Hattons Model Railways to close

[TTDB]

30 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

A lot of stock has been sold in the last few hours. The site has experienced heavy usage.

 

Take the tin foil hat off.

Very much so I’d placed 10 pieces of code 75 concrete flexi and five points in my basket  logged into my account after some searching for more items   and by this time all I ended up is with one yard of flexi, just wish all the staff the best,

[AY Mod]

39 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

A lot of stock has been sold in the last few hours. The site has experienced heavy usage.

 

 

From the horse's mouth...

 

"The website has been incredibly busy; it's almost as if people are placing one last order as a way of saying goodbye"

 

I know Richard is also very appreciative of your supportive messages to all, particularly those recognising the innovations.

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

I guess no one see this coming,sad to see the origional model train name go after so long,earlier in week had the news that DJH who do the kits and build them if you so desire are shutting shop too,what next??

[wombatofludham]

I'm amazed that people are asserting, or surmising that the "cost of living crisis" is to blame for Hattons making whay must have been a massive and difficult decision.

For our younger viewers, and those old enough to know better but have probably forgotten, the 1970s and 1980s were grim economically.  High inflation of over 20$, the collapse of industry and percentage wise far higher unemployment.  So, looking back at one model that has been a perennial fixture in a certain manufacturer's range since Methusulah was a , Flying Scotsman, we see the 1975 model produced by Hornby was £10.33, which today equates to £106.86.  The current Railroad spec 4472, which is the closest we can find to the basic 1975 model is currently listed at around £120.  Average weekly wages for manual workers in 1975 were £48.63, but in 2023 the same employee's average income per week is £451.81.  Applying the "Mars Bar" test (an economic crude test of how many Mars Bars the average income could buy in any one year) in 1975 you could buy 4.7 Hornby Flying Scotsmans.  Today you can get 3.7, a drop of one, so a slight decline in buying power.  However, in 1975 a greater % of household income went on housing and energy costs as well as food compared to today.

The point is whilst the current higher inflation and energy costs are a relative shock to those who have got used to lower cost of living, they are no worse than the mid 1970s in relative terms - yet Hatton's didn't close up shop in any of the economic downturns of the 70s or 80s when household budgets were just as strained as today if not more so.  They will have encountered just as challenging economic conditions over the past 70 plus years which they weathered.  The current situation economically is no worse than the 1970s, difficult as it might be for some of you to believe.

[Fair Oak Junction]

I was one of those who placed an order after the news broke. Managed to nab the last Oxford Dean Goods in WD livery.

It's a very strange thought knowing many of us will be having the last items from Hattons 😢

[TheSignalEngineer]

 

2 hours ago, TRAILRAGE said:

Your absolutely right about the Cycling industry. UK Distributer More and Large Closed last year as did Isla Bikes, Raleigh is under "restructuring" Cycling sports group in Poole looks to be closing, and something like 200 odd Shops have gone over the last year.  

 

Seriously worrying  and difficult times in the Retail industry. 

Isla Bikes seems to be a similar case to Hattons. They weren't in financial difficulties, but supply problems and market conditions were making continuing untenable in the medium term.

 

[wairoa]

All the best to those at Hattons. I live overseas and their service with overseas orders has always been excellent. I will miss them sorely.

[drt7uk]

Just put in a pre-order for a P Class in SECR livery, as an act of solidarity (but also in case my Bluebell P Class ever breaks down, I'll have a spare motor).

 

Understand it might not be fulfilled, but hopefully they've had a spike of interest this evening that gives them the confidence to still go ahead and produce these re-runs. Lets wait and see I guess.

 

Like everyone else am gutted they are closing down. My Bluebell must be in my top 3 locomotives, and my LNWR genesis coaches are wonderful. Hope everyone finds new jobs soon.

Edited January 8 by drt7uk

[YT-1300]

Very saddened to hear this news, I've shopped with Hatton's for  over 30 years, in various scales, new and secondhand.  I've never had a problem that wasn't resolved, even then it was only once.

 

I've been modelling US HO the past few years, and bought a lot of stuff from Hatton's, all at decent prices, often receiving items that in far better condition than I expected them to be in, and one loco still with the box factory wrapped.

 

Even when Hatton's stopped being the cheapest, they were my go to retailer, as the service far outweighed any price differential.

 

They will be sadly missed and I hope all staff find new employment.

 

Thank you for many years of great service.

[Chamby]

A big thank you to Hattons and all their staff, for services rendered..  
 

I am genuinely saddened by today’s announcement, but also impressed by the honourable way in which the business is to be wound up. 

 

 

[BlackRat]

Both sad and shocking news, and says a lot about the current state of things.

