WH Smith Modelzone Birmingham closing - Now Closed

[modelpara]

Modellers Mecca?

[Coryton]

Is it just the Birmingham MZ closing or are there multiple ones going? If it's just the Birmingham one then that's truly sad... [Though last time I went (in December) the Modle Train accessory isle has been replaced for other toys/games...)

 

They seem to all be going, presumably due to Hornby ending its concession agreements.

[melmerby]

They seem to all be going, presumably due to Hornby ending its concession agreements.

If so, why can't they just take some Hornby stock as a normal retailer to go with the non-Hornby brands they sell?

I suspect is more to do with an underperfoming sector in the shop, they had already reduced the area given over to the MZ bit in the shop.

That was long before Hornby's latest change of marketing plans came about.

 

Keith

[RJS1977]

I've noticed the shop space given to MZ in Reading WHS gradually diminishing too. I think a number of factors are in play. One is that (certainly as far as model railways are concerned), the emphasis appeared to be on higher-end items (though of course that reflects the manufacturers' emphasis). These higher-end items are aimed at the enthusiast market (who are more likely to buy via the Internet, telephone etc) rather than at bringing in new customers to the hobby. Also not much in the way of accessories apart from a bit of Hornby track, a few Scalescenes buildings and the Oxford vehicles. No Ratio/Wills/PECO/Superquick/Metcalfe items which aren't so economical to buy online and which present a more 'rounded' hobby. Thirdly although the Reading WHS MZ started with staff from the old MZ store who knew what they were talking about, they disappeared pretty quickly, so the only staff in that part of the store were the till staff, who weren't particularly helpful.

[melmerby]

 Thirdly although the Reading WHS MZ started with staff from the old MZ store who knew what they were talking about, they disappeared pretty quickly, so the only staff in that part of the store were the till staff, who weren't particularly helpful.

The Birmingham MZ bit has NO staff, if you want anything you have to find one of those rare creatures known as "assistants" so that you can buy something.

Usually the item is in a locked cabinet so you need the right assistant who has access to the key.

 

It doesn't make for an easy shopping experience, the rest of the floor the MZ is on is virtually self service with the appropriate tills at the end and very few sales staff.

 

The MZ doesn't sit well with WHS's normal shop layout. I'm not surprised it's closing.

 

Keith

[RJS1977]

The Birmingham MZ bit has NO staff, if you want anything you have to find one of those rare creatures known as "assistants" so that you can buy something.

Usually the item is in a locked cabinet so you need the right assistant who has access to the key.

 

It doesn't make for an easy shopping experience, the rest of the floor the MZ is on is virtually self service with the appropriate tills at the end and very few sales staff.

 

The MZ doesn't sit well with WHS's normal shop layout. I'm not surprised it's closing.

 

Keith

 

Sorry, that's exactly what I meant. The staff from the old MZ who transferred across have either left or been let go, leaving only a couple (at best) of WHS till staff on the other side of the aisle to 'assist'.

[Chris M]

I think WHS lost its way some years ago and isn't really sure what it wants to sell. I guess magazine and book sales have diminished over the years and they haven't really found a new line to keep the the revenue where it needs to be. It wouldn't surprise me if WHS did a Woolworths.

[Dave47549]

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[Legend]

Actually I'd miss it. Agree it's kind of lost its way but it can't be easy with some folks moving to digital editions, amazon competition on books etc. I would rather they get back to basics . A good selection of magazine titles . I think there shops are generally too big as the ranges they stock slip away. I never subscribe to magazines , preferring to browse before buying, so I'd certainly miss WHS. There is nothing else on the High St that comes close to stocking the full range of mags.

 

I think the Modelzone experiment was a brave one , but generally doesn't seem to have worked. I was very familiar with the stock in the one in Glasgow to the extent I could tell you if they'd sold anything from week to week. That said you occasionally got a good bargain with the 20% off promotions. I picked up a new D16 for a very good Price. As i've said before the only place to see Hornby is Pastimes and although a great shop , he is primarily 2nd hand and doesn't have the latest releases. Glasgow and the whole of West Central Scotland is a big gap in model shops ........anyone brave enough?

