RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted January 21, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2017 In addition to most of my local WHS looking like an explosion at a church jumble sale. they are now ditching lots of stock lines to shoehorn in the Post Office that should be in the proper Royal Mail building around the corner (this following a 'consultation' which basically involved sticking up a notice, feeding the thousands of objections straight into a shredder and moving the Post Office anyway) Now not only is the front of the shop crammed with little old ladies repeatedly breaking the self service tills but the back is as well now. The only way to improve the shopping experience in there would be to torch the whole place and start again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 22, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2017 The one or two more recent times it's been go to till and wait 5-10mins for someone to find the key though... Recently the till at that end has been unmanned and when I went to the one by the Kobo stand I was told "Nothing to do with me" You then have to go right up the other end of the floor by the tills and ask for someone to serve you. As you say 5-10mins wait for the appropriate person, sometimes longer. Why e.g. were £15 wagons locked away and not on the shelves? Plenty of other much more expensive stuff on "self service" nearby! What a shambles. Its almost as if they didn't want the MZ to succeed. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I remember the big MZ store in Birmingham well; always had masses of stock and if I went in for 'something', I always came out with 'something +....' Since it has been subsumed into WHS the range has dwindled to the square root of b*ggar-all and usually what I do go for, or rather what I need that they still sell (mostly just paint now), is remarkable by its absence.... seemingly a tinlet of every colour except the one I need. MZ used to be for modellers of every ilk- WHS has turned it into a brand for box-openers and collectors. Surprise surprise those of us who used to go there for materials and tools have found themselves having to go elsewhere and surprise surprise its customer base has pretty much evaporated. I was in Birmingham yesterday and had to go to WHS- it didn't even cross my mind just to pop upstairs to MZ. The last five or six times I have gone there it has been time and effort wasted as they have never have what I was looking for, or anything that I would be interested in buying. A shame to see it go of course- but I suppose its taught WHS that successful model shops have a range bigger than ready-made stuff and Airfix/ Revell kits. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 22, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2017 I remember the big MZ store in Birmingham well; always had masses of stock and if I went in for 'something', I always came out with 'something +....' Since it has been subsumed into WHS the range has dwindled to the square root of b*ggar-all and usually what I do go for, or rather what I need that they still sell (mostly just paint now), is remarkable by its absence.... seemingly a tinlet of every colour except the one I need. MZ used to be for modellers of every ilk- WHS has turned it into a brand for box-openers and collectors. Surprise surprise those of us who used to go there for materials and tools have found themselves having to go elsewhere and surprise surprise its customer base has pretty much evaporated. I was in Birmingham yesterday and had to go to WHS- it didn't even cross my mind just to pop upstairs to MZ. The last five or six times I have gone there it has been time and effort wasted as they have never have what I was looking for, or anything that I would be interested in buying. A shame to see it go of course- but I suppose its taught WHS that successful model shops have a range bigger than ready-made stuff and Airfix/ Revell kits. The problem was that the original MZ went bust and closed. WHS merely bought the brand from the administrators and were effectively starting from scratch in an area they new nothing about. A lot of what was available in the original MZ (all the bits you need to complete a project, whether car, boat, plane or train) was totally missing, leading to many prospective customers looking elsewhere. I've bought very little from WHS MZ apart from the odd wagon on promotion and a Humbrol workstation when 25% off. I also don't think they really made an effort to promote it after presumably finding that it wasn't an instant success with it's very limited range of products. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Modelzone in WH Smith Sauchiehall St Glasgow also closing at the end of this month, according to a sign on the display cabinets. No special offers or reductions of any kind, however. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted January 23, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2017 Modelzone in WH Smith Sauchiehall St Glasgow also closing at the end of this month, according to a sign on the display cabinets. No special offers or reductions of any kind, however. I believe the stock is being sent back to Hornby, so no special offers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickL2008 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Was in the Modelzone in Kingston this morning, also closing at the end of this month, all Bachmann stuff still discounted but with very minimal stock there NL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 23, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2017 I believe the stock is being sent back to Hornby, so no special offers No doubt to be sent to certain dealers to be sold off at half price! (can't see Hornby wanting to fill their warehouse with all this returned stock) Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelpara Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 No doubt to be sent to certain dealers to be sold off at half price! (can't see Hornby wanting to fill their warehouse with all this returned stock) Keith More likely to appear on their last chance to buy section Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac-2008 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Has The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes closed down? Just watched a video advertising them that was free with BRM mag but when you go onto the web page it says We Have Now Closed The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelpara Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Has The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes closed down? Just watched a video advertising them that was free with BRM mag but when you go onto the web page it says We Have Now Closed The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes. Yes it's closed at the moment, they were trying to find an investor to help them continue but not heard any more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac-2008 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 That's a shame I was going to visit them today after watching a video of them in the February mag. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted January 29, 2017 Administrators Share Posted January 29, 2017 Has The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes closed down? Just watched a video advertising them that was free with BRM mag but when you go onto the web page it says We Have Now Closed The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes. Sadly, when we filmed, everything was great and they were looking forward to the future. Closure was very sudden and came after the DVD had gone for duplication. I hope it stands as a tribute to some really nice people and a dream of a model railway display that was well on the way to fruition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac-2008 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Well it's not all doom and gloom in the Midlands. •Hobby Rail in Sutton Coldfield has expanded so they must be doing ok and have a good selection. • Mike's Models in Kingstanding are now stocking Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Oxford, Peco Metcalf and Wills. They have a fantastic selection of paints and tools. • Not many people know this but the Chase Water Light Railway have a model shop on the end of the building on platform 2 with a good selection of new and used. Then we have Modellers Mecca, Tennants and of course A Oakes which has four layouts on display. These are the ones I use but we have more if you travel that little bit more to Coventry and Stafford. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
centraltrains Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Has The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes closed down? Just watched a video advertising them that was free with BRM mag but when you go onto the web page it says We Have Now Closed The Wonderful World Of Trains And Planes. Oh no!!! I have an annual ticket as well!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac-2008 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Keep hold of it because when Modelzone closed people was trying to sell there bags with the logos on for silly money. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 29, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2017 Keep hold of it because when Modelzone closed people was trying to sell there bags with the logos on for silly money. "Trying to" might be the important bit here... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted January 29, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2017 Yep Glasgow Modelzone closing down end Jan. Cabinets were being cleared. Hornby being sent back. No reductions . They may well end up in last chance to buy but it's not a huge quantity . I suspect they only ever had one of two of each model. It's hardly going to saturate the market. If they were smart they'd offer it to model shops at cost and let them make a bit of money on them . The models themselves may well be sought after , just being sold in wrong place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 29, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2017 Well it's not all doom and gloom in the Midlands. •Hobby Rail in Sutton Coldfield has expanded so they must be doing ok and have a good selection. Is he still in the Market Village unit? When I visited last year the stock was a bit basic, nothing like the Ryland Road shop of that name, but he did say he was looking to expand his range. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac-2008 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Is he still in the Market Village unit? When I visited last year the stock was a bit basic, nothing like the Ryland Road shop of that name, but he did say he was looking to expand his range. Keith Yes it is and the stock has improved. The outside look of the shop now looks like a railway carriage and they have moved the wall to the stockroom to make the shop bigger.The opening hours are not the best I think that don't open until after 11 in the week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
centraltrains Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Popped in to the Birmingham store today. All Hornby stock was still at full price (and I don't expect it to become reduced). The small range of Bachmann & Grayha Farish was at an underwhelming 25% off. The best offer was buy one get one free on an oxford rails loco. Shame only 1 was in stock. Maybe it was the free one ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 29, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2017 Popped in to the Birmingham store today. All Hornby stock was still at full price (and I don't expect it to become reduced). The small range of Bachmann & Grayha Farish was at an underwhelming 25% off. The best offer was buy one get one free on an oxford rails loco. Shame only 1 was in stock. Maybe it was the free one ;-) I do wonder what's going to happen to the left over Bachmann stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 29, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2017 I do wonder what's going to happen to the left over Bachmann stock. Maybe if they reduce it by 50% there might be some takers? Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymac-2008 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 So today was the last day? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
centraltrains Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 So today was the last day? Will have to wait to see if anyone goes there tomorrow and decides to report back here ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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