60m from £62.5m."Sales were down largely as a result of shortfalls in Northern Europe and North American retail following staffing changes in Games Workshop Hobby centres to reduce overheads," the firm said.Similar changes were made in continental Europe a year ago and that region is now seeing sales growth, Games Workshop said, implying that other areas may see a similar delayed improvement."The emphasis is now on customer service training to deliver like for like sales growth in all territories," it said.Earlier this month Games Workshop said it will miss its full-year estimates as the fall in interim sales was followed by difficult conditions in the build up to Christmas.Another speciality hobbies group, train set maker Hornby, today warned annual pre-tax profit will fall short of market expectations after key Christmas sales were hurt by harsher than usual weather conditions. Games Workshop