[Peter Kazmierczak]

As ive Saïd bevoer the onlusten place legt in Glasgow tonsee Hornby is Pastimes and although a great shop , hè is primarius 2nd hand and dienst stock latent releases. Glasgow and the whole of West Central Scotland is a big gap in model shops ........anyone brave enough?

 

Has Rab C Nesbitt hijacked the keyboard?

[Legend]

Has Rab C Nesbitt hijacked the keyboard?

Aye sitting here in my white string vest and bandana! Sorry new iPad Pro and it seems to be able to change keyboards on a whim. I think I can probably switch to Arabic if I haven't already done so! Now corrected

[Phil Parker]

Latest trick is, when trying to make a purchase, you're redirected to the self service tills. I don't DO self service tills (there's more than enough unemployed as it is, without me adding to the figures by proxy), so intended purchases are dumped on the counter & I walk out. See Mr WHS, being ar$ey works both ways! Not long ago, I calculated how much I used to spend in WHS in general, a staggering amount. They don't get a penny nowadays if I can help it.

Surely I you never buy anything the shop closes and you HAVE contributed to the unemployment figures in a tiny way.

 

Also, dumping your stuff doesn't bother the management in the slightest. All you do is lumber some minimum wage shopworker with the job of cleaning up after you. Something they will get a bollocking for if they don't do it perfectly. Taking your dissatisfaction out on the staff is a waste of time. They have no control over most of the things you are unhappy with, even if you beat them to death, management just thinks happily of the wages they won't need to pay.

[Coryton]

If so, why can't they just take some Hornby stock as a normal retailer to go with the non-Hornby brands they sell?

I suspect is more to do with an underperfoming sector in the shop, they had already reduced the area given over to the MZ bit in the shop.

That was long before Hornby's latest change of marketing plans came about.

 

 

Well I'm not saying that the Modelzones seem to have been doing all that well.

 

But given the timing it would be a strange coincidence if it didn't have anything to do with Hornby ending their concessions.

[Coryton]

Surely I you never buy anything the shop closes and you HAVE contributed to the unemployment figures in a tiny way.

 

 

Not it you go to another shop that stocks the same thing but offers a more personal experience, so to speak?

[melmerby]

Not it you go to another shop that stocks the same thing but offers a more personal experience, so to speak?

So where do you go to get what WHS sells?

In Birmingham there is a Waterstones (with friendly staff) which is better for books but they don't stock all the other tat stuff that WHS does.

 

Keith

[Dave47549]

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[Dave47549]

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[Dave47549]

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[melmerby]

Well,

 

Magazines :  Several other independent suppliers in the City, transport specific titles in Ian Allan

Books : Waterstones

Sweets etc : Plenty 'newsagent' style shops, Poundland

fags : 'newsagents'

stationery : Ryman

toy trains : IA (obviously not Hornby, as they p***ed on their chips with that outlet)

 

Plenty of other outlets, WHS I think assume they have a captive audience by being a one stop shop. Think Woolworths...

Magazines: most not stocked elsewhere WHS have by far the best selection.

Books: I said Waterstones.

Sweets: very much a tempter by the tills with poor stocks (I wouldn't ever use WHS)

Stationery: Ryman has much less variety than WHS

Trains: WHS won't have any in couple of weeks and I consider MZ not part of their core business.

 

WH Smith is the place to go for Magazines & Newspapers and Stationery. (What I would call their core business).

They even have a greater variety of transport titles than IA. (but they don't AFAIK carry titles like Tramfare, The London bus, Eisenbahn Kurier etc)

That is what we would lose if they close.

 

Keith

[toffee]

Sorry to disappoint bu WHS isn't going anywhere, the share price is around £ 15, the divi is just under 3% and most pundits have it as a buy or hold. No debt, high cash flow makes it a safe spot for those seeking steady returns. I don't find it pretty with its self serve and it's stack 'em high ethos but there you go. As to any opposition I'm afraid I see none. The town I live in has no other magazine seller apart from Tesco, we have no bookshops, all gone. The model railway shop went around 10 years ago and the 2/3 local stand alone toys shops followed, it's only chains now. As I said Tesco will sell me RMod and RMag but things like MRJ ? Nope, so to me and I would say the majority outside the big cities it's Smiths or nothing apart from model shows and preserved railways. MZ I could see coming, there was little to entice the younger generation in to buy, if they're that way inclined then there are sheds like Hobbycraft selling Hornby and a few extras but I rarely see youngsters in my local one when I'm after glue or paint or knife blades.

