a good new model needs time. and tere ar mor as enoug amazin gmodels. and tere is a loot space for new models russian chechia libia armys wath ever now its the time for modeling.
@@MannsModelMoments just one thing you missed. Expo tools - who Hornby unmagnanomously dumped 3 years ago. Are now stocking Hornby as a distributior again. When I asked how come? I was told they came back begging.... Interestingly they are only stocking kits not on special on the Hornby direct sales site. This happened only around 6 weeks ago.. An interesting development.....
I remember a time when european kits were behind japanese models in terms of engraving and accuracy . Airfix has reduced the gap considerably with their latest offerings but I think they should keep the prices under control because there is now chinese compétition...
A southern European scale modeling brand pulled the same stunt of cutting off distributors and shops. Killed half a country's worth of scale modeling suppliers. Absolute mental move. The Smaug trend of hoarding gold and assets is strong in some companies. A fair review, Alex. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.
Airfix, for most people in Britain, is synonymous with model building in the same way as Hoover is with vacuuming and I believe there is a lot of goodwill towards the brand, witness the way their starter kits sell out within days in Lidl and Aldi. However, I would argue that the value of those promotions is reduced when there are no, or increasingly few, high street outlets for their products - it seems to me that someone who has just built a starter set Spitfire, for example, would be more likely to buy a second kit if they could do it locally rather than get involved with Internet sellers or Airfix directly. Perhaps it's just me but I still think there is something magical about seeing physical product and choosing your next kit. So it seems to me that Airfix's Internet ambitions are misguided and that they would do better to vigourously support local retailers and capitalise on their brand recognition and the affection in which they are held.
Do wonder just where these local sellers of model kits are going to appear from, haven't walked down a high street in my area with a model shop on it for many many years?
This isn't just an airfix case I have noticed they seemingly doing it so their main range too, 'Sam trains' did a wonderful comparison with other model trains companies and it worth taking a look at.
I work for a model shop in New Zealand. Airfix kits are popular and sell well when we can get them, but ... Hornby are rubbish at supplying the kits! The local distributor is unable to get the kits from Hornby as Hornby won't supply them. Hornby say that they need to supply the UK first and down under will only get the stock when there's excess in the UK. In the last couple of weeks we finally received the Seafire XVII, 15 months after it was released in the UK. When a new kit is released in the UK, it's generally 9-12 months before our distributor receives it from Hornby. So I was surprised to see your graph showing the excess stock that Hornby is holding - seems to be a fair bit of mismanagement there. Customers buying direct from Airfix, as they seem to want, isn't an option, as the postage to get it here is criminal. Seems to me that there needs to be a restructure at Hornby to get the right people in the right jobs and get that stock moving.
@@chrissouthgate4554 Well the odd thing about that is that sometimes the Hornby rail stuff seems to come to us direct from China, so sometimes we get the new releases before the UK, but never the Airfix stuff.
Hornby is not Airfix - as long/unless they (don't) detail the inventory level by brand, you will not know what non-moving stock they have. I doubt it's the Airfix kits. If they were, they had a very serious Supply Chain Management problem.
Speaking as another trader we've given up on being supplied by Airfix and now go through a third party supplier ( too many occasions where promised stock never materialised or was drastically late being delivered). Also fed up of the arrogance of the brand and the disdain they have for smaller retailers. A classic example was the Me 410 release at Telford last year. Announcement made on the afternoon before the show - walk into the main hall the following morning and Jadlam have 100+ of the new kits on sale on their stall.....how do we compete with that? The answer is, increasingly, that we just don't. Like you, we are now looking to reduce the amount of Airfix product we stock. I expect to see Airfix, and probably the entire group owned by someone else within two years.
Hornby has once again posted a loss, there has to be a good reason for this. As for small model shops I have no idea how you can compete with the internet, sad but true.
Yes think that the loss of small local model shops is terrible, but not too certain the decline in them has much to do with how Airfix currently do business, once upon a time every city, market town, and even some larger villages had outlets selling kits, but a lot of those outlets disappeared long long before Airfix were selling direct, when you look at the retail areas of most towns toy/hobby shops have been a dying breed since I was a teenager, which is a time way before internet selling existed. I grew up in a village where our local post office was a veritable Aladdin's cave as far as cheap model kits for us youngsters to start out on our model making life, then we had a change in postmaster and the new one had no interest in stocking model kits and then, a few years later, the post office closed! Hard to think of many high streets in Norfolk and Suffolk where there is actually a model shop for Airfix to sell their kits to, does seem it is far better for empty shops to become Turkish barbers or nail bars, won't make a comment on the attraction of a model shop is slightly less than the money laundering attractions of such establishments but do tend to think that face to face selling of kits is in some areas a thing of the past because of the attractions of setting up other businesses being far more profitable in other ways. My main worry at the moment is that because of various factors the future is not great for the Hornby group and that whatever we think of their selling tactics and whether that has caused the demise of model kit retailers the trade name will be bought up by foreign owners, and not too certain that is a future I am looking forward to, not too certain that new "Airfix" would care about producing the range of British aircraft that the current Airfix has at least made an attempt to bring to market, to be honest I would think even you may not be pleased at the loss of a British owned company producing models which your local customers would even consider buying
You can't compete with that - it's that 2-class society that will drive them out of the remaining "mass-market". Technically, their kits have rarely been better vs. the state of the art. But they will enter into an inevitable downward spiral if they offer the kit to the end customer at the wholesale price soon after release.
this summer in Poland there was a lot, and still is some, armor 1:35 and 1:48 planes on massive sale. So they have pushed discounted items via their official local reseller. Pricing was comparable to their best online bundles with one big advantage, You were able to buy singe item at this discount, not forced to get whole mistery bundle. Your report makes me thing about one thing, there will be massive black friday with Airfix this year ;-) I do agree with you that all retail channels should be offered with similar discout policy, just to be fair with shop owners and Airfix brand customers. In Poland only biggest online shops had this bargains
Interesting to learn more about the company behind the Airfix models. Thanks for making the video on this topic. It would be interesting to see what other companies in this market are doing
I recon your're right Alex. What I also wonder is who is Airfix's market? Once upon a time, when model shops were everywhere and there was no internet (!) Airfix had a large and stable range. There was none of this dropping out of the range and reintroducing. Any model you could get one year you could get another. The market was largely under 15 and reliable, because video games did not exist. Of course there was no UA-cam either so those who built models did pretty much their own thing, putting in as much or as little research as suited them and did not have any pressure for realism, weathering, detailing or ....... Now with YT it is exactly the opposite. I'm not quite sure what I'm trying to say here but I'm wondering if Airfix are aiming their products at a mass market or just a few "influencers". To sell more product you need to tap a larger market and I wonder if this restricted range and short runs quite does that. Still I'm a user, not a seller. Do kids still do models or do they only video game? If the latter is there a way to entice them back, which might mean give them something to play with rather than boring shelf ornaments. Lego manages I think.
When I was a child (showing my age) Airfix was in Woolworths for prices that might take a few weeks pocket money to buy. Not special sales as Aldi seems to do but regular stock. This was fun for the kids of my generation, but it also built up a stock of modellers for later. The restrictions on the use of sharps & adhesives for younger people have not helped, but the availability of easy-to-find gateway models surely has had an effect?
@@emmabird9745 yes, there are still younger modellers, and whilst it doesn't have the ubiquity of the 60s and 70s, it's still as strong a hobby (Orr stronger) than it's ever been.
It's an interesting point, on revell seem to try and target new and experienced modellers as far as I can see. I guess the problem for Airfix is if they focus on (dare I say it) us middle aged men how does the 10 year old start off? If they focus on the 10 year old, it'll be starter kits and super cars. Is this Hornby's problem all over - two massively different markets for the "same" product? Jack of all trades, master of none?
At a replacement rate of 1.5 (which has be going on for several decades now) marketing to kids is sort of a moot point because compared to 50 years ago there are hardly any. Therefore Airfix needs to market to 25+ year olds not 10 year olds (and that's what they've been doing).
IIRC Hornby pushed direct sales a few years ago, it didn't work out well and humble pie was consumed. Now they have new managers and are repeating the experiment, hoping for better results...
All my local model shops closed down many years ago and I returned to the hobby a couple of years ago. No retail outlets within a 2 day camel ride so buy direct. Mega quick to take my cash and then take 5 days to post orders
When i were a kid, 70's, we had 3 model shops in town. Problem now for a shop they can't survive on models alone. Why not Airfix crack a deal with the new cheapo stores like The Range or B and M. Also back in the day wasn't the Airfix catalogue free?
Hey, quite an unusal topic for a scale modelling YT channel and I loved it! Interestingly, other well-known global companies, such as Nike, have also decided to bet big on D2C (direct-to-consumer) and failed... The common theme for them is that the pandemic made them believe people will keep ordering stuff directly from them (i.e., from the vendor) until the end of time; but things have returned to normal in the post-pandemic era as people prefer buying from regular channels. Therefore, companies with failed strategic bets are now suffering from large inventory levels, whilst consumers have switched to other brands that are more broadly available at retail units.
