Media: Wizards vanishing act: Retail strategy not in cards of parent Hasbro

The "Wizards Of The Coast Closing Stores" story from The Seattle Times:
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?c=1&slug=wizards300&date=20031230

An excerpt.

"For Terry Kamm and his circle of Pokmon enthusiasts, the Wizards of the
Coast store at SeaTac Mall is more than a place to buy trading cards. It's
a social hub.

Kamm organizes a Pokmon league that meets at the store on Saturdays. So
news that Wizards is closing its retail stores around the country gave a
disappointing jolt to game hobbyists like Kamm and his 12-year-old son,
B.J.

"It's really sad ... it's going to force a lot of people to find a new
place to have a league," said Kamm of Federal Way.

Wizards, a Renton-based unit of giant toy company Hasbro, issued a brief
statement late Sunday saying that it will close all its stores to focus on
game design. The company plans to shut down the stores within 60 days.

The statement did not specify the number of stores and employees affected,
and company officials did not return phone calls. However, an industry
analyst said Wizards' national retail presence includes about 60 stores
and roughly 500 employees ..."

Matthew Baldwin
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SeattleSpiel
http://seattlespiel.com
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