Rails of Sheffield acquire Hattons name and product database

[JohnR]

Title says it all!

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/blogs/news/rails-hattons-faq?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=railshattonstakeover

Edited March 13 by AY Mod
Title amended

[spamcan61]

It'll be good to see the return of the Directory, must've been an awful lot of hours put into that 

[BrakeCoach]

I'm glad to see hattons and their workers (I assume) to be kept in safe hands with Rails rather than just shutting down indefinitely. Hope the negotiations went smoothly. [edit: only the brand name and hattons database are now part of rails.]
 

I really hope Rails reinstate Hatton's online pre-owned listing format and their trunk system. It's honestly a bit costly using their current form of listing pre-owned items on ebay.

Would work wonders as one of the overseas buyers.

Edited March 13 by BrakeCoach

[GreenDiesel]

I see this as a good thing, especially as someone who purchases from overseas (Canada) and came to rely on Hatton's service. But I still might shop around a bit and support the little guy!

[Moxy]

5 hours ago, BrakeCoach said:

I'm glad to see hattons and their workers (I assume) to be kept in safe hands with Rails rather than just shutting down indefinitely. Hope the negotiations went smoothly.
 

I really hope Rails reinstate Hatton's online pre-owned listing format and their trunk system. It's honestly a bit costly using their current form of listing pre-owned items on ebay.

Would work wonders as one of the overseas buyers.

 

Rails have not purchased the Hattons business, they have only purchased the brand name.  The store (and the staff) have already gone.  It's in the link johnR posted.

[Stefen1988]

So, nothing changes, they just brought the Brands Name?

 

Announcement also says you get directed to rails.uk.

Edited March 13 by Stefen1988

[Hibelroad]

36 minutes ago, Stefen1988 said:

So, nothing changes, they just brought the Brands Name?

 

Announcement also says you get directed to rails.uk.

Correct, they have bought the brand name and internet database, that’s it. 

[GeoffBird]

8 hours ago, BrakeCoach said:

I'm glad to see hattons and their workers (I assume) to be kept in safe hands with Rails rather than just shutting down indefinitely. Hope the negotiations went smoothly.
 

I really hope Rails reinstate Hatton's online pre-owned listing format and their trunk system. It's honestly a bit costly using their current form of listing pre-owned items on ebay.

Would work wonders as one of the overseas buyers.

 

Me too.  It is very expensive to get single items shipped to Austria since Brexit.  The "pre-owned" list that came out every day was very useful as a source of both locos and wagons.

 

P.S.   Hattons use to operate the IOSS systems whereby items less than €150 could just be sent straight through after paying the >UK VAT.

Edited March 13 by GeoffBird
additional comment,

[phil-b259]

9 hours ago, BrakeCoach said:

 

I really hope Rails reinstate Hatton's online pre-owned listing format and their trunk system. It's honestly a bit costly using their current form of listing pre-owned items on ebay.

 

costly for who whom?

 

E-bay might well be more expensive for you as a buyer, but for a business owner it actually makes lots of sense because all the hard work and cost of keeping the sales platform secure / up to date in presentation terms is dealt with by someone else.

 

Don’t underestimate the work required to provide a reliable and slick online looking sales portal….

Edited March 13 by phil-b259

[auldreekie]

It's the price of having a loyal customer base.

 

auldreekie

[Michael Hodgson]

I can see why they would want the database and perhaps their software, but unless they are planning to trade under the Hattons name, what is the value in the name ?  I would expect Rails to consider their own name at least equally good as their former competitor and as well known in the market.

[Invicta]

24 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I can see why they would want the database and perhaps their software, but unless they are planning to trade under the Hattons name, what is the value in the name ?  I would expect Rails to consider their own name at least equally good as their former competitor and as well known in the market.

 

I wonder that as well, unless they have some future plans to use the Hattons name and brand- if all they wanted was the database, then that could easily be rebranded as the 'Rails database' or similar. It's completely uninformed speculation on my part, but we know Rails have taken on processing the orders for the second tranche of Hattons Genesis coaches when they arrive, but IIRC had stated they'd not bought the tooling. Might they now be looking to take on the project long-term and produce future batches as well, keeping the Hattons name?

[Free At Last]

14 minutes ago, Invicta said:

 It's completely uninformed speculation on my part, but we know Rails have taken on processing the orders for the second tranche of Hattons Genesis coaches when they arrive, but IIRC had stated they'd not bought the tooling. Might they now be looking to take on the project long-term and produce future batches as well, keeping the Hattons name?

They will have to be careful about becoming a 'manufacturer' and putting Bachmann's and Hornby's nose out of joint.

[phil-b259]

9 minutes ago, Free At Last said:

They will have to be careful about becoming a 'manufacturer' and putting Bachmann's and Hornby's nose out of joint.

Kernow seem to have done alright by being a manufacturer!

 

I get the impression it’s not what you do (I.e. being a manufacturer) it’s how you do it (not being seen as a direct threat to the big boys) which matters.