I have often look at the Hornby shop,, look at the discount etc only to find that's it's the equivalent to buying from a retailer. One would think buying direct would be cheaper to start with
I go there too,last week went to buy a enamel 24 Matt white with dread,been finding out the new forumular does not work and the tin I bought had turned in to rubber before I opened it that day,threw a red away today and 5 last week,and a second had shop near me has started selling the old tins and some of them must be 20 yrs old and work.i asked about them and found out they had heard how bad the new paint was,I was not alone
Back in the day I could seemingly get Airfix kits pretty much at will. Woolworths had all the bagged kits, starting with Golden Hind, WW2 aircraft and tanks, Hawker P1127, Bristol Bloodhound, SRN1 etc, M&S had promotions occasionally, there was a local model shop, and I could even get them on market stalls. Now, I think the nearest model shop is over 10 miles away, Woolworths has gone, promotions are rare, although I did see a very limited range at a garden centre recently. The starter kits supplied to Aldi and Lidl tend to be the same six each year, and there's only so many times you want to build a Tiger tank or the same Spitfire Mk1. I believe that they missed a great opportunity by not offering specific kits relating to the greatest aces of both wars and beyond, the Red Baron, Herman Goering, Albert Ball, Douglas Bader, Erich Hartmann, Adolf Galland, Chuck Yeager and so on. The same can be said for their ship range, a simple addition of extra numbers and names would allow multiple members of a particular class to be built that would have had great appeal to anyone who had family serving on a particular vessel.
Yes think there is far more to the decline in dealers selling Airifx kits has far more factors to it rather than just being down to Airfix selling kits direct to model makers, probably the greatest problem is that model shops, rather than toy shops seem to have become as rare as hen's teeth in plenty of areas, and hard to see that Airfix selling direct caused them all to close, especially when many of them closed long long before there was even an internet, let alone Airfix using it to sell kits. In the village where I grew up our local village post office sold Airfix kits, as well as some other brands, as well as selling the paints to paint those kits and some modelling accessories in order to make the task of building the kits easier, guess having an RAF station on the edge of the village, and Mildenhall and Lakenheath US bases just up the road made the sale of kits quite a good business idea. Unfortunately the post office went a long long time ago and guess if there are kids in the village setting out on a lifetime of making models of aeroplanes really do have to buy them online cos the nearest retailer to the village is more then 30 miles away. Some of my extended family live in the village and in order to get younger members of that extended family into the hobby of model making I order kits online to have them delivered to them, some of which when finished do seem to be finished in some very strange colour schemes, a matt black F35 for example, but at least they do complete the kits and seem to enjoy doing so and hopefully scale accuracy with regards to colour schemes might happen in the future!!! I do think that you are correct in your belief that some of the subjects offered to modellers are a little strange, yes models of the Red Arrows will always sell to kids but not too certain those same kids would even try to persuade their parents to get them some of the current range of kits offered.
@GSD-hd1yh strangely enough the latest local shop to stock Airfix models is Angry Cherry in Derry/Londonderry which is a comic / pop culture shop! A bit of a strange one I thought 🤔
I don't mind direct sales but I find it interesting sometimes that it may look cheaper til you add in shipping and time for delivery. I agree a stronger distribution network will lead to a better profitability. Hornby might be seeing the short term gains of direct sales but missing the long term gains of selling to shops and having satisfied customers returning to their brand. A pleasant interaction with a shop owner or employee promotes brand recognition. The shop will promote the company more and which will lead to higher sales. As you have stated other companies have figured it out long ago and are very successful.
So I spend £50 on a kit/kits, paints etc and get them delivered in 2-3 working days free of charge, if I tried to buy the same things "locally" would have to drive to nearest model shop costing me money in petrol, parking charges, time, etc. so not too certain that I am getting a bad deal from Airfix. Guess I am not the only person whose "nearest" friendly model shop isn't a short drive or bus journey away. Because of how model retailing now works cannot even remember the last time I bought anything from a "local" model shop, eModels, Wonderland Models, Hannants mail order, and Airfix do a pretty good job of supplying my needs without me having to travel further then the disatnce from my modelling table to my computer, certainly not driving maybe 23-25 miles in the hope of finding what I need in the area where I live. I wish there were local retailers, cos I am certain a youngster now is pretty unlikely to ever see a model shop to introduce them to the joys of producing a model that they have built themsleves.
Alex, I’m with you on everything you said in this video and just hope the writing on the wall ends being a positive one but I have my doubts. Shame if they don’t pull things together as Airfix have release some actual new kits which are probably the best kits they have ever made.
As someone who has worked in a hobby shop in Australia I can say my limited experience of trying to get anything from Airfix was a total nightmare! It was common to wait 6 or even 8 months for new releases and stock to finally get delivered to the Australian distributor. Many other shops seemed to also have a similar issue here. Granted we are a long way away from everyone else, but it’s a real pain. Especially given how expensive shipping is to order direct from Hornby, and the reward program is not worth it.
Thanks for the very clear explanation of your business analysis. I'd be interested to know how the Airfix revenue and profitability is going compared to the rest of the group. It wouldn't be the first time that Airfix has been doing OK, only to get dragged down by underperformance elsewhere in the portfolio. Do you have any insight into that?
Direct to consumer is taking over many spaces and while Hornby's model may be flawed, I also think its inevitable. Shop front retail is just not good to be in. I don't say this with any vindictiveness, but I got out of retail thirty years ago because even then you could see the uneven playfield, with for example, larger chain stores getting a competitive advantage over small mum and dad businesses.
Interestingly, the cost of the 24 scale Mk VIII Spitfire is cheaper at my local model shop than online. And last time I looked, the cost of individual shipping from the UK to Australia was horrendous.
Maybe Hornby needs to ship way more product here to the States. Besides your standard spits, lancs, and canes, all of their major releases average 6-9 months after release before we see it here, and then it’s sold out in a day. It’s still tough to find even a ferret as now 1-2 major retailers have it. Hornby, send your overstock here, WE WILL BUY YOUR SH*T!
The question of direct Vs distribution is a difficult one. The younger generation, in general, want online and don’t see the benefits of the local hobby store. The other issue is location of hobby stores as city/town centres are becoming less accessible so unless the hobby store is located in a retail park, footfall will drop off because of council drives to reduce traffic. My trip to my local hobby store is now a good 15 minutes longer because of traffic. Parking is hellishly expensive and so my first thought is, can I get it delivered.
The 2021 release of the Anson is still in stock in local shops here. Meanwhile I'm absolutely hanging for a re-release of ANY of Airfix's airfield vehicles in 48 scale...
It's also worth highlighting that revenue not increasing is a bad thing, because in real terms it is a drop, and with recent high inflation quite a significant drop.
Hi there, I have been modelling for 45 years and understand that Airfix has a special meaning to most Britisch modelers. But to be honoust: I knew theire old kits in the 70-80-90 as a kid, tried some around the 2000's and recenty build a few 2010-2020 ones. Here's my professional (I build on commision) take on Airfix as a brand; they are not serious models and they are in exactly the same catagory as Revell. I build them sometimes out of curiousity or if someone wants a specific Airfix kit to be build but would never keep one in my personal collection.
having built a fair few newly tooled kits of both Airfix and Revell tend not to agree that revel are even in the same part of the universe, quality wise, as the newer Airifx products are, have just finished a 1/48 Sea King HAS 1, a 1/24 Spitfire Mk IXC and a 1/24 Spitfire Mk VIII, and as a former regular builder of Revell kits wish their current catalogue had just one product anywhere near the standard of those 3 kits. As regular builder of Tamiya and Hasegawa kits not too certain there is a vast difference in the quality of the kits produced by Airifx and those 2 accepted "higher quality" brands, some of Airifxes kits are maybe "over ambitious" but not too certain that the actual quality of the kits is poor, guess it's down to a matter of opinion but if only Airfix could get all their products up to some of their recent stuff rather than re-packaging some poor 40-50 year old kits they would be a match for any other manufacturer, but guess those old, "simpler" kits at least fill a decent sized product range. One thin I would add in closing is to be honest the whole of the injection moulded kit world let's down modellers with regards to new product, Tamiya seem to be intent on re-releasing a fair number of old kits, which are actually still pretty good quality stuff even if they are of F1 cars from 50 years ago, with a tiny sprinkling of totally new product, and Hasegawa seem to be shrinking away to nothing. Have tried building a few Trumpeter kits and my God you would have to be blind to view some of their stuff as "scale" models, I like the look of Zoukei-Muras kits, but do think that if I were to rely on building only their stuff I wouldn't be able to afford to build many models per year!!
