Hornby profit warning

[manat...@hotmail.com]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9043592/Hornby-tumbles-on-profits-warning.html

[Mark Goodge]

On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:33:25 -0800 (PST), manat...@hotmail.com put finger
to keyboard and typed:

>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9043592/Hornby-tumbles-on-profits-warning.html

Nothing particularly susprising, I would have thought, given the general
economic climate. I don't think Hornby is in any danger of anything more
severe than a profit downturn.

Mark
--
Blog: http://mark.goodge.co.uk
Stuff: http://www.good-stuff.co.uk

[Chris Wilson]

On 27-Jan-2012, Mark Goodge <use...@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk> wrote:

> Nothing particularly susprising, I would have thought, given the general
> economic climate. I don't think Hornby is in any danger of anything more
> severe than a profit downturn.

I read the article earlier and thought the same thing. What was of note was
that there had been a downturn in their trainset and Scalectrix sales. Both
could be considered the seasonal present stuff and whilst thier profits have
been hit it's not really any indication of their core market ... the day to
day, "an engine here, a wagon or two there" had suffered a downturn.

--

All the best,

Chris

[Riddles]

From: "Mark Goodge" <use...@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 8:24 PM
Snip

>>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9043592/Hornby-tumbles-on-profits-warning.html
> Nothing particularly susprising, I would have thought, given the general
> economic climate. I don't think Hornby is in any danger of anything more
> severe than a profit downturn.
> Mark

The only worry is that Bachmann Europe have just announced that 2011 was
their best year since the company was founded in 1989.

See http://www.bachmann.co.uk/details.php?id=8&vis=2

I must admit that I bought more blue boxed items last year than red ones.

Riddles

[Mark Goodge]

On Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:20:47 -0000, Riddles put finger to keyboard and
typed:

>From: "Mark Goodge" <use...@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk>
>Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 8:24 PM
>Snip
>>>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9043592/Hornby-tumbles-on-profits-warning.html
>> Nothing particularly susprising, I would have thought, given the general
>> economic climate. I don't think Hornby is in any danger of anything more
>> severe than a profit downturn.
>> Mark
>
>
>The only worry is that Bachmann Europe have just announced that 2011 was
>their best year since the company was founded in 1989.
>
>See http://www.bachmann.co.uk/details.php?id=8&vis=2

The big difference is that Bachmann sells almost entirely to the hobbyist
and collector markets, whereas Hornby has a big stake in the toy and casual
purchase markets as well. And it's the latter sectors which suffered a
downturn over the Christmas period, which is why Hornby's profits suffered.
But that's also why Hornby aren't in any real danger, as their own sales in
the hobbyist and collector sectors should be enough to see them through any
temporary drop in toy sales.

>I must admit that I bought more blue boxed items last year than red ones.

So did I, but that's only because the blue boxes happened to contain what I
wanted.

[Riddles]

"Mark Goodge" <use...@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk> wrote in message
news:f2sai7d797dim964n...@news.markshouse.net...
Snip

> The big difference is that Bachmann sells almost entirely to the hobbyist
> and collector markets, whereas Hornby has a big stake in the toy and
> casual
> purchase markets as well. And it's the latter sectors which suffered a
> downturn over the Christmas period, which is why Hornby's profits
> suffered.
> But that's also why Hornby aren't in any real danger, as their own sales
> in
> the hobbyist and collector sectors should be enough to see them through
> any
> temporary drop in toy sales.

I don't disagree with any of that but Hornby have said that they are
bringing out a range of cheap pocket money toy cars which doesn't seem to
have growth but does have plenty of competition.

>>I must admit that I bought more blue boxed items last year than red ones.
>
> So did I, but that's only because the blue boxes happened to contain what
> I
> wanted.

Exactly, Bachmann (and Heljan and Dapol to a lesser extent) were making more
of what I wanted than Hornby were.

> Mark
> --

Riddles