Hattons Model Railways to close

[ndeluck]

Very sad news, I recognize their pedigree in the UK as a multi-generational flag of our hobby; and as a customer abroad it is doubly so. Thoughts with the owners and staff as they plan their next moves. 

 

I got truly into the hobby in 2018 after dreaming for almost my whole life of having my own models of locos I admired. When I found Hattons that year, I discovered just how simple their purchasing and shipping was to me here in the US- much to the detriment of my wallet. Hattons have essentially accompanied my entire modeling life up until now, and I know the same is true for many others.

 

Will be hard to say goodbye, and to find equally as competent service for us abroad. So for now, I've placed my tentatively final order as a goodbye to some good years of outstanding service.

[s009159]

43 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

What have I said about armchair business economics?

Having been in the business for over fifty years it’s not armchair economics .

Edited January 9 by s009159
Extra info , another unhelpful aspect is the way some manufacturer deal with faulty product now , one for example used to replace any faulty product or credit accordingly , they now insist on fixing it , so retailer ends up with a 2nd hand loco to sell .

[AY Mod]

14 minutes ago, s009159 said:

Having been in the business for over fifty years it’s not armchair economics .

 

Sorry; didn't realise you knew all the facts rather than guessing.

[Hroth]

 

I'm feeling like a vulture, but I've probably just made my last purchases from Hattons.

 

As I said earlier, I wish the company and their staff well in the future.

 

[Fair Oak Junction]

I really don't see supporting a business at it's end as being a vulture. They won't be wanting unsold stock lying around.

 

They are still a shop, even at the end.

[Helmdon]

4 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

I'm feeling like a vulture, but I've probably just made my last purchases from Hattons.

 

As I said earlier, I wish the company and their staff well in the future.

 

They are trading and will be until they stop. It’s not being a vulture, it’s a transaction. Gutted to see them go but they haven’t gone bust. It’s all money in the till until the doors are locked for the last time.

 

if anything, people are a bit stunned - me included - to see a company closing down the old fashioned ethical way, having become used to the ‘we’ve gone bust, please buy everything including the fixtures and fittings from an administrator’

[kevinlms]

13 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

I'm feeling like a vulture, but I've probably just made my last purchases from Hattons.

 

As I said earlier, I wish the company and their staff well in the future.

 

Not vulture like. It would be poor if Hattons had a sale with big discounts, received lots of orders and then disappeared with everyone's payments. That's happened before.

In Hattons case, far from it!

[Hippo]

I'm another modeller currently not modelling at the moment but I just wanted to come on here and thank the staff and wish them well at this time.

 

Since getting into the hobby in the early 2000's Hattons has always been my go to and I've only ever had good experiences ordering from them, the few times I have needed to phone them to change orders etc the people I have spoken to have been excellent.

 

Best of luck for the future to all the staff.

 

Owen 

[bradfordbuffer]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

such a scouse scene, Hattons and a shop selling ‘trackies’ and shell suits 

A A A A calm down ...calm down! 

[MyRule1]

Just had a rather confusing e-mail from Hattons:

 

"We’re contacting you today as you have outstanding pre-orders with us that we will no longer be able to fulfill due to our forthcoming closure."

 

The only items I have on back-order are the re-issue of the Warwell's so these should be unaffected. However while checking on the Warwell's I noticed this as a future release:

 

"Hattons Originals RJD-Book001 "What they don't teach you in Harvard Model Railway university" by Richard Davies, Hattons Model Railways"

 

will be interesting reading if it does appear.

[JohnR]

2 minutes ago, MyRule1 said:

Just had a rather confusing e-mail from Hattons:

 

"We’re contacting you today as you have outstanding pre-orders with us that we will no longer be able to fulfill due to our forthcoming closure."

 

The only items I have on back-order are the re-issue of the Warwell's so these should be unaffected. However while checking on the Warwell's I noticed this as a future release:

 

"Hattons Originals RJD-Book001 "What they don't teach you in Harvard Model Railway university" by Richard Davies, Hattons Model Railways"

 

will be interesting reading if it does appear.

 

Likewise I've just had the same email. My only pre-orders are some Batch 2 Genesis coaches and the accompanying lighting kits. 

[Star-rider]

My best wishes and thanks to the staff and management of Hattons for a lifetime (for me) of service.

 

I too was shocked as I came to this news today, it one of those institutions you feel would somehow always be there.

 

I still have a memory of being taken there by my dad, probably in the mid or late 1960’s as he mopped up a little of the original Hornby Dublo stock they were clearing. Later in life I made my own visits to both of the Smithdown Road shops, plus a couple of visits to the Widnes warehouse. As a motorcyclist I’m often looking for a destination for a ride out and when there was a special purchase in mind it was an enjoyable day out to have a run up the A41 from the West Midlands knowing that there will be something shiny and new in the rucksack for the ride home.

 

The mail order service was also excellent, most of the big retailers handle this well but the “trunk” service was particularly innovative for getting those smaller bits and pieces at a sensible shipping cost.

 

The only reason they saw so little of my money in the last few years is that the major manufacturers aren’t producing anything I want to buy.

[melmerby]

Probably like many of the oldies on here I first noticed Hattons by the mag adverts for clearance Hornby Dublo stock after Meccano's demise.