@@tyegerjak The reason I compared Airfix to Revell is that they both do not mention if you're dealing with a brand new tooling (witch are oke-ish when brand new) or with a 50 year old kit. And where Revell kits are overall quite cheap, the same can't allways be said about Airfix. And where relatively new brands as Takom, Miniart, Bronco, Das Werk etc produce wonderfully designed and produced kits with a high level of accuracy, the same cannot be said about either Revell or Airfix. In short; both brands are (to me personally) a gamble, where as other brands might be a little more expensive (WNW, CSM, ICM, RFM, Border, Zoukei Mura), to me are a much better choice. Edit; for people that desperately need to know more about kits before buying there is allways the Scalemates webpage. And for people who want to build a beautifull Revell or Airfix kit; Try Airfix's 1/72 RAF Be 2c, or Revell (ex Dragon) 1/32 Bf 110 or Sd. Kfz 247 (ex CSM).
For me, I only know of one physical shop nearish me and it’s not easy to get too. Plus radio control and air guns are its focus. This means it’s either Amazon or Airfix direct and I’d rather avoid adding to Jeff’s rocket collection. Not ideal for stores like you but all I can do at the moment. The new decals are a good option as there is choice on what to do.
decals -especially Cartograph - make up a large proportion of the costs of producing a kit. Luke at Airfix told me that the decal sheet in the 24th scale Spit Mk IX made up some 40% of the cost of producing that kit! I'm therefore not at all sure why they don't carry out this process in-house - other companies certainly do..
Wonder if they would produce them any cheaper than Cartograph charge, let's face it Cartograph specialise in producing decals and have got it down to a fine art, they also sell a heck of a lot of decals which are sold separately without any kit needing to be produced. Let's face it Cartograph do produce some great decals really do doubt if Airifx would produce as good a product themselves?
Interesting video, if it's a case of a declining market for them, then utilising the new tools they have come out with in recent years and re-popping them with new decal schemes would seem like a prudent approach rather than continuing to invest money into procuding more new tool kits and taking time to recoup the investment costs. Personally I don't mind them bringing out kits in new schemes, I've probably got 3 different versions of the 1/72 Spitfire PR.XIX now and I really like the decal options they release as they do go for interesting marking options. I'm happy as long as they do what they need to in order to keep the company going.
I am very fortunate to have multiple model shops I can easily get to, at least four of them. It seems the North West has more shops than other areas, not sure why though. At least 2 of the shops have quite a few Airfix kits and always get the new releases. It's a much better experience going to an actual store and gerting it in person. One of the stores has a much more varied stock with kits from many manufacturers and is a good place to go if you want something a bit unusual. I feel Airfix is more for the casual builder or someone starting out. People then expand to other makers once they have had a taste for modeling. I do like that they don't tend to overload you with schemes in a kit. I've seen some manufacturers who have a dozen schemes for a single kit. Always feels wasteful to me. Reissues are probably Airfixs way around this I'm guessing. Include a couple of schemes and reissue with a couple more so that anyone who didn't like the first ones may get the next one. They should probably make less of each issue though so they don't over stock and instead have a total kit number and spread it over the different issues rather than a full stock of each one. It would save them money and space that way.
Agree 100%, used to live in Chester, which was well served for model shops, and on the odd trip to Liverpool there were shops there that were good at supplying my modelling needs, now however I am stuck living in an area where the nearest model shop is a longish drive away, certainly far too long a drive to undertake on the off-chance of finding a model kit to buy and then build. I certainly miss the days when a £2 bus ride into town would enable me to purchase everything from kits, to paints, to paint brushes etc take them home and get to work straight away on building the kit and using the other items to finish it, now I look at Airfix magazine, scan through eModels, Airifx, websites to see what is available and order it and wait for it to arrive. Interesting you mention about decals, I do miss going into Hannants in Lowestoft and going through the thousands of decal packs they stocked, buying an interesting set and then looking for a kit to use them on, almost wish that in those days I hadn't had to hold onto the kit decals in the hope I could maybe use them as they were unused on the model kit I had bought!
I was reading that Mike Ashley was brought in on a consultancy basis earlier this year by Hornby. Also it was saying his Fraser Group had increased their share holding in Hornby to 9%. Not sure what the end result is likely to be.
Watched the video and took some time to think about it. For me it feels like Airfix (and maybe some of the other brands) are being held back by the Hornby railway products. Hornby railways products appear to be expensive but not premium and a lot of their stuff is just weird. Beatles and Coke branded tat and Steampunk themed trains? Who are they meant for? Releasing Platinum Jubilee for the Queen after she has died. Seems like some daft product decisions. lModel railways are an expensive hobby if you want more than an oval of track.
Having worked in the trade for 6 and 1/2 years until this April Hornby was always the outlier on suppliers. They never dealt with us direct and we had to go through a third party. What Alex says here as a trader is entirely true from a Traders perspective.
We are quietly gearing up to become a major supplier of 3D printed "fine-scale" model accessories in Hornby's/Bachmann’s market with product Made in England. However my latest resin composite test produced a resin print indistinguishable from a kit. Swirl/Print lines are virtually eliminated on our products even on larger prints such as an 0 gauge loco boiler. So could we start producing kits…. If we do look out for a 1/20th MK18 carrier based Mosquito armed with 3 Highball mines or The Tsetes.
The prices on kits now days are getting out of control. Its now a case of being careful when buying a model kit . Long gone are the good old days When they was cheap.
Yes our shop barely stocks Airfix to no detrimental effect to the business (or Revell for that matter). There is one exception - Vintage Classics - that sell very well as long as they pick the right product. The Hampden's (that have just arrived) are all but sold out. You biggest selling kit of 2023 was the SNR1 which we even exported to Europe and the US! But alas your analysis is pretty spot on....
Its selling reasonably on the continental market where tt120 is really popular, especially in Eastern Europe. But with only peco and gaugemaster offering anything for the scale it is a very difficult thing to build a new market segment. 4mm is dominant and 2mm and 7mm are doing OK, but are niche compared with 4mm. Bachmann and heljan have moved into 009 narrow gauge and Bachmann has started with 016.5 narrow gauge. New entrants to the hobby are the best option for tt120, but the range is scattergun. Hornby as a whole have grown too big and if they don't cut down their brands there's a real chance of collapse and the investors will only take losses for so much longer, even profitable years have been poor relatively. They can absolutely make great models, but they now have a qc problem where people view their entire range as junk and won't touch them, if its not improved then they might have retail stop stocking them .
I suspect that a lot of the operating cost is down to development. The TT120 and all the new (and vastly improved) Airfix offering will have cost a lot to create and tool up. That cost will not be on a short payback. I suspect the new decal offerings are seen as a way to create more “new” product launches will significantly lower development const compared to the new tool Buccaneer, Gannet and Sea King offerings.
This two tiered distribution system is what Dragon had for a long time and it really killed them. They're stuck with reissuing their kits now and I think it's been a decade since I've seen a new tool Dragon kit. It was the same with Squadron/MMD, who now don't exist anymore.
very interesting. I wish companies would realise that they need to support physical, independent retailers on the high street. These retailers are an entry point to folk new to the hobby. Without them the hobby dies. No new consumers sinks their business eventually so the approach Hornby appear to be taking is very short sighted. Their revenue figures hide the true facts of reduced actual sales over the years. To grow your market you need more consumers which should translate into more sales. To get new consumers you need to support the independent model trade shops NOT try to out compete them. Nobody gets into the hobby for the first time by popping down to one place in Margate or looking at a website selling only airfix stuff...sigh
All the old men ( like me ) re capturing their yoof, glad to see the 1 : 48 scale because I done all the 1:72 when I was about 9 or 10 they were a few nice kits but a lot of dodgey ones but so cheap , I think horny sell way too dear Tamya they ain’t , it’s not scalextric or the 00 railway stuff I can’t see why that’s pricey but cheap injection moulded plastic (I was in the trade) and a cardboard box !
Not enough (read: no) scifi!! 😊 Interesting video - is there anything in those reports that point towards which part of the group is a particular problem? Was the move to TT120 a good idea? Did it Rob Airfix of development funds? So many questions....!
Personally I'm done with Airfix WW2 stuff and would like more cold war and modern kits. Their new kits are good but they're not the only game in town. I have no nearby model stores unfortunately so pretty much always go online or roll the 🎲 on eBay.