Life has moved on, we are in a minority hobby now with a big cliff approaching, I'm 60 next month and I would say I'm younger that a lot I see at model shows.

[D9020 Nimbus]

MZ at WHS in Gateshead Metrocentre is also closing at the end of January. Like others have said, stock in locked cabinets and no staff in sight. So, although I've never bought anything there, I don't see that it's contributed to the unemployment figures.

 

The only model railway-related event I've seen where there were substantial numbers of young people was Model Rail Live when it was at Barrow Hill. So there is *some* interest, if it can be attracted...

[SGP]

I think WHS lost its way some years ago and isn't really sure what it wants to sell. I guess magazine and book sales have diminished over the years and they haven't really found a new line to keep the the revenue where it needs to be. It wouldn't surprise me if WHS did a Woolworths.

Shades of Menzies and Preedy.

[SGP]

Sorry to disappoint bu WHS isn't going anywhere, the share price is around £ 15, the divi is just under 3% and most pundits have it as a buy or hold. No debt, high cash flow makes it a safe spot for those seeking steady returns. I don't find it pretty with its self serve and it's stack 'em high ethos but there you go. As to any opposition I'm afraid I see none. The town I live in has no other magazine seller apart from Tesco, we have no bookshops, all gone. The model railway shop went around 10 years ago and the 2/3 local stand alone toys shops followed, it's only chains now. As I said Tesco will sell me RMod and RMag but things like MRJ ? Nope, so to me and I would say the majority outside the big cities it's Smiths or nothing apart from model shows and preserved railways. MZ I could see coming, there was little to entice the younger generation in to buy, if they're that way inclined then there are sheds like Hobbycraft selling Hornby and a few extras but I rarely see youngsters in my local one when I'm after glue or paint or knife blades.

Life has moved on, we are in a minority hobby now with a big cliff approaching, I'm 60 next month and I would say I'm younger that a lot I see at model shows.

Every time I go to WHS for a magazine (usually a special partwork), they don't stock it, yet Tesco and Sainsbury do.

[melmerby]

 there was little to entice the younger generation in to buy, if they're that way inclined then there are sheds like Hobbycraft selling Hornby and a few extras but I rarely see youngsters in my local one when I'm after glue or paint or knife blades.

 

Have Hobbycraft started selling Hornby again?

The ones I use got rid of it years ago.

Even the Entertainer chain which used to stock, mainly Railroad, Hornby dropped it some time back as did Toys 'R' Us.

 

Every time I go to WHS for a magazine (usually a special partwork), they don't stock it, yet Tesco and Sainsbury do.

I've never found Sainsbugs or Tesco very good for mags. must be the local manager's decision what to stock.

 

Keith

[centraltrains]

The Birmingham MZ bit has NO staff, if you want anything you have to find one of those rare creatures known as "assistants" so that you can buy something.

Usually the item is in a locked cabinet so you need the right assistant who has access to the key.

 

It doesn't make for an easy shopping experience, the rest of the floor the MZ is on is virtually self service with the appropriate tills at the end and very few sales staff.

 

The MZ doesn't sit well with WHS's normal shop layout. I'm not surprised it's closing.

 

Keith

 

It did... At least one of the workers from the MZ in Birmingham went to the MZ WH Smiths Birmingham. At the start they where wearing the MZ Unifrom but then after a month or two got put into WH Smiths Uniform. The worker I noticed whom was in WH from MZ who did this (women with red hair) was oftern was on the till by MZ, Haven't seen her there for about a year though, but then again I haven't visited much recently (and when I have been it's usually at odd times). When I brought things from MZ it would usually be her who unlocked the cabinet. The one or two more recent times it's been go to till and wait 5-10mins for someone to find the key though...