 

I have been dealing with them for 50 years, half a century and feel for all the staff.

 

For me it was buying stuff for a hobby, for them it’s their livelihood and I wish them well.

 

It does make you wonder what you’re going to hear next!

 

From an 11 year old schoolboy sending a postal order for a Triang Hornby Pannier tank to a 62 year old retiree with pre orders, Hattons, thank you for you service.

Edited January 9 by BlackRat

[bradfordbuffer]

22 minutes ago, wombatofludham said:

I'm amazed that people are asserting, or surmising that the "cost of living crisis" is to blame for Hattons making whay must have been a massive and difficult decision.

For our younger viewers, and those old enough to know better but have probably forgotten, the 1970s and 1980s were grim economically.  High inflation of over 20$, the collapse of industry and percentage wise far higher unemployment.  So, looking back at one model that has been a perennial fixture in a certain manufacturer's range since Methusulah was a , Flying Scotsman, we see the 1975 model produced by Hornby was £10.33, which today equates to £106.86.  The current Railroad spec 4472, which is the closest we can find to the basic 1975 model is currently listed at around £120.  Average weekly wages for manual workers in 1975 were £48.63, but in 2023 the same employee's average income per week is £451.81.  Applying the "Mars Bar" test (an economic crude test of how many Mars Bars the average income could buy in any one year) in 1975 you could buy 4.7 Hornby Flying Scotsmans.  Today you can get 3.7, a drop of one, so a slight decline in buying power.  However, in 1975 a greater % of household income went on housing and energy costs as well as food compared to today.

The point is whilst the current higher inflation and energy costs are a relative shock to those who have got used to lower cost of living, they are no worse than the mid 1970s in relative terms - yet Hatton's didn't close up shop in any of the economic downturns of the 70s or 80s when household budgets were just as strained as today if not more so.  They will have encountered just as challenging economic conditions over the past 70 plus years which they weathered.  The current situation economically is no worse than the 1970s, difficult as it might be for some of you to believe.

Sorry you can't use the mars bar test as they where bigger in the 70s or was it more the case of smaller hands😀...don't get me started on marathon v snicker debacle 

[apollanaut]

My last orders from Hattons were the LMS and BR versions of Hornby’s Turbomotive, which both arrived in NZ within 2 weeks of placing the order. I have always had excellent service from Hattons, including a few returns which they handled very well and provided replacement models or refunds without any fuss. They have been my preferred supplier for many years and will be greatly missed!

[jjb1970]

To say this was a shock is an understatement, they have been a huge part of the hobby since before I was born and an easy default shop to check if looking for something. I don't want to be a hypocrite as I haven't bought much from them for many years (simply because my model train interests aren't the sort they or other UK retailers sell much of) but I am deeply saddened by the news. I hope all their staff who want to continue working find new employment quickly and wish any who make the move to retirement a long and happy life after work. They'll be missed.

[bradfordbuffer]

Going to be some trade stand holes in the big shows this year!

 

 

[The Black Hat]

46 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

From the horse's mouth...

 

"The website has been incredibly busy; it's almost as if people are placing one last order as a way of saying goodbye"

 

I know Richard is also very appreciative of your supportive messages to all, particularly those recognising the innovations.

Innovations is one thing that Richard has always been looking to push forwards. I have been very grateful for the time and support shown to be when we have had the chances to meet up and chat. The market right now is volatile, but Hattons with Richard have looked for ways to bring more people onboard or help spread the wealth of knowledge needed to take part the hobby. The Hattons directory is a treasure trove of information on the prototype but also the models that have followed. It will be a crying shame to loose it and the effort that has gone into it. I wonder if part of that could be lifted and hosted elsewhere - but soon we will also learn what a loss this truely is when we look in the mags and the ads are gone, we look for the price a good engine would be and the Hattons benchmark is gone. Really feel for the staff but know Richard will be doing what he thinks is right and proper for all and for that he has my deepest respect and lasting friendship. 

[GWR-fan]

At least one positive will come out of this for me and that is my bank balance will be healthier going into the future.  Hattons offered a unique feature that other stores did not in that I could ship bulkier, relatively heavy items like cast resin buildings and trainsets at a modest shipping fee.  Without the services offered by the store my enjoyment from the hobby would be far less.  I cannot forsee any other store stepping up and replacing these features.  I have been "stung" several times by comparatively much higher shipping costs for similar items from these other stores so will sorely miss the closing of the store. 

 

Without the pre-owned list to indulge myself in,  in the wee early morning hours,  I may have to stare at the ceiling and contemplate the loss it may have on the hobby,  particularly for international customers.  No doubt other stores will step in and attempt to fill the void,  but in my mind it will never be the same.  It seems like a good friend has passed to the other side and all that is left are the memories. 