@@anthonyjones5444 I am mainly a 1/72 modeller, so here's some ideas I'd like to see from Airfix: - Alouette III (the only 1/72 version available is the Heller version, with raised panel lines and some weird decisions when it comes to building. Not to mention no current boxings containing military versions. Airfix could use the opportunity to have the option to mount either twin MGs or a 20mm MG151/20 like the Rhodesian K-Cars. Also, optional "elephant ears" air filters) - Sea Harrier FRS.1 and FA.2 (Airfix's old molds are horrible in scale and the panel lines look like deep trenches. Perhaps making something to be the definitive 1/72 Shar option would be the best idea, maybe even blowing the Esci/Italeri kit out of the water) - Mi-2 Hoplite (this tiny helicopter used to be the backbone of several communist air forces during the Cold War, from North Korea to Poland) - MiG-21F-13 (since Revell's kit is pretty much impossible to find, adding this to their catalogue would be pretty nice. Modelsvit also does a very nice MiG-21F-13, but it's relatively expensive) - Supermarine Scimitar (a relatively unknown plane outside of Britain, I think only a few manufacturers have come out with a 1/72 kit, and I think they were all short-runs) - Westland Wasp (Airfix used to have an old mold, but I think they can improve drastically, just like the Alouette) - FJ-2/3 and -4 Fury (the Fury is a notorioisly difficult find in 1/72, so I believe that Airfix could maybe shine some light on it) - SA.330 Puma (operated by the RAF and the South Africans, can have both paint schemes available, as a Puma or an Oryx. Again, only relatively known molds are made by Heller and an old Airfix one) - Draken and Viggen (these two are perhaps the most difficult kits to find out there, and when you do, they're ridiculously expensive. Airfix would certainly fill a nice gap in the market by releasing new molds) That's only some of the stuff I'd like to see from Airfix. I honestly think that model companies should try to compete against eachother to see "who puts out the best kit on the market", and not keep re-releasing stuff from the past like Heller does. Yes, Airfix also does that, with their Vintage Classics line, but that's like, a separate line of kits, not their main offerings. Kinda sad when you have to scourge around the internet for a particular subject, and when you find it, it's either way too overpriced (like the Draken and Viggen, those Hasegawa Drakens feel like a shot in the stomach) or some old mold from the 1970s/1980s (like the Alouette).
The only time I purchased directly from Airfix is when I wanted something from the Airfix club. Even though I get and give a fair amount of friendly abuse at my local model shop I still prefer to support them, just don't tell him or it might go to his head.
I wonder what accounts for the gap in distributor availability in the US after a new release, e.g., Bulldog and 1:24 Spitfire mk VIII? I assume, in investor speak, that the US market is material to Airfix’s results. They are running 90 days behind the announcement of the products and one has to wonder what the knock-on effect is upon impulse purchases that are being missed around a release.
@@ChristianGurney I believe it's a result of their gtm strategy - they're building a dtc model, which is harder to scale globally than a distribution model
@@MannsModelMoments I read the 2024 annual report and I was surprised how small the gross revenues were from North America (roughly 10%). Also it wasn’t helpful that the brand performance was broken out, but not unusual. DTC is unlikely to fair well in the US if there is no US based fulfillment.
@@ChristianGurneyI'm not surprised - again, a result of not developing a strong international distribution business because of a focus on DTC, which is very difficult to pull off with international shipping
Please remember the text below: Someone has been given the task of creating a new locomotive that is not being built by another manufacturer. On average, new models take about 2 years before they reach the customer. The process starts with the drawings being sent to China, where China makes the molds, and then sends the engineering sample to Margate. The sample is carefully inspected for any faults, which are then noted. The model is then sent back to China for the faults to be corrected, and a new one is sent to Hornby for evaluation. Hopefully, all the faults have been addressed by then. Next, Hornby wants a running sample to be able to test run the new locomotive. It goes around the test track at Hornby and drives through the points two or three times. Once everyone is happy with the sample, China is given the go-ahead to put this new product into production. The new product is then sent out to the retailers, with the price being about 300 pounds for DCC ready and 375 pounds for DCC Sound. However, the buying public is put off straight away, and those who do buy the latest model will be disappointed by the quality and parts that are missing or even broken. As a result, the model does not sell well, and Hornby lets the retailers offer them at a discount, with TT120 being offered at a 50% discount. Many have suggested, including Hornby, to bring Hornby back to Margate. The money saved in shipping costs could cover new workers' training.
I have a couple of questions. Is this just a U.K. problem? I live in New Zealand and shipping direct from Airfix precludes that option as it is too expensive. Our model shops here are always stacked with Airfix kits. Also are the stats that you quote worldwide figures for the buisness?
as a lay person, I notice as always shareholders seem to come first no matter what other suffer in price and service, Hornby Never should of gone on the stock market, they have been lucky up till now, I think the rug will get pulled from under their feet and will crash big time. As stock holder come first so perhaps this is why they never make any profits these days. Totally bad strategy, they should drop this insidious kind of management.
I would like to say Airfix seem to be taking the Lazy approch when it comes to "new" releases with several of them being nothing morevthan a slightly retooled kit of something they already have with just a few different parts to make a different version or in some cases nothing more than different decal sheet but if Hornby (the parent company) are in finacial trouble it does NOT bode well for Airfix
Totally agree i was looking at an Airfix Catalogue from 2022 and i noticed that the majority of the planes in the 1/72 scale were spitfires, BF 109s , NA Mustangs the range actually is rather small inconsideration of what is offered by other model makers , don't get me wrong i do love Airfix models and Hornby trains but they same issues which is in what bring out in respect of the class 66s and other classes not that i am saying its a bad thing but they don't get the numbers right
@alexdrennan6185 agreed.....now just to be clear im not talking about the tooling quality but the range of subjects... loiok at an older brochure from the 1970s or 1980 (or even the 1990s) and compare what was in the range back then to what is in the range these days......for example 1) F-14 2)F-15 3) F-16 4) F/A-18 5) Hawker Hunter 6) Alpha Jet 7) G-91 8) Draken 9) Viggen 10) Mirage 111 11) Miarage F-1 12) A-5 Vigilante 13) Mig-21 14)Mig-23 15) Mig-27 16) Mig-29 17) Tornado IDS 18) Tornado F-3 19) Jaguar and so on.....where are even some of these now.....yes it could be down to a lack of funds from Hornby but it could just be Airfix getting too complacent and gotten themselves too far down the ww2 rabbit hole and are now either unwilling or unable to get out of it.
@@Damien-u2x totally agree at one point the highlight of the year was looking at old airfix catalogues , i make regular emails to the customer service team at hornby who just pass it onto marketing who do nothing except bring out more spitfires , lancasters etc , i was very sad indeed when JB Models were bought by Hornby as at least their range was modern all be it saracen and saladin armourd cars , bedford trucks , even two different versions of the M113 AND A M118 but what did they do nothing they used up all these stocks and they have gone forever. You know with all these lovely new systems that armies have and armoured vehicles no imaginations has been shown to get a licence to make models of them. On the the other hand they have made the effort with ships especially with the model of the illustiuos light carriers and the type 45 destroyers and even with the submarine they produced . i feel that they want to make a quick buck and give people the known planes iin ww2
@alexdrennan6185 agreed....not to forget a serious lack of helicopters and as far as their armour line up is concerned they currently have ZERO modern /cold war items....it is 100% WW2 subjects....yet they can do a challenger tank in the quick build series.....so what are they playing at
I do maintain some outwardly good kits from Airfix in my extensive stash, and I got two MK12s from Jadlam recently which I did enjoy. But.... I also built a few older airfix kits in my youth and there's a poison there that colours my enjoyment and for similar lumps of money there are just better kits. That said they have a purpose in their role of bringing new people into the hobby and doing British subjects that wouldn't really appeal to other companies. Their output quality wise has improved on the proper kits tho so maybe I won't throw them to the lions just yet?
Most of my recent kit purchases have been impulse buys. I visit the local hobby shop to re-stock consumables & come out with an HKM B-25 or an Italeri Stirling simply because they caught my eye & that's something that isn't going to happen when buying on-line or direct from manufacturer is it? The Hornby group has, for years, wanted to have their cake & eat it. They want retailers to display & promote their products but for the consumers to go home & order direct for a couple of £'s less
I don't know anything about the retail side of things, but Airfix in my opinion are definitely losing ground to other manufacturers, particularly the Chinese, who seem to be setting up a new modelling firm every week and bringing out a huge range of new kits. The name of the game is constant innovation, new products and I mean new not just rehashes with different decal sets and box art. Airfix get a lot of customers just out of brand loyalty but this wont last forever.
It does seem crazy. How do you regrow your customer base by literally closing your own shop windows. The direct to market model, at best, only appeals to established customers.
@@JohnnieE1961and only to UK residents. Here in the states, I’m better to buy Airfix from a Chinese company and wait 2-6 months to get it then pay the exorbitant shipping costs to buy direct from Airfix.
Hasegawa usually re-pops out much older aircrafts kits with new or improved decals every so often, I'm looking at the Fuji T-1A kit. They've *never* updated the molds on that kit since 1971, but each re-release has better and better decals, just like their celebratory F-4s and F-15s but by no means are they new models.
I have not bought air fix kit for 10 years. Fed up with constant short shots, sinkage and warpage. These are not cheap models now, premium price you pay for crap. Then you have the reboxed ancient kits with no warning it's old crap. Then you have the entire kit in one bag. Airfix are a joke, they think they are some high end kit makers, they are not. It's 85 percent crap and bad QC and worse customer care. Even the TV show shows how bad the company is, everything is a third over true worth
Wanted to buy Buccaneer. Highly overpriced, and when I am making order in hobby shop - unavailable. I wanted to get Folland Gnat - unavailable. I wanted Victor K.2 - they only released a small batch! Kit released in 2018 hardly available in 2021 and out of offer in 2022... Restocks to hobby shops take ages, usually I will clear up some space in stash by the time and just buy kits from other brands that are available.
