Modelzone - Trafford Centre

[mike tugsandsheds]

I'm looking to get 70 006 at the end of the month and was at the TC last night so called in:

 

At Waltons just down the road £81.50

 

Hattons £76.00+ £4 P & P = £80.00

 

Modelzone £105.50 ?????

 

I would Clkass Modelzone as a Box Shifter, why then are they top end RRP?

 

Also do they pricematch??

['CHARD]

Boxshifter: pile 'em high, sell 'em (relatively) cheap - or at least competitive.

 

I think you've just demonstrated why Modelzone is definitely not in the boxshifter category. It's more like a die-cast collectors' spin-off of Hamleys, where RRP rules.

[Mike Bellamy]

The Signal Box is the 'box shifter' part of the Modelzone group and has that loco available by mail order for £76.

 

http://www.thesignalbox.co.uk/index_new.php?pg=3&p_cat_id=43&p_sub_cat=43&prod_id=11359

 

Recommended retail price from Bachmann UK web site is £105.40

 

I suppose they can charge what they want and it's up to the customer to make the choice of where to go to make a purchase. Remember that Modelzone also offer 10% discount to members of the Bachmann and Hornby collectors clubs as well as members of local clubs. No harm in asking if they price match but I guess that the response will be that they can't afford to do so as they have very high overheads to pay to have a city centre location. Most model railway shops are not in a prime location like the Trafford Centre

 

Mike

[Ed-farms]

Modelzone charge RRP on a lot of their items in all outlets (see various discussions on here). It seems to be that most of their target market is families who have little or no idea what other model shops are around or on the net so buy at that price for their train set. Occasionally you get a bargain but not very often.

[Western Scottish]

Modelzone charge RRP on a lot of their items in all outlets (see various discussions on here). It seems to be that most of their target market is families who have little or no idea what other model shops are around or on the net so buy at that price for their train set. Occasionally you get a bargain but not very often.

 

Completely agree! Model zone Glasgow is my shop of last resort. Nice to browse round but most stuff at full mrp. They do have a good range of tools, paints etc which are sometimes difficult to source elsewhere.

[Lord Summerisle]

When they do reduce stuff though they tend to really reduce it, which I've never really understood as a pricing policy as it seems to me to make your other stock look grossly overpriced. Presumably the discounts are largely those passed on from the manufacturer.

 

One odd thing to me is that the Modelzone pricing policy seems to a continuation of the pricing policy of Beatties, even way back in the mid 90s if not earlier, (which is what my local Modelzone used to be before Beatties went into administration), yet apparently the two firms are unconnected other than that Modelzone acquired some of the redundant Beatties stores.

 

It always struck me that they would shift a lot more stock if they were more competitive on price, whether this would bring them the same level of profit I don't know.

[charliepetty]

Modelzone gets a large amount of its stock (Hornby etc) on concession without paying for it, this happens often with larger groups such as Tesco, Asda, Jonn Lewis etc. The arrangement quite often is sell a list or near list, and pay for it as it is sold, no outlay in a large amount of their stock. Modelzone has this arrangment I have been told, so support your local modelshow shops. The big boys have enough of our money!

[antrobuscp]

One odd thing to me is that the Modelzone pricing policy seems to a continuation of the pricing policy of Beatties, even way back in the mid 90s if not earlier, (which is what my local Modelzone used to be before Beatties went into administration), yet apparently the two firms are unconnected other than that Modelzone acquired some of the redundant Beatties stores.

 

Beatties would price match the magazines if you were a member of the Beatties Club. I don't think they did that for the general public. That way they got the target market that Modelzone are after, but they also picked up a share of the more serious modeller market.

 

Colin

[Butler Henderson]

Beatties would price match the magazines if you were a member of the Beatties Club.

 

They cut it back after a while so that the discount was no greater than a specific per cent, picked up a large number of bargains from them using it, and oddly everything ran/was okay whereas if I bought a loco from the "proper" model shop it nearly always went back as being faulty.

[Jol Wilkinson]

It always struck me that they would shift a lot more stock if they were more competitive on price, whether this would bring them the same level of profit I don't know.

 

Always a difficult decision. Especially when you don't know the discounts they have to start with, or the rest of their business model.

 

Assuming a 40% discount (only because it's an easy calculation), if they dropped their selling price by 20%, then they would have to sell twice as much to make the same profit. It would need more effort, staff, stock, etc. Would it require additional cost (advertising, etc.) to create awareness and generate the extra sales? They also operate in a more expensive location than some of the box shifters and need to keep a good retail environment for the high street customer, so probably need to run a diffent business plan to Hattons and the like.

[johnd]

I'm looking to get 70 006 at the end of the month and was at the TC last night so called in:

 

At Waltons just down the road £81.50

 

Hattons £76.00+ £4 P & P = £80.00

 

Modelzone £105.50 ?????

 

I would Clkass Modelzone as a Box Shifter, why then are they top end RRP?

 

Also do they pricematch??

 

Mike visit Arcadia in Shaw, his prices are very near the Hatton's price if he has it in stock, if he hasn't he will usually try and get it for you. No postage and you get to carry it home with you.

[RJS1977]

ModelZone in Reading price match against local model shops, which would be good except we don't have any! (apart from a limited range at Hobbycraft and the secondhand stuff in the Collectors' Centre).

[big jim]

its the same in birmingham, the 70 is rrp, they price match too but ian allen is the only other shop locally however their 70 is a fair bit cheaper (sub 90 quid i think) also if you get a loyalty card you get £5 off for every £100 you spend so i prefer to use them

 

however modelzone has a few sale items at the moment, dcc fitted Hornby hst's are £99 (certain liveries), Hornby 153s at £49 and some Hornby sound steamers at around the £140 mark

[br2975]

its the same in birmingham, the 70 is rrp, they price match too but ian allen is the only other shop locally however their 70 is a fair bit cheaper (sub 90 quid i think) also if you get a loyalty card you get £5 off for every £100 you spend so i prefer to use them

 

I've just bought a Bachmann 2-EPB at IA in Cardiff, £88, which, allowing for P & P is about the same, or only slightly more than what I'd pay most 'boxshifters'

'

Bought my 4-CEP at the same shop when first released, £102 and in the past picked up a Bach 37408 for under £50, and a Hornby Cl.09 for £34 - it pays to keep the old 'mince pies' open when shopping !

'

Brian R

[mike tugsandsheds]

Mike visit Arcadia in Shaw, his prices are very near the Hatton's price if he has it in stock, if he hasn't he will usually try and get it for you. No postage and you get to carry it home with you.

 

 

As today was my birthday, I went to see the shop. Well impressed and purchased the new single road servicing depot.

 

I think this will be my shop of choice for any further loco purchases

 

Cheers John

[G-BOAF]

As said in the Holborn thread, MZ pricematch with Signal Box, assuming both have the item in stock. This means v.competative prices without postage!!!

Picked up two Mk1s for £17.50 each a few weeks ago! The guy behind the counter did exlaim "I don't see how they can sell the so cheap", before calling SignalBox to confirm the prices!