Edited March 13 by phil-b259

[Jeremy Cumberland]

47 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I can see why they would want the database and perhaps their software, but unless they are planning to trade under the Hattons name, what is the value in the name ?

Internet redirecting.

 

Quite likely, a large number of Hattons' potential customers are unaware of their demise. Even more likely is many web links still pointing to Hattons' website.

 

I have no idea what the database contains, but if it includes customer details, this can probably only be acquired by Rails if they also buy the Hattons name.

 

[phil-b259]

19 minutes ago, Invicta said:

 

I wonder that as well, unless they have some future plans to use the Hattons name and brand- if all they wanted was the database, then that could easily be rebranded as the 'Rails database' or similar. It's completely uninformed speculation on my part, but we know Rails have taken on processing the orders for the second tranche of Hattons Genesis coaches when they arrive, but IIRC had stated they'd not bought the tooling. Might they now be looking to take on the project long-term and produce future batches as well, keeping the Hattons name?

One advantage of keeping manufacturing as a distinct subsidiary is that if it ran into trouble it won’t drag down the parent with it.

 

As such we could be in a situation where AndyYs claim the Genesis tooling has gone to Rails is sort of right - but Rails are also correct when they say they are not a manufacturer and haven’t bought it. I.e. the tooling remains owned by Hattons but Hattons is now a subsidiary of Rails.

[adb968008]

New hattons homepage…

 

 

 

Best of luck, the product database and photo archive is a considerable resource to modellers.

I certainly shared opinions with Hattons on ways they could monetise it, maybe Rails may do the same.

 

 

Edited March 13 by adb968008

[Graham_Muz]

11 minutes ago, phil-b259 said:

One advantage of keeping manufacturing as a distinct subsidiary is that if it ran into trouble it won’t drag down the parent with it.

 

As such we could be in a situation where AndyYs claim the Genesis tooling has gone to Rails is sort of right - but Rails are also correct when they say they are not a manufacturer and haven’t bought it. I.e. the tooling remains owned by Hattons but Hattons is now a subsidiary of Rails.

 

Except as clearly stated by RoS in their FAQ they have obtained the rights to the brand name and the website database but have not acquired the business, so will not be "a subsidiary of Rails"

[phil-b259]

6 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

Except as clearly stated by RoS in their FAQ they have obtained the rights to the brand name and the website database but have not acquired the business, so will not be "a subsidiary of Rails"

Doesn’t stop them setting up such a subsidiary in future if they wanted to though does it?

 

Thats not to say they would do of course - but what Rails say publicly is not necessarily the full story (and rightly so - businesses have the right to keep their inner workings confidential)

[Damo666]

12 hours ago, BrakeCoach said:

I'm glad to see hattons and their workers (I assume) to be kept in safe hands with Rails rather than just shutting down indefinitely. Hope the negotiations went smoothly.
 

I really hope Rails reinstate Hatton's online pre-owned listing format and their trunk system. It's honestly a bit costly using their current form of listing pre-owned items on ebay.

Would work wonders as one of the overseas buyers.

 

I think Rails said they won't be undertaking a Trunk system. Pity, as I found that very useful, being able to buy lots of small items (not in any hurry) and then get them post free. Hatton’s Trunk was the main reason I used them more than anyone else over the last few years.

[Graham_Muz]

11 minutes ago, phil-b259 said:

Doesn’t stop them setting up such a subsidiary in future if they wanted to though does it?

 

Thats not to say they would do of course - but what Rails say publicly is not necessarily the full story (and rightly so - businesses have the right to keep their inner workings confidential)

 

Pure unfounded speculation of course and could be applied to any business, what we do know is RoS have been explicit in stating " Rails have purchased the Hattons brand, not the business."

[BrakeCoach]

1 minute ago, Damo666 said:

 

I think Rails said they won't be undertaking a Trunk system. Pity, as I found that very useful, being able to buy lots of small items (not in any hurry) and then get them post free. Hatton’s Trunk was the main reason I used them more than anyone else over the last few years.

Yeah, though I understand how the trunk system can be very costly on their end. The appeal to the trunk system with it being no-rush and having less shipping costs will definitely be missed.

[G-BOAF]

I hope this means the database will be expanded and developed with Rails of stock added there. As with Hattons, Rails have excellent product photos, however unlike hattons, these disappear when a product is discontinued and out of stock. Can one hope these will now be kept in the database as per Hattons?

[phil-b259]

9 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

Pure unfounded speculation of course and could be applied to any business, what we do know is RoS have been explicit in stating " Rails have purchased the Hattons brand, not the business."

Agreed - though I doubt getting access to a set of databases and website domains is the sole reason Rail’s went and bought it though! If they were minded to do something different / venture into new initiatives then having a well known brand name to hand to use would be an advantage….

Edited March 13 by phil-b259

[Roddy Angus]

Perhaps Rails simply wanted to stop anyone else buying and trading as Hattons?

 

Roddy