Hornby is getting a name for having mediocre products. I have a friend who spent good money on the new hornby LMS black 5. And he was less than impressed. Things broken, running poorly. He also had the same situation with his hornby large prairie
I don't want to point fingers here, but I think this is all my fault 😞I haven't bought a single Airfix kit since I stumbled upon the existence of 1/35 scale Tamiya kits in 1981 🙂
I must agree, as a modeller here in Europe, Tamiya and Eduard have been the ones I have been supporting as they frankly blow Airfix away with quality and options. I recently tried a newer tooled Airfix kit again, childhood loyalties and all that, only to be disappointed as it felt like a starter kit next to the Eduard version. In fact I had to buy some Eduard photo-etch parts to make it look half decent. Compared to an Eduard Profipack which is around the same price as Airfix here in Germany, where you get seven different decal options, fuselage options, canopy options, etc. with photo-etched parts included. I always get the feeling that Airfix gives you the very least they possibly can to get it off the shelf.
I rewrote this comment several times before publishing it, but it comes down to this, put bluntly. Airfix (and Hornby) are relying heavily on the sentimentality, loyalty (and some nationalism) of an aging demographic to support the sales of their most expensive kits. They are noncompetitive against European and Asian manufacturers who provide a superior product at a reduced price. Even manufacturers in a war zone do better. As another commenter has said, they "can't have their cake and eat it too" - this also applies to inability to escape the effects of globalisation in supporting a costly UK management and distribution infrastructure whilst using inferior manufacturing subcontractors offshore. For these reasons, Airfix in their current incarnation are ultimately doomed. A collapse or takeover and/or removal of the entire operation to a cheaper offshore environment is all but assured in the future.
I think part of the problem is that modelling is a niche pastime these days. I'm lucky to live in Halifax where we have a good shop but that's a rarity these days. When I was a kid you could buy kits at the corner shop. What I'm trying to say is there aren't anywhere near as many retail outlets to sell your products which is why I guess they're trying to go down the direct to customer route.
If and i do mean IF Hornby truly are in finacial trouble they will look after themselves 1st to save going belly up and that COULD mean sacrficing some of the other brands they own such as Airfix,Corgi Humbrol ,Scalextric etc.
I think that airfix would probably be safer than other brands as they sell pretty well I expect, its the European brands that they have that are strangling them I think
Excellent analysis but one point I should bring up is that 60 million back in 2015 Is the equivalent to around 90 million today.... so as the average inflation rate over the last 10 years in the UK is a little under 3% that 60 million today they made now is now actually about 45 million in equivalent buying power in 2015..... quite a drop actually....
In truth, Hornby ran out of steam over a decade ago; purchasing other modelling companies to bolster their revenue has caused the parent company to over-reach; couple that with their outlandish overheads (which has been passed onto the customer); all we are witnessing is corporate greed, with no consideration for their clientele. I won't purchase their sub-standard products anymore, particularly because their competitors can offer equal quality at a fraction of the cost - true modelling goes beyond the basic kit - it is the modeller who creates a superlative finish.
I mean if you like Airfix kits buy them if yiu don’t like them then don’t buy them. Don’t over think it. They are a reasonably priced interesting group of kits
Well, you could be an American and find that there are no longer any domestic model companies producing new molds of aviation and military subjects. Another thing to consider that has led to the above is the decline in the modelling population. I was once very active in a couple of clubs, but no more. One club that I went to starting in 1978 had 60-70 at a meeting, at a then thriving hobby shop. In the 90's that had declined to 40-45 at a meeting. Yesterday the club's newsletter arrived and there were only 15 at the last month's meeting. And the meetings have not been held at a store in years, as the stores have gone out of business. Frankly, Airfix has had to go direct due to the decline in hobby shops and the fact that they can make more per item by bypassing the middleman...
@MannsModelMoments I guess it depends where those other companies are based. If there is a booming model shop sector in Japan then Tamiya and Hasegawa don't need to build a DTC business.
Would have been interesting to see no. Of units shipped over the 10 years. Hornsby just keeps regurgitating old crappy kits; uninteresting, dull, boring. Online website is mediocre. Direct models always piss off the channel and it’s the channel that gives the manufacturer the market coverage. One mediocre airfix website isn’t going to beat 500 retailer websites, staff, stock, customer service etc. And is t it primarily a uk business. If they went thri disti’s in the rest of the world they’d have no probs shifting the gross excess stock. To me airfix is struggling in a slow death spiral. Shame management are so inept, myopic, staid.
I'm not understanding the fretting. Their new tool 1/48 P-51D is well done as is their completely retooled 1/48 Buccaneer. Their 1/48 P-40B is very nice. Their 1/48 Anson, 1/48 Chipmunk, and 1/48 Sea King, and 1/48 Gannet are all nice. Their new-tool 1/24 scale aircraft have been stunning. From my perspective, they're doing a great job putting out some very nice kits. Look, inflation and supply chains are still mucked up post-COVID. People are going back to work, but still have less disposable income these days. We're seeing it here in the US as well. If Hornby's is patient and stays the course, things will slowly recover.
Whinge time. Why do Airfix not seem to listen to their customers. I like many others would like a new 1/48 scale SEPECAT Jaguar and or an updated Tornado. So I was hopeing one might be in their recent new kit announcement. No, disappointed again. Different version of the Sea King and an admittedly brand new Lysander, neither of which particularly interest me. I know that is a personal view but I don't really see the Lysander being a model that would be high on the wish list. Any new kit is of course welcome and I have recently bought the Airfix MkVIII Spitfire in 1/24 scale because it is such a great kit. I too, am probably responsible of the demise of the lical model shop by purchasing on line. Larger companies can sell cheaper but do younrealiy save that much after postage? My nearest model shop is a 20 minute drive but is more railway orientated, the same for the next one that is about 35 minutes away. A 60 minute drive will get me to a proper kit shop but the owner is semi retired and only opens 3 days a week. 70 minutes will get me to another good shop, with a good mix of kits and railway stuff and has a great range of paints, at least ut did last time I went but it has changed hands in that time but believe it os the same. For paints etc this is where I miss a local shop, as online the p&p cost is more than the paint if you only need one paint, and no, i cant mix my own as I am colourblind.
Boring is a value judgement and a matter of opinion. The Anson for example is an excellent albeit complex kit with a lot of variants and schemes, well into post war use
The decals you showed on your video are actually masks. Xtradecal are big supporters of Airfix releases and they are half the price of the Masking sets you showed as examples...
I don't "push" Temu, I did a paid promotion. Buying from Temu is a VERY different experience and demographic that buy there, and they're not a manufacturer (they're effectively Chinese Amazon). People buying from Temu are not directly competing with retail model shops in the same way at all. If I had the choice of competing against Hornby direct and Temu, I'd choose Temu every single time.
@@TheLittleThingsJunkie YES a 1\72nd Swordfish now robs you of £24.99 and a Simple tank engine that you could get for £17-£23 is now £46:00 I do not recall inflation hitting 100%
@@ianwootton2690 So if they were less greedy and less fraudulent (by the way, who exactly are they defrauding, and how?) they would sell their products for lower prices, even if that meant they'd make even less money? Inflation doesn't determine prices, prices determines inflation.
@@ianwootton2690 So if they were less greedy and less fraudulent (by the way, who exactly are they defrauding, and how?) they would sell their products for lower prices, even if that meant they'd make even less money? Inflation doesn't determine prices, prices determines inflation.
@@wamgoc I'll be "respectful" to Hornby when they're respectful to my business. As you haven't watched the video, your voice, opinion and comment are worthless.
How do they expect children who should be the future of model rail to get involved when it’s priced beyond anyone who hasn’t yet opted off their mortgage? It’s now exclusively the preserve of well off middle age/ retirees. Even basic entry level stuff is beyond most kids wildest dreams. This is exactly what did for Gibson guitars , priced them exclusively for 50 year old bankers having a mid life crises when they should have been targeting 15 year old kids who incidentally don’t usually have a spare five grand knocking about.
Difference is that at least with guitars you don't have to buy a Gibson, there are loads of guitars costing a lot less than a Gibson, but then again having a fair few Gibsons, all bought new and never having paid £5,000 for one haven't had a problem. Let's be honest the biggest enemy of model railways, slot car sets, etc is that very few people's modern houses come with the amount of space needed to set up a permanent layout and as with most electrical products the more often you take it up and re-build it the more likely you are for it to not work properly. I have invested in a TT:120 layout as it fits my available space and is not as fiddly as N gauge but still allows me to have something more than a basic oval track in a space of 6' x 3' but I do worry that if there is not a decent uptake of peopel being able to afford the price of a TT:120 layout for their kids I may have a layout which will be the equivalent of a BetaMax video player as far as future product to run on my layout is concerned.