[steve22]

Simply to add my condolences to the many already expressed here.  I confess to only buying something from Hatton's the once, a couple of Bachmann's Mk 2 coaches. They were such a bargain though that I decided to add two more to my order to give to a friend as a surprise gift.  I can clearly recall their adverts from the Railway Modeller in the 1960s; they were as much essential reading to the young me as all the editorial.  I worked in a model shop through most of the 1980s when many shops around were closing so I can imagine the worry that the staff will be facing. 

Again, I offer my condolences to all involved. 

 

Steve.

 

[Darius43]

21 minutes ago, MyRule1 said:

Just had a rather confusing e-mail from Hattons:

 

"We’re contacting you today as you have outstanding pre-orders with us that we will no longer be able to fulfill due to our forthcoming closure."

 

The only items I have on back-order are the re-issue of the Warwell's so these should be unaffected. However while checking on the Warwell's I noticed this as a future release:

 

"Hattons Originals RJD-Book001 "What they don't teach you in Harvard Model Railway university" by Richard Davies, Hattons Model Railways"

 

will be interesting reading if it does appear.

I got the same email (as presumably did everyone else with pre-orders) so it must be based on their pre-order customer database irrespective of whether those orders were for Hattons Originals or other manufacturers’ products.

 

I was able to log on to Hattons website, check my pre-orders and move the three non-Hattons Originals preorders that I had to another retailer.

 

That left the Hattons Originals which they say will be honoured and which can’t be pre-ordered anywhere else in any event.

 

Simples.  No confusion at all.   Great organisation by Hattons in what must be trying circumstances.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

Edited January 9 by Darius43

[AY Mod]

24 minutes ago, MyRule1 said:

Just had a rather confusing e-mail from Hattons:

 

It's a standard email if you have any pre-orders with them; exclusives or not.

[Erixtar1992]

A nice big slice of pie to cut up for the smaller retailers i hope. 

[Brimstone]

I recall picking up cheap 2nd hand to reconfigure in the 1970s when on a project in Liverpool, there was a comprehensive music shop nearby where you could test out deck, styli, amplifier, speaker combinations for a lot for, visiting the new shop was a disappointment, display cases of standard products and nothing else, I called in a model shop whilst passing through Peterborough recently to find supplies I had never come across before, the specialist trade has moved on for those that want more than shiny boxes. 

[Damo666]

Adding my voice to the sadness with this news.

 

Whilst Hatton’s management has explained that they are undertaking a planned closing of the business ensuring that customers and suppliers will all be properly dealt with and no-one will be left without goods or funds, what they didn’t say is equally more important.

 

I understand that this route should provide all the staff with a secure redundancy package, which is commendable as this comes out of the business profits. A true business looking after their staff, so rare these days unfortunately.

 

I wish than all the very best for the future, both Hatton’s owners and their staff. I spoke to them this morning and passed on my best wishes to one of the staff.

 

I’ll leave with a small story on how brilliant their customer service was. A few years ago I bought a 2-car DMU and placed it in their vault (excellent innovation - hint hint to others), and left it there for a few months until I had enough to avail of their free shipping. A month or so later my wife and daughter got me the exact same 2-car DMU as a birthday present. I was delighted but now I had two.

I couldn’t be rude to ask for the receipt so I could replace their gift they so thoughtfully bought.

After a few days I rang Hatton’s and explained my predicament and, before I finished explain what happened, the sales guy said no worries, they’ll remove the DMU from my vault and fully refund me my money.

Wonderful service.

 

I would like to add my voice that I hope their incredible on-line information resource is somehow maintained.

[BrushVeteran]

I would like to echo what most people have already said and wish all Hattons staff a happy future, in particular Richard Davies and Dave Mylett who I dealt with during a couple of Heljan projects.

I have to admit that I was never a big user of Hattons preferring to patronise my local model shop, one of who's directors was a personal friend, but I did do a bit of a deal with Norman Hatton a couple of times when he was trying to thin down his shelves full of Hornby Dublo 'Presflo's'. At that time Christine was a mere teenager helping her Dad so perhaps she just wants to retire and enjoy life leaving the business and staff in happy circumstances and giving them more chance of a brighter future. I for one mourned the loss of the 'brown paper and string' a few years ago  so I hold with that as a lasting memory of Hattons.

You never know they may rise again in true 'scouse' fashion!

[Bucoops]

3 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

 

Do some people only get two tides?

Clearly Southampton is twice as good.

 

Waves :)

[Bucoops]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

I'm feeling like a vulture, but I've probably just made my last purchases from Hattons.

 

As I said earlier, I wish the company and their staff well in the future.

 

 

Likewise. I didn't buy much from them but had one last pickover...

[melmerby]

21 minutes ago, Erixtar1992 said:

A nice big slice of pie to cut up for the smaller retailers i hope. 

Rather brutal comment.

[phil-b259]

1 hour ago, s009159 said:

Having been in the business for over fifty years it’s not armchair economics .

 

Retail history is littered with examples where a change of direction by a new CEO / management team / parent company has ended up going dramatically wrong leading to either the business going under or coming very close to it.

 

As such having "been in the business for over 50 years" does not necessarily mean your views are automatically correct!

[phil-b259]

4 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Rather brutal comment.

 

Indeed

 

We all know in practical terms thats going to be the effect but it seems in rather poor taste to actually say it, particularly so soon after the closure was announced