Online Retailer Boardlandia Closing And Blames Trump Tariffs Despite Admitting Years Of "Increasing Challenges"

Board gaming is getting a shakeup more than perhaps any other because of tariffs, and now the online retailer Bordlandia is shutting down and blaming tariffs for their situation.

It’s been a strange space in board gaming for the past several years as companies have turned to direct crowdfunding more and more, abandoning brick-and-mortar shops. While some online retailers have thrived by offering discounts, the industry received an artificial boost due to COVID-19, and a lot of gamers buying board games because they were stuck at home.

That boost faded, and now retailers have been in a precarious situation where most of the big sellers have all transitioned to direct crowdfunding, leaving little room for such retailers to exist.

Enter the new tariffs, which have created a panic among board game companies who get their product from China. It seems a convenient excuse to use across the industry, though, from a retailer perspective, the costs incurred should have already hit the distributor or the manufacturer on the tariff levels. If shipping costs are associated, they can simply add those on in checkout to customers at this level.

Boardlandia, even though they admit they’ve been struggling for a long time, still blame tariffs saying it creates an “unsustainable burden” on the company even though they’ve only been in effect for a week. They said on their website:

Important Notice: Closure of Boardlandia

It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we announce the closure of Boardlandia. This decision has not only been a difficult business one but has also deeply affected us personally.

Over the past few years, our business has faced a series of significant and increasing challenges. We have poured our personal savings, our time, and countless hours of hard work into Boardlandia, striving to overcome these obstacles. The recent tariffs have unfortunately added an unsustainable burden to these existing pressures, leaving us with no viable path forward.

Please know that this outcome is not what we ever envisioned. We are not walking away from a thriving venture. This closure is a direct result of circumstances that have become beyond our control, and it carries significant personal financial consequences for us as well.

We understand that you, our valued customers, may have questions and even concerns during this time. We want to assure you that this was not a decision taken lightly or with any intention other than to responsibly address the financial realities we now face.

Regarding unfulfilled orders, including hold orders, please know that we are committed to shipping out all orders for which we currently have the necessary stock immediately. We are working diligently to process these shipments as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process.

Please note that Boardlandia Appleton is independently owned and operated, and is a completely separate entity from Boardlandia Online/Boardlandia LLC. They are not involved in this closure and will not be able to assist with any inquiries related to Boardlandia Online/Boardlandia LLC.

From the very beginning, your support has been the lifeblood of Boardlandia. We are deeply grateful for the trust you placed in us and the loyalty you have shown over the years. It has been a privilege to be a part of your lives and a part of this amazing gaming community we helped support.

We want to express our sincerest gratitude for every purchase, every word of encouragement, and every opportunity you gave us. Your belief in our business meant the world to us, and we share in the disappointment of this outcome.

We will do our best to provide information as it becomes available through our website right here. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time.

Thank you again for being a part of the Boardlandia family. We will always cherish the memories and the relationships we have built together.

Clearly their business model didn’t work at all, and this is a convenient excuse to play victim over temporary political situations which again, don’t really apply from their retailer perspective. The board game industry has set itself up as unsustainable, and more of these companies will likely fall because of their mismanagement and failing to address the changing times where companies have moved from third-party sales to direct crowdfunds.

What do you think of Boardlandia closing and blaming tariffs? Leave a comment and let us know.

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