What do you think of Hornby & Airfix's recent releases and business decisions? Let me know below!
a good new model needs time. and tere ar mor as enoug amazin gmodels. and tere is a loot space for new models russian chechia libia armys wath ever now its the time for modeling.
@@MannsModelMoments just one thing you missed. Expo tools - who Hornby unmagnanomously dumped 3 years ago. Are now stocking Hornby as a distributior again. When I asked how come? I was told they came back begging.... Interestingly they are only stocking kits not on special on the Hornby direct sales site. This happened only around 6 weeks ago.. An interesting development.....
Strategy is strange and quality is suffering too. This applies both to Hornby and Airfix
I remember a time when european kits were behind japanese models in terms of engraving and accuracy . Airfix has reduced the gap considerably with their latest offerings but I think they should keep the prices under control because there is now chinese compétition...
A southern European scale modeling brand pulled the same stunt of cutting off distributors and shops. Killed half a country's worth of scale modeling suppliers.
Absolute mental move. The Smaug trend of hoarding gold and assets is strong in some companies.
A fair review, Alex. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers.
Airfix, for most people in Britain, is synonymous with model building in the same way as Hoover is with vacuuming and I believe there is a lot of goodwill towards the brand, witness the way their starter kits sell out within days in Lidl and Aldi. However, I would argue that the value of those promotions is reduced when there are no, or increasingly few, high street outlets for their products - it seems to me that someone who has just built a starter set Spitfire, for example, would be more likely to buy a second kit if they could do it locally rather than get involved with Internet sellers or Airfix directly. Perhaps it's just me but I still think there is something magical about seeing physical product and choosing your next kit. So it seems to me that Airfix's Internet ambitions are misguided and that they would do better to vigourously support local retailers and capitalise on their brand recognition and the affection in which they are held.
Do wonder just where these local sellers of model kits are going to appear from, haven't walked down a high street in my area with a model shop on it for many many years?
I come from a career of change management and turning companies around.
I would LOVE to get hands on Hornby!! Why? Because I love Airfix and Hornby
@@adrianhawley4909 me too!
This isn't just an airfix case I have noticed they seemingly doing it so their main range too, 'Sam trains' did a wonderful comparison with other model trains companies and it worth taking a look at.
I work for a model shop in New Zealand. Airfix kits are popular and sell well when we can get them, but ... Hornby are rubbish at supplying the kits! The local distributor is unable to get the kits from Hornby as Hornby won't supply them. Hornby say that they need to supply the UK first and down under will only get the stock when there's excess in the UK. In the last couple of weeks we finally received the Seafire XVII, 15 months after it was released in the UK. When a new kit is released in the UK, it's generally 9-12 months before our distributor receives it from Hornby. So I was surprised to see your graph showing the excess stock that Hornby is holding - seems to be a fair bit of mismanagement there. Customers buying direct from Airfix, as they seem to want, isn't an option, as the postage to get it here is criminal. Seems to me that there needs to be a restructure at Hornby to get the right people in the right jobs and get that stock moving.
It must be particularly annoying give they produced just up the road from you, in China.
@@chrissouthgate4554 Well the odd thing about that is that sometimes the Hornby rail stuff seems to come to us direct from China, so sometimes we get the new releases before the UK, but never the Airfix stuff.
@@chrissouthgate4554 Airfix is primarily made in India.
@@chrissouthgate4554
What does Airfix mold in China? I'd like to know, to avoid the kits like the plague.
Hornby is not Airfix - as long/unless they (don't) detail the inventory level by brand, you will not know what non-moving stock they have. I doubt it's the Airfix kits. If they were, they had a very serious Supply Chain Management problem.
Speaking as another trader we've given up on being supplied by Airfix and now go through a third party supplier ( too many occasions where promised stock never materialised or was drastically late being delivered). Also fed up of the arrogance of the brand and the disdain they have for smaller retailers. A classic example was the Me 410 release at Telford last year. Announcement made on the afternoon before the show - walk into the main hall the following morning and Jadlam have 100+ of the new kits on sale on their stall.....how do we compete with that? The answer is, increasingly, that we just don't. Like you, we are now looking to reduce the amount of Airfix product we stock. I expect to see Airfix, and probably the entire group owned by someone else within two years.
Hornby has once again posted a loss, there has to be a good reason for this. As for small model shops I have no idea how you can compete with the internet, sad but true.
Yes think that the loss of small local model shops is terrible, but not too certain the decline in them has much to do with how Airfix currently do business, once upon a time every city, market town, and even some larger villages had outlets selling kits, but a lot of those outlets disappeared long long before Airfix were selling direct, when you look at the retail areas of most towns toy/hobby shops have been a dying breed since I was a teenager, which is a time way before internet selling existed. I grew up in a village where our local post office was a veritable Aladdin's cave as far as cheap model kits for us youngsters to start out on our model making life, then we had a change in postmaster and the new one had no interest in stocking model kits and then, a few years later, the post office closed! Hard to think of many high streets in Norfolk and Suffolk where there is actually a model shop for Airfix to sell their kits to, does seem it is far better for empty shops to become Turkish barbers or nail bars, won't make a comment on the attraction of a model shop is slightly less than the money laundering attractions of such establishments but do tend to think that face to face selling of kits is in some areas a thing of the past because of the attractions of setting up other businesses being far more profitable in other ways. My main worry at the moment is that because of various factors the future is not great for the Hornby group and that whatever we think of their selling tactics and whether that has caused the demise of model kit retailers the trade name will be bought up by foreign owners, and not too certain that is a future I am looking forward to, not too certain that new "Airfix" would care about producing the range of British aircraft that the current Airfix has at least made an attempt to bring to market, to be honest I would think even you may not be pleased at the loss of a British owned company producing models which your local customers would even consider buying
You can't compete with that - it's that 2-class society that will drive them out of the remaining "mass-market". Technically, their kits have rarely been better vs. the state of the art. But they will enter into an inevitable downward spiral if they offer the kit to the end customer at the wholesale price soon after release.
A really great informative video - thank you!
this summer in Poland there was a lot, and still is some, armor 1:35 and 1:48 planes on massive sale. So they have pushed discounted items via their official local reseller. Pricing was comparable to their best online bundles with one big advantage, You were able to buy singe item at this discount, not forced to get whole mistery bundle. Your report makes me thing about one thing, there will be massive black friday with Airfix this year ;-) I do agree with you that all retail channels should be offered with similar discout policy, just to be fair with shop owners and Airfix brand customers. In Poland only biggest online shops had this bargains
Interesting to learn more about the company behind the Airfix models. Thanks for making the video on this topic. It would be interesting to see what other companies in this market are doing
Glad you liked it
I recon your're right Alex. What I also wonder is who is Airfix's market? Once upon a time, when model shops were everywhere and there was no internet (!) Airfix had a large and stable range. There was none of this dropping out of the range and reintroducing. Any model you could get one year you could get another. The market was largely under 15 and reliable, because video games did not exist.
Of course there was no UA-cam either so those who built models did pretty much their own thing, putting in as much or as little research as suited them and did not have any pressure for realism, weathering, detailing or ....... Now with YT it is exactly the opposite.
I'm not quite sure what I'm trying to say here but I'm wondering if Airfix are aiming their products at a mass market or just a few "influencers".
To sell more product you need to tap a larger market and I wonder if this restricted range and short runs quite does that.
Still I'm a user, not a seller. Do kids still do models or do they only video game? If the latter is there a way to entice them back, which might mean give them something to play with rather than boring shelf ornaments. Lego manages I think.
When I was a child (showing my age) Airfix was in Woolworths for prices that might take a few weeks pocket money to buy. Not special sales as Aldi seems to do but regular stock. This was fun for the kids of my generation, but it also built up a stock of modellers for later. The restrictions on the use of sharps & adhesives for younger people have not helped, but the availability of easy-to-find gateway models surely has had an effect?
@@emmabird9745 yes, there are still younger modellers, and whilst it doesn't have the ubiquity of the 60s and 70s, it's still as strong a hobby (Orr stronger) than it's ever been.
It's an interesting point, on revell seem to try and target new and experienced modellers as far as I can see. I guess the problem for Airfix is if they focus on (dare I say it) us middle aged men how does the 10 year old start off?
If they focus on the 10 year old, it'll be starter kits and super cars.
Is this Hornby's problem all over - two massively different markets for the "same" product? Jack of all trades, master of none?
Well put, Emma...
At a replacement rate of 1.5 (which has be going on for several decades now) marketing to kids is sort of a moot point because compared to 50 years ago there are hardly any.
Therefore Airfix needs to market to 25+ year olds not 10 year olds (and that's what they've been doing).
IIRC Hornby pushed direct sales a few years ago, it didn't work out well and humble pie was consumed. Now they have new managers and are repeating the experiment, hoping for better results...
@@rogergoldfinchelectrical4159 and the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting different results....
