nigel newling Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 ... and what has happened to my pre-order "Wellington" (due end of February 201?) and why can I not buy a GW livery 72xx when I want one? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 ... why can I not buy a GW livery 72xx when I want one? The R3127 (No. 7202) sold out last year. Hornby makes everything in small batches. You can pre-order R3225 (No. 7233) from the 2014 catalogue. As to Wellington, your guess is as good as mine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
County of Yorkshire Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 ... and what has happened to my pre-order "Wellington" (due end of February 201?) and why can I not buy a GW livery 72xx when I want one? This may be of no use at all to you, but I saw a GWR 72xx (non-DCC) in the Hornby concession in Fenwicks of Newcastle not three weeks ago - perhaps worth giving them a call? It would have been RRP, but depending on how desperate you are, beggars can't be choosers! CoY Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Thanks Mike, I guess I got ahead of myself on the P2. I've not been paying close attention to it. Based on their earlier guidance we can fully expect this to have been a very challenging year for Hornby financially and it doesn't yet feel like they have turned the corner in terms of product quality, product availability, timely product delivery and relationships with either their resellers or their end customers. Yep....turned the Conner..... and then turned back again!. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sasquatch Posted March 19, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2014 This isn't very promising either. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Hornby-hits-rails-over-supply-105521854.html Basing sales on plastic kits that have been around for half a century that nobody's into any more. No no no!!! There's nobody alive who fought in the great war capable of building or painting models! Hornby. It's not the seventies. Parents are too afraid to let their kids loose with toxic glues and enamel paints! My opinion is that now Hornby have their military models on the shelves of every model shop in most of the western world, they don't care about the British train market! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaneofFife Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I find that latest statement shocking.they are pinning hopes of turning the business around with d day airfix kits and scalextrics....... I hope the new team at Hornby arent going to come in wreck the business and still walk away with some (where do they find the money for such payments) fatcat bonuses To be down 96% in just one year too is mighty bad.im not so sure all of hornbys woes can be pinned on supply.i think theyve taken poorly thought out decisions on product lines and dont understand why they insist on trying to be the face of event branded products.the fact it was having to be given away at 85% below rrp says it all. Couldnt see any mention of improving their model railway lineup or plans in that statement.Hornby,model railways?....er....hello? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaneofFife Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 The coming year could be quite an eye opener..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Basing sales on plastic kits that have been around for half a century that nobody's into any more. No no no!!! I'm not to sure about that, my newsagent stocks a lot of Airfix kits and she does a fair trade in them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sasquatch Posted March 19, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2014 I'm not to sure about that, my newsagent stocks a lot of Airfix kits and she does a fair trade in them. Most kids these days don't know what they are. One boy thought his airfix kit was some kind of puzzle! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2014 I find that latest statement shocking.they are pinning hopes of turning the business around with d day airfix kits and scalextrics....... Couldnt see any mention of improving their model railway lineup or plans in that statement.Hornby,model railways?....er....hello? Reading between the lines, that suggests they have calculated that any recovery or expansion on the model railway side just isn't going to come through in time to do much good for their figures in the current year. I don't think it necessarily has a bearing on their medium/long term thinking. Hpoefully, it indicates that they don't want to start making promises before they see how long it takes the new factories to get up to speed on railway models. If so, it will be a welcome change from the over-optimism of recent years that most of us have ceased to believe. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Riddell Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Most kids these days don't know what they are. One boy thought his airfix kit was some kind of puzzle! You have a point about the younger generation, but the new Airfix kits aren't aimed at them. They're aiming specifically at the enthusiast market. Unlike their Hornby bethren, the folks that have been running Airfix have shown a bit more "joined up thinking". They're steadily replacing the old decrepit toolings with brand new state-of-the-art ones - the new 1/72 Tiger Moth I mentioned in another thread replaces a clunker from the 60's. They're also filling a niche by doing classic British aircraft that were previously the province of limited run kits from the Czech Republic as well as kitting more popular subjects. They're also doing a small scale kit of the "Mary Rose" in conjunction the museum down in Portsmouth plus the tie in with the MoD for the various British Army "Operation Herrick" (that's the Afghanistan operation for the layman! ) kits that they've been releasing. Here's a link to the 2014 range: http://www.airfix.com/shop/new-for-2014/ True, there are old clunkers in there, but also a lot of new kits as well. As unpalatable as it might be to the audience here, I'm not in the least bit surprised that Hornby are looking to Airfix (and Scalextric) to pull in much needed revenue whilst the Hornby brand is stuck in a quagmire. It's a much bigger market and relatively easy money. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel newling Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 The point I was trying to make re Wellington and a 72 was that I have the money to spend - but nothing available to spend it on. Why go to the expense of producing fine tools and then not running production to build up stock? I am tired of having to trawl the auctions to find what I want simply because I was not quick enough to grab an item in the narrow window when they were available at initial release. I cannot admire the business model that denies customers when they have money to spend. Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Let's just have a look at what's hidden in the Hornby turnover figures from page 6 of http://www.Hornby.com/_assets/files/Hornby-PLC-Results.pdf Based on turnover in 2012 of more than £64million, and for 2013 of over £57 million, the changes are illustrated below. (actually £64,447,000 and £57,395,000) What it shows is that, approximately: Revenue from trains declined between 2012 and 2013 by more than a quarter (27.6%), £31 million to £22.4 million (more than £8.5 million down) Revenue from Slot Cars declined by 7.5%, £16 3/4 to 15 1/2 million (£11/4 million down) Kits down 4.6%, under half a million DieCast up 2 1/2 million, 33/6%. But dieCast is not enough to hold up the rest. To my mind that's a helluva decline in trains - selling three items in 2013 for four in 2012. And also, there aren't any saviours - there are reasons, but that doesn't hold up revenue. It's going to take a helluva lot of effort to bring the figures back to what we're used to seeing. [EDIT] And I've done this because the original published figures did not tell the whole story, but needed interpretation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted March 19, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2014 Let's just have a look at what's hidden in the Hornby turnover figures from page 6 of http://www.Hornby.com/_assets/files/Hornby-PLC-Results.pdf Based on turnover in 2012 of more than £64million, and for 2013 of over £57 million, the changes are illustrated below. (actually £64,447,000 and £57,395,000) HornbtProdGroup.png What it shows is that, approximately: Revenue from trains declined between 2012 and 2013 by more than a quarter (27.6%), £31 million to £22.4 million (more than £8.5 million down) Revenue from Slot Cars declined by 7.5%, £16 3/4 to 15 1/2 million (£11/4 million down) Kits down 4.6%, under half a million DieCast up 2 1/2 million, 33/6%. But dieCast is not enough to hold up the rest. To my mind that's a helluva decline in trains - selling three items in 2013 for four in 2012. And also, there aren't any saviours - there are reasons, but that doesn't hold up revenue. It's going to take a helluva lot of effort to bring the figures back to what we're used to seeing. [EDIT] And I've done this because the original published figures did not tell the whole story, but needed interpretation. It's what happens when you don't have any trains to sell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 It's what happens when you don't have any trains to sell Exactly, but despite other people's assertions none of it's looking any good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmcg Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 While it is sad it is not unexpected given the supply difficulties for model trains in particular, and Hornby management says it is focussed on trading out of this, and Hornby has banking arrangements which will allow it. Whether it all turns out for the best in say a 2-year time frame we do not yet know. As ever I and many others are hopeful. Seeing good quality models which can be sold at a profit would be a positive thing, the very sporadic deliveries of 2013 and the first part of this year leave the question of Hornby's future unresolved. We will know a lot more by Christmas. typo edit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 The end of their financial year (March 31st) usually sees a flurry of new releases in an attempt to push up sales. Having just looked at the trade website to see what we may be getting, the answer is not very much! A few wagons, further batches of items of which we have already had some models (e.g.: R3131 A4 Great Snipe) and standard items such as track packs which have not been available for some time. Still no obvious sign of the supply situation improving. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andytrains Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Apparently Hornby are not attending at the Alexandra Palace show this year. See:- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82873-the-london-festival-of-railway-modelling-2014-march-2223/page-4 Posts 81 & 82. Do you think that they are worried about all the stick they will get from punters? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Do you think that they are worried about all the stick they will get from punters? Perhaps it's a staffing issue? It would be a bit much to ask this gent to attend. They similarly did not attend a recent show in Scotland. Along previously mentioned lines of "Hornby models" I understand that there are people like 87029's avatar who can be hired to staff booths at trade shows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andytrains Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Perhaps it's a staffing issue? It would be a bit much to ask this gent to attend. They similarly did not attend a recent show in Scotland. Along previously mentioned lines of "Hornby models" I understand that there are people like 87029's avatar who can be hired to staff booths at trade shows. He could have bought us all a pint at the bar for his leaving do! (That would have done his lump sum though). Only joking sad to see Simon go. He was always friendly and helpful on the occasions I spoke to him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty1966 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Only another three months and my Star (Knight of the Grand Cross , DCC ready) is due to arrive if Hatton's via Hornby are to be believed.......and I'm guessing pigs may fly..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 20, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2014 Apparently Hornby are not attending at the Alexandra Palace show this year. See:- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82873-the-london-festival-of-railway-modelling-2014-march-2223/page-4 Posts 81 & 82. Do you think that they are worried about all the stick they will get from punters? As Ozxp says - plus they have been busily contemplating their organisational navels so no doubt their future show support and attendance will depend on what the Brand Manager decides to do. Will it be toyshops or model railways or both; or neither as it is all seen as 'too difficult' and not worth their investment? Only time will tell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andytrains Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Only another three months and my Star (Knight of the Grand Cross , DCC ready) is due to arrive if Hatton's via Hornby are to be believed.......and I'm guessing pigs may fly..... Here you are. Star. All you have to do is put it together! Oh, and get a chassis and tender! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Premier-Kits-PK17-Star-Class-Body-kit-/151257104363?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2337a03feb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 20, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2014 Apparently Hornby are not attending at the Alexandra Palace show this year. See:- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82873-the-london-festival-of-railway-modelling-2014-march-2223/page-4 Posts 81 & 82. Do you think that they are worried about all the stick they will get from punters? The Hornby Roadshow bit the dust a couple of months ago.No more presence at any exhibition.They pulled out of ModelRail Glasgow,if you recall.An indication ,I believe,of the new regime's attitude to its heritage.I hope not...but I fear so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenman Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 The Hornby Roadshow bit the dust a couple of months ago.No more presence at any exhibition.They pulled out of ModelRail Glasgow,if you recall.An indication ,I believe,of the new regime's attitude to its heritage.I hope not...but I fear so. As you, among others, have posted elsewhere, Hornby's business is currently facing incredibly difficult times. They have falling sales; they have very little new product coming through to sell; they are borrowing to provide cashflow. If it were my business, I would be putting all my attention into solving my supply problems; why on earth would I spend even more scarce cash on short-term promotional activity when I have little or nothing in the warehouse to sell? So this strikes me as sensible; you conserve cash; you are not distracted from trying to solve the core problem; you rebuild brand awareness later, when you actually have products you can sell and which can do the talking for you. At the moment, it seems whatever Hornby does there is someone to call them evil! Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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