shops closing?

[Ade_Law]

hi guys,

just wondering if whats happening down here is also happening in other places.

we have lost 2 model shops in the bournemouth area recently. First the model workshop and second Mr Models.

the question is, is this due to them not stocking what we need and us going to the net to the specialists/far east or is it due to the recession and people just not flying as much.

in my job im just not seeing a recession, sure the work we are doing is different we arent doing the new build houses as much as we were but if anything we are busier now than we were pre-northern rock!

What do you think?

Ade

[dandeman]

There is 2 hobby shops near me, but if i need heli parts i just go to fast lads, or hobby hanger! They dont seem to do any heli parts in the shops near me

[Kwickkwack]

I think it depends on what you are into Ade. we have had the busiest first 4months of any year I can remember at the moment, although talking to the guys at the local shop sales for them are down, so I guess not everyone is experiencing the same situation

[handthrottle]

In North London we have two local shops, Al's (1 1/2 miles away)and hobby stores (about 8 miles away). The very few time I have been in there, I was the only one!!. There still going tho.
I drive a black cab in London and its seems to be going ok!!

[handthrottle]

.........sorry I meant to add that I prefer using Fast Lads......who wants to worry about parking!!

[andylinney]

Ade, it's having a very real effect in my job. Year on year we've had an additional 32% of debt related enquiries. We've also seen vast increases in relationship, housing and employment problems. I think there are many good companies who made hay while the sun shone ready for challenging times but there are twice as many who honestly thought that the growth was sustainable and now find themselves either in grave difficulties or no longer trading.

[Sesame]

In our trade Im getting mixed messages on a daily basis, although the overall trend is down. we have some customers who are the busiest they have ever been while others are doing nothing.

The problem with local stores is very few of them are willing to make the investment to get people to start spending money, as an example we have a local model shop, its about 1-2 miles from our field, one of the shop workers actually flys at the club. we have quite a large contingent of heli flyers now most of which have got t-rex machines, but they are unwilling to stock any spares because of the initial outlay. infact we have another approximately 120 members all who fly planks, and they still dont stock basic plank stuff. As the owner is into boats.

[jiberjaber]

Hobby Stores in Chelmsford has transformed in the last year or so, they now stock nearly all the Trex parts and are also selling 250's. When I first went in there, they had about 1m2 of Raptor spares, not they have a good 3-4 heli spares displays.

[Mikee]

Im a Honda Diagnostic Technician in Poole Dorset, and we had our best ever month last month in sales and service dept. Beats me as to what's really happening in the real economic climate... I can understand that the service side of industry will always bouyant.. but sales ??...

Mikee

[xygax]

We Are manufactures and have just had to put our lead times out to 12 weeks... there is no sign of a letup in our market sector at the moment (infrastructure services)

Steve

[andylinney]

Im a Honda Diagnostic Technician in Poole Dorset, and we had our best ever month last month in sales and service dept. Beats me as to what's really happening in the real economic climate... I can understand that the service side of industry will always bouyant.. but sales ??...

Mikee

Mike, can you tell me why my rear brakes are 'skating' while driving then? It's a 2008 Civic Type S GT (1.8 petrol). LOL ( I'm booking it in next week )

[Nicolasgreening]

Ade,

I agree In surrey there are no good model shops and most have gone guildford have 2 toy shops that seem to be doing very well.

I was toying with the idea of opening a model shop on the same lines of Hobby Hannger as ther are plenty of clubs for heli, cars and planes but I dont see how a shop can compete with the cost of an internet shop like Fast lads so the only way for the bussiness to be viable would be to have both a shop and a website but the big question is there enought market share for another site????

Although I was frustrated on Sunday that I could not find 1 shop in 30 miles from my house that was open and sold Trex parts...

[Mart61]

It's a bind! Nothing too near me at all.

[moonmanflyer]

Hobby hangar have now an excellent internet site and i am sure it has bought in new buisiness for them, it is the way of things now, maybe the other shops just did not keep up with changing times and just got less and less buisiness

[scallybert]

.........sorry I meant to add that I prefer using Fast Lads......who wants to worry about parking!!

The parking is certainly better at Fast Lad - but Barnsley is a long way...

Was 308 Hobbies on Holloway Road one of your two shops in N London ?

It's not a bad hobby/model shop. They can be a bit moody, but are often genuinely helpful. I bought a DX7 in there, haggling it down to the Fast-Lad price + £10 (ie about what it would have cost from FL with postage.)

However, I doubt I'd be able to get any spares for my helis in there. OTOH, I'd usually prefer to buy on-line anyway. The only exception is if I needed something 'right now'.

In this respect, I think a 'pure' LHS (ie not something like Fast-Lad that strikes me as effectively a web-site you can also physically visit) is on a hiding to nothing. The only thing they can compete on is immediate availability, but that is dependant on carrying a massive stock - which probably isn't justified by the local sales. They can be nice to physically browse - but then fall victim to people actually buying on-line, rather than from the shop.