All my local model shops closed down many years ago and I returned to the hobby a couple of years ago. No retail outlets within a 2 day camel ride so buy direct. Mega quick to take my cash and then take 5 days to post orders
When i were a kid, 70's, we had 3 model shops in town. Problem now for a shop they can't survive on models alone. Why not Airfix crack a deal with the new cheapo stores like The Range or B and M.
Also back in the day wasn't the Airfix catalogue free?
Hey, quite an unusal topic for a scale modelling YT channel and I loved it!
Interestingly, other well-known global companies, such as Nike, have also decided to bet big on D2C (direct-to-consumer) and failed...
The common theme for them is that the pandemic made them believe people will keep ordering stuff directly from them (i.e., from the vendor) until the end of time; but things have returned to normal in the post-pandemic era as people prefer buying from regular channels. Therefore, companies with failed strategic bets are now suffering from large inventory levels, whilst consumers have switched to other brands that are more broadly available at retail units.
I have often look at the Hornby shop,, look at the discount etc only to find that's it's the equivalent to buying from a retailer. One would think buying direct would be cheaper to start with
And you don’t get the warm customer relationship and camaraderie that you get by buying from and browsing at a retailer. 😊
I go there too,last week went to buy a enamel 24 Matt white with dread,been finding out the new forumular does not work and the tin I bought had turned in to rubber before I opened it that day,threw a red away today and 5 last week,and a second had shop near me has started selling the old tins and some of them must be 20 yrs old and work.i asked about them and found out they had heard how bad the new paint was,I was not alone
Airfix has been part of my childhood...Besides Revell..🤓
Gaugemaster was our biggest customer in the UK... Märklin or Minitrix even made special editions for them..🤓
Back in the day I could seemingly get Airfix kits pretty much at will. Woolworths had all the bagged kits, starting with Golden Hind, WW2 aircraft and tanks, Hawker P1127, Bristol Bloodhound, SRN1 etc, M&S had promotions occasionally, there was a local model shop, and I could even get them on market stalls.
Now, I think the nearest model shop is over 10 miles away, Woolworths has gone, promotions are rare, although I did see a very limited range at a garden centre recently. The starter kits supplied to Aldi and Lidl tend to be the same six each year, and there's only so many times you want to build a Tiger tank or the same Spitfire Mk1.
I believe that they missed a great opportunity by not offering specific kits relating to the greatest aces of both wars and beyond, the Red Baron, Herman Goering, Albert Ball, Douglas Bader, Erich Hartmann, Adolf Galland, Chuck Yeager and so on. The same can be said for their ship range, a simple addition of extra numbers and names would allow multiple members of a particular class to be built that would have had great appeal to anyone who had family serving on a particular vessel.
Yes think there is far more to the decline in dealers selling Airifx kits has far more factors to it rather than just being down to Airfix selling kits direct to model makers, probably the greatest problem is that model shops, rather than toy shops seem to have become as rare as hen's teeth in plenty of areas, and hard to see that Airfix selling direct caused them all to close, especially when many of them closed long long before there was even an internet, let alone Airfix using it to sell kits. In the village where I grew up our local village post office sold Airfix kits, as well as some other brands, as well as selling the paints to paint those kits and some modelling accessories in order to make the task of building the kits easier, guess having an RAF station on the edge of the village, and Mildenhall and Lakenheath US bases just up the road made the sale of kits quite a good business idea. Unfortunately the post office went a long long time ago and guess if there are kids in the village setting out on a lifetime of making models of aeroplanes really do have to buy them online cos the nearest retailer to the village is more then 30 miles away. Some of my extended family live in the village and in order to get younger members of that extended family into the hobby of model making I order kits online to have them delivered to them, some of which when finished do seem to be finished in some very strange colour schemes, a matt black F35 for example, but at least they do complete the kits and seem to enjoy doing so and hopefully scale accuracy with regards to colour schemes might happen in the future!!! I do think that you are correct in your belief that some of the subjects offered to modellers are a little strange, yes models of the Red Arrows will always sell to kids but not too certain those same kids would even try to persuade their parents to get them some of the current range of kits offered.
@GSD-hd1yh strangely enough the latest local shop to stock Airfix models is Angry Cherry in Derry/Londonderry which is a comic / pop culture shop! A bit of a strange one I thought 🤔
Also Airfix models in Lidl and Aldi.
I think that Airfix kits are on a par with the Japanese kits. It's the Hornby stuff where they're pricing themselves out of the market.
I don't mind direct sales but I find it interesting sometimes that it may look cheaper til you add in shipping and time for delivery. I agree a stronger distribution network will lead to a better profitability. Hornby might be seeing the short term gains of direct sales but missing the long term gains of selling to shops and having satisfied customers returning to their brand. A pleasant interaction with a shop owner or employee promotes brand recognition. The shop will promote the company more and which will lead to higher sales. As you have stated other companies have figured it out long ago and are very successful.
So I spend £50 on a kit/kits, paints etc and get them delivered in 2-3 working days free of charge, if I tried to buy the same things "locally" would have to drive to nearest model shop costing me money in petrol, parking charges, time, etc. so not too certain that I am getting a bad deal from Airfix. Guess I am not the only person whose "nearest" friendly model shop isn't a short drive or bus journey away. Because of how model retailing now works cannot even remember the last time I bought anything from a "local" model shop, eModels, Wonderland Models, Hannants mail order, and Airfix do a pretty good job of supplying my needs without me having to travel further then the disatnce from my modelling table to my computer, certainly not driving maybe 23-25 miles in the hope of finding what I need in the area where I live. I wish there were local retailers, cos I am certain a youngster now is pretty unlikely to ever see a model shop to introduce them to the joys of producing a model that they have built themsleves.
Alex, I’m with you on everything you said in this video and just hope the writing on the wall ends being a positive one but I have my doubts. Shame if they don’t pull things together as Airfix have release some actual new kits which are probably the best kits they have ever made.
Agreed
As someone who has worked in a hobby shop in Australia I can say my limited experience of trying to get anything from Airfix was a total nightmare! It was common to wait 6 or even 8 months for new releases and stock to finally get delivered to the Australian distributor. Many other shops seemed to also have a similar issue here. Granted we are a long way away from everyone else, but it’s a real pain. Especially given how expensive shipping is to order direct from Hornby, and the reward program is not worth it.
Thanks for the very clear explanation of your business analysis. I'd be interested to know how the Airfix revenue and profitability is going compared to the rest of the group. It wouldn't be the first time that Airfix has been doing OK, only to get dragged down by underperformance elsewhere in the portfolio. Do you have any insight into that?
@@adandap I'm afraid not - it's the sort of information a group is very protective of, precisely because of how useful it is....
Direct to consumer is taking over many spaces and while Hornby's model may be flawed, I also think its inevitable. Shop front retail is just not good to be in. I don't say this with any vindictiveness, but I got out of retail thirty years ago because even then you could see the uneven playfield, with for example, larger chain stores getting a competitive advantage over small mum and dad businesses.
Interestingly, the cost of the 24 scale Mk VIII Spitfire is cheaper at my local model shop than online. And last time I looked, the cost of individual shipping from the UK to Australia was horrendous.
At this point the Hornby group are relying on their "name" than actual quality, affordable offerings anymore.
Maybe Hornby needs to ship way more product here to the States. Besides your standard spits, lancs, and canes, all of their major releases average 6-9 months after release before we see it here, and then it’s sold out in a day. It’s still tough to find even a ferret as now 1-2 major retailers have it. Hornby, send your overstock here, WE WILL BUY YOUR SH*T!
The question of direct Vs distribution is a difficult one. The younger generation, in general, want online and don’t see the benefits of the local hobby store. The other issue is location of hobby stores as city/town centres are becoming less accessible so unless the hobby store is located in a retail park, footfall will drop off because of council drives to reduce traffic. My trip to my local hobby store is now a good 15 minutes longer because of traffic. Parking is hellishly expensive and so my first thought is, can I get it delivered.
AC Models in Eastliegh and Ron Lines in Southampton are both excellent. If I'm in the area, I visit oneor the other.
The 2021 release of the Anson is still in stock in local shops here.
Meanwhile I'm absolutely hanging for a re-release of ANY of Airfix's airfield vehicles in 48 scale...
It's also worth highlighting that revenue not increasing is a bad thing, because in real terms it is a drop, and with recent high inflation quite a significant drop.