 

My future spending in the hobby wil be far less,  as apart from a few special items like the recent EFE "boosters" release,  I have little to no interest in having the latest and greatest super detailed models that are now flooding the market.

[adb968008]

19 minutes ago, The Black Hat said:

Innovations is one thing that Richard has always been looking to push forwards. I have been very grateful for the time and support shown to be when we have had the chances to meet up and chat. The market right now is volatile, but Hattons with Richard have looked for ways to bring more people onboard or help spread the wealth of knowledge needed to take part the hobby. The Hattons directory is a treasure trove of information on the prototype but also the models that have followed. It will be a crying shame to loose it and the effort that has gone into it. I wonder if part of that could be lifted and hosted elsewhere - but soon we will also learn what a loss this truely is when we look in the mags and the ads are gone, we look for the price a good engine would be and the Hattons benchmark is gone. Really feel for the staff but know Richard will be doing what he thinks is right and proper for all and for that he has my deepest respect and lasting friendship. 

I want to highlight this….

 

And the Product Database.

 

No other retailer has this level of detail, even sources like Hornbyguide and modelrailwaydatabase are not as good as this resource.

 

maybe a good opensource wiki project ?

 

Edited January 9 by adb968008

[Compound1000]

1 minute ago, adb968008 said:

I want to highlight this….

 

And the Product Database.

 

No other retailer has this level of detail, even sources like Hornbyguide and modelrailwaydatabase are not as good as this resource.

 

maybe a good opensource wiki project ?

 

 

Great post. I thought of this earlier but it seemed insignificant when weighed alongside the wider impact of this news but actually it isn't insignificant in itself. Hattons online resource of products/tooling information is hugely useful and I hope somehow it is not lost to the hobby. 

[leavesontheline]

Very sad to hear this shock news. I feel for all staff involved, many of whom clearly loved their job based on the interactions I've had over the years. Some will be required to carry on until the 'end' and they will no doubt feel a much greater sense of loss than we do as customers. Having been in this situation myself they will have a strange few weeks/months ahead and may develop a renewed sense of solidarity with their colleagues but I hope all concerned manage to go on to do great things elsewhere if they so desire. 

 

I guess as others have said, all good things must come to an end but I always thought Hattons would be there 'for ever' .... longer than me anyway!

 

Having said this, if my spending profile with Hattons over the years is typical of their customers, then this has dropped off significantly more recently. I haven't totted up my total model railway expenditure (I don't dare!) to see how that has changed overall and I haven't compared with other retailers I commonly use but I have downloaded my order history from my Hattons account, which only goes back to 2008 (so I'm a newbie compared to many commenters on here!) and will probably have ended with an order in the 2023 pre-Christmas sales. 

 

This profile resembles a bell curve with the peak 'spend' around the 2016/2017 time. Up to that point I had generally used my local model shop for most things and had only really gone to mail-order or online retailers for bulk/bargains or specific items I couldn't get locally. My local shop sadly closed for good at about this time so I became fully reliant on online retailers and Hattons suddenly got a big chunk of business from me for at least a couple of years. I also used to occasionally go to the Smithdown Road shop when visiting family nearby, but I have never been to the new shop in Widnes. Since most of my purchasing went online, I also started to find and use 'smaller' online retailers who also had a traditional shop based business (aswell as larger ones like 'Rails') and customer service, prices, postage costs and quality of packaging that matched or more often than not bettered Hattons, so my spend with Hattons has just tailed off year on year since about 2017 and has been limited to their own excellent 'Originals' models and 'sales' bargains once again. My experience is very specific to me but I wonder if the competition to Hattons, of all sizes, have just all now come up to the high standards they set.

 

During recent years I always assumed that Hattons were big enough to ride the Brexit/war/cost of living storms and my changing spending patterns would have no impact on a business of this size. Now I feel as if I have been part of the problem. I have been so busy supporting the little guys that the 'big guy' has gone out of business. However, this phenomenon seems to be happening across multiple retail industries at the moment.

 

A sad day.   

[maico]

4 hours ago, MonsalDale said:

On one hand, this is completely unexpected.  I did not expect a company the size of Hattons, which grew so quickly over the past 6 years to close like this.  I am used to hearing about smaller model shops shutting but I did not expect a big retailer (and manufacturer) to just close.  I can't imagine Hornby stealing its thunder with their generic 4 wheelers particularly helped matters to be honest.

 

However, this has also been coming for some time.  We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis without end.  Costs in manufacturing have continued to rise over the past 15 years as Chinese workers seek fair payment for their labour.  On the other hand, wages in this country have not kept up with inflation and people are much poorer than they were back in 2008.  Model railways were somewhat immune for a short while as the retired were generally more protected from the economic problems than younger people who are on track to be the first generation worse off than their parents.

Brexit has also made trading harder and more expensive.

 

Some people, have been pointing that this would come to a head for some time.  Rising prices at the levels we have seen and wages completely unable to keep up with those demands was going to become a problem at some point for a hobby dependent on disposable income.  The bubble which grew in the 2010s from an influx of new manufacturers and new models was not sustainable given the above but many people were shot down on various forums and discussion of rising prices seemed almost prohibited at times because 'it had been done to death' and 'people were always saying that model railways would die out as time went on but this never happened'.  People would point towards the rise in railway and model railway programmes to show that the hobby is growing.  Interest has clearly grown, but the amount of money in our wallets certainly hasn't!

 

Well... back then we didn't have 13 years of austerity, falling wages and rising manufacturer costs to deal with.

 

I am very sad and shocked that Hattons are closing.  My thoughts are with the staff at this challenging time.  I didn't think it would be them, but this bubble was going to burst sooner or later unfortunately.  I expect we will see more of this in the hobby and pastimes sector until people in this country see a long overdue pay rise. 

 

Retail sales have been flat @ 0.1% YoY

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/retail-sales

 

Household  disposable income has been rising and in recent times average wage growth has exceeded inflation in some months.

Discretionary spending will always be the first thing impacted.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/disposable-personal-income

 

Real wage growth is positive taking into account inflation but only just

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/average-earnings-excluding-bonus

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9 by maico

[Halvarras]

I had just performed my usual daily perusal of the latest pre-owned (just in case.....as always), then opened up Youtube on a whim.....and there it was, front and centre - news I failed to believe at first sight. But as I watched I realised it was alas true. Next stop was Hatton's own website for confirmation. One of life's 'bombshell' moments. 

 

I made my first purchase from Hattons in 1968, two years after getting into the hobby. I still have that model, a second-hand Tri-ang Brush Type 2 - it couldn't be a new one because of what I did to it......

Yes I know, but I was 15 and desperate, OK? Valuable learning curve though. Another pre-owned one followed, also from Hattons, which remained a Class 31 (wasn't going to do THAT again). Since I was located in Cornwall these were both mail-ordered following their listing in Hatton's advertisements in the 'Railway Modeller'.......think about that, publishing lead times back then meant shop visitors could have nabbed them way before I even saw the ads......not sure how that worked now - pure luck? The internet revolution led to many orders over the years since - they became more sporadic in recent times but picked up again during the past year - my last pre-owned item was a mint but non-running (of course) Mainline Warship just 6 weeks ago. The service was always fast and efficient, never a problem. 

 

This is a very sad day for the hobby of modelling in general, my heart goes out to the terrific staff and management there - I wish them all the very best for the future and hope that they all quickly find alternative employment which will allow that enthusiasm to continue to shine. 

 

Like many others it seems, I will now have a hole in my day, around early evening when I used to pop in to see the latest pre-owned listings in case something came up I never knew I needed.........Hattons, you will be hugely missed for sure. Many thanks for all you have done for this great hobby.

 

[Tim123]

Very sad that Hattons is closing. I hope everyone associated with the company is able to secure alternative employment very quickly.

 

My earliest purchase from Hattons was when the Mainline J72 was first launched. My mum let me use her credit card for mail order - I was only around 10 at the time! Latest purchase was 5 minutes ago, substantial order of MicroTrains N USA wagons. 

 

The world is constantly changing, manufacturers, retailers and Empires come and go.

[Hector Lawn]

I’m very shocked to hear about the impending demise of Hattons. I used them for almost all my N gauge purchases after I moved to Australia. They were a boon to an expat wanting to model British outline. Their service was excellent and international postage for a loco was initially about £5 - a lot less than the VAT that I didn’t have to pay for! However, after they fell out with Bachmann and stopped stocking Graham Farish items I had no choice but to switch my allegiance to other online retailers and unfortunately I have spent very little in recent years with Hattons. 
 

Thank you Hattons for enabling me to continue modelling UK outline after I emigrated. Sorry to see you go.

 

Hector

[autocoach]

The news has just hit me on this far distant shore of the Pacific.  I have been a regular customer of Hattons since the 1980's. I no longer model UK outline but have a great deal of treasured bits mostly bought from Hattons. 

 

I know political comment is not welcome here but unfortunately it underlies this sad announcement. I'll wait til this shows up in the Guardian tomorrow where I will unleash my thoughts...