Hi there, I have been modelling for 45 years and understand that Airfix has a special meaning to most Britisch modelers. But to be honoust: I knew theire old kits in the 70-80-90 as a kid, tried some around the 2000's and recenty build a few 2010-2020 ones. Here's my professional (I build on commision) take on Airfix as a brand; they are not serious models and they are in exactly the same catagory as Revell. I build them sometimes out of curiousity or if someone wants a specific Airfix kit to be build but would never keep one in my personal collection.
having built a fair few newly tooled kits of both Airfix and Revell tend not to agree that revel are even in the same part of the universe, quality wise, as the newer Airifx products are, have just finished a 1/48 Sea King HAS 1, a 1/24 Spitfire Mk IXC and a 1/24 Spitfire Mk VIII, and as a former regular builder of Revell kits wish their current catalogue had just one product anywhere near the standard of those 3 kits. As regular builder of Tamiya and Hasegawa kits not too certain there is a vast difference in the quality of the kits produced by Airifx and those 2 accepted "higher quality" brands, some of Airifxes kits are maybe "over ambitious" but not too certain that the actual quality of the kits is poor, guess it's down to a matter of opinion but if only Airfix could get all their products up to some of their recent stuff rather than re-packaging some poor 40-50 year old kits they would be a match for any other manufacturer, but guess those old, "simpler" kits at least fill a decent sized product range. One thin I would add in closing is to be honest the whole of the injection moulded kit world let's down modellers with regards to new product, Tamiya seem to be intent on re-releasing a fair number of old kits, which are actually still pretty good quality stuff even if they are of F1 cars from 50 years ago, with a tiny sprinkling of totally new product, and Hasegawa seem to be shrinking away to nothing. Have tried building a few Trumpeter kits and my God you would have to be blind to view some of their stuff as "scale" models, I like the look of Zoukei-Muras kits, but do think that if I were to rely on building only their stuff I wouldn't be able to afford to build many models per year!!
@@tyegerjak The reason I compared Airfix to Revell is that they both do not mention if you're dealing with a brand new tooling (witch are oke-ish when brand new) or with a 50 year old kit. And where Revell kits are overall quite cheap, the same can't allways be said about Airfix.
And where relatively new brands as Takom, Miniart, Bronco, Das Werk etc produce wonderfully designed and produced kits with a high level of accuracy, the same cannot be said about either Revell or Airfix.
In short; both brands are (to me personally) a gamble, where as other brands might be a little more expensive (WNW, CSM, ICM, RFM, Border, Zoukei Mura), to me are a much better choice.
Edit; for people that desperately need to know more about kits before buying there is allways the Scalemates webpage.
And for people who want to build a beautifull Revell or Airfix kit; Try Airfix's 1/72 RAF Be 2c, or Revell (ex Dragon) 1/32 Bf 110 or Sd. Kfz 247 (ex CSM).
For me, I only know of one physical shop nearish me and it’s not easy to get too. Plus radio control and air guns are its focus. This means it’s either Amazon or Airfix direct and I’d rather avoid adding to Jeff’s rocket collection. Not ideal for stores like you but all I can do at the moment. The new decals are a good option as there is choice on what to do.
decals -especially Cartograph - make up a large proportion of the costs of producing a kit. Luke at Airfix told me that the decal sheet in the 24th scale Spit Mk IX made up some 40% of the cost of producing that kit! I'm therefore not at all sure why they don't carry out this process in-house - other companies certainly do..
Wonder if they would produce them any cheaper than Cartograph charge, let's face it Cartograph specialise in producing decals and have got it down to a fine art, they also sell a heck of a lot of decals which are sold separately without any kit needing to be produced. Let's face it Cartograph do produce some great decals really do doubt if Airifx would produce as good a product themselves?
Interesting video, if it's a case of a declining market for them, then utilising the new tools they have come out with in recent years and re-popping them with new decal schemes would seem like a prudent approach rather than continuing to invest money into procuding more new tool kits and taking time to recoup the investment costs.
Personally I don't mind them bringing out kits in new schemes, I've probably got 3 different versions of the 1/72 Spitfire PR.XIX now and I really like the decal options they release as they do go for interesting marking options.
I'm happy as long as they do what they need to in order to keep the company going.
@@arrrgee fair enough, if it does!
Do they present cashflow ? Building inventory on an operating loss generally eats cash quickly especially if its tight.
I am very fortunate to have multiple model shops I can easily get to, at least four of them. It seems the North West has more shops than other areas, not sure why though.
At least 2 of the shops have quite a few Airfix kits and always get the new releases. It's a much better experience going to an actual store and gerting it in person.
One of the stores has a much more varied stock with kits from many manufacturers and is a good place to go if you want something a bit unusual.
I feel Airfix is more for the casual builder or someone starting out. People then expand to other makers once they have had a taste for modeling.
I do like that they don't tend to overload you with schemes in a kit. I've seen some manufacturers who have a dozen schemes for a single kit. Always feels wasteful to me. Reissues are probably Airfixs way around this I'm guessing. Include a couple of schemes and reissue with a couple more so that anyone who didn't like the first ones may get the next one. They should probably make less of each issue though so they don't over stock and instead have a total kit number and spread it over the different issues rather than a full stock of each one. It would save them money and space that way.
Agree 100%, used to live in Chester, which was well served for model shops, and on the odd trip to Liverpool there were shops there that were good at supplying my modelling needs, now however I am stuck living in an area where the nearest model shop is a longish drive away, certainly far too long a drive to undertake on the off-chance of finding a model kit to buy and then build. I certainly miss the days when a £2 bus ride into town would enable me to purchase everything from kits, to paints, to paint brushes etc take them home and get to work straight away on building the kit and using the other items to finish it, now I look at Airfix magazine, scan through eModels, Airifx, websites to see what is available and order it and wait for it to arrive. Interesting you mention about decals, I do miss going into Hannants in Lowestoft and going through the thousands of decal packs they stocked, buying an interesting set and then looking for a kit to use them on, almost wish that in those days I hadn't had to hold onto the kit decals in the hope I could maybe use them as they were unused on the model kit I had bought!
I was reading that Mike Ashley was brought in on a consultancy basis earlier this year by Hornby. Also it was saying his Fraser Group had increased their share holding in Hornby to 9%. Not sure what the end result is likely to be.
Watched the video and took some time to think about it. For me it feels like Airfix (and maybe some of the other brands) are being held back by the Hornby railway products. Hornby railways products appear to be expensive but not premium and a lot of their stuff is just weird. Beatles and Coke branded tat and Steampunk themed trains? Who are they meant for? Releasing Platinum Jubilee for the Queen after she has died. Seems like some daft product decisions. lModel railways are an expensive hobby if you want more than an oval of track.
Having worked in the trade for 6 and 1/2 years until this April Hornby was always the outlier on suppliers. They never dealt with us direct and we had to go through a third party. What Alex says here as a trader is entirely true from a Traders perspective.
We are quietly gearing up to become a major supplier of 3D printed "fine-scale" model accessories in Hornby's/Bachmann’s market with product Made in England. However my latest resin composite test produced a resin print indistinguishable from a kit. Swirl/Print lines are virtually eliminated on our products even on larger prints such as an 0 gauge loco boiler. So could we start producing kits…. If we do look out for a 1/20th MK18 carrier based Mosquito armed with 3 Highball mines or The Tsetes.
The prices on kits now days are getting out of control. Its now a case of being careful when buying a model kit . Long gone are the good old days When they was cheap.
I ordered and paid for 3 Airfix kits when the retailers web site said they had 20+ in stock.
I received 1 and was never reimbursed for the others
Yes our shop barely stocks Airfix to no detrimental effect to the business (or Revell for that matter). There is one exception - Vintage Classics - that sell very well as long as they pick the right product. The Hampden's (that have just arrived) are all but sold out. You biggest selling kit of 2023 was the SNR1 which we even exported to Europe and the US!
But alas your analysis is pretty spot on....
Oooohhhhh this is going to be good
Hornby sank a lot of money into there new scale TT120 train sets about three years ago and it failed to take off .
Its selling reasonably on the continental market where tt120 is really popular, especially in Eastern Europe. But with only peco and gaugemaster offering anything for the scale it is a very difficult thing to build a new market segment.
4mm is dominant and 2mm and 7mm are doing OK, but are niche compared with 4mm. Bachmann and heljan have moved into 009 narrow gauge and Bachmann has started with 016.5 narrow gauge.
New entrants to the hobby are the best option for tt120, but the range is scattergun.
Hornby as a whole have grown too big and if they don't cut down their brands there's a real chance of collapse and the investors will only take losses for so much longer, even profitable years have been poor relatively. They can absolutely make great models, but they now have a qc problem where people view their entire range as junk and won't touch them, if its not improved then they might have retail stop stocking them .
I suspect that a lot of the operating cost is down to development. The TT120 and all the new (and vastly improved) Airfix offering will have cost a lot to create and tool up. That cost will not be on a short payback. I suspect the new decal offerings are seen as a way to create more “new” product launches will significantly lower development const compared to the new tool Buccaneer, Gannet and Sea King offerings.
When I was a child, TT was a big thing in GDR/DDR before the reunification...🤓
This two tiered distribution system is what Dragon had for a long time and it really killed them. They're stuck with reissuing their kits now and I think it's been a decade since I've seen a new tool Dragon kit. It was the same with Squadron/MMD, who now don't exist anymore.
In the US, Hobby Lobby stopped carrying Airfix a year or two ago.
Indeed. It was nice to get a 1/72 aircraft kit for less than $10USD.
My goodness that was like an Apollo launch.
very interesting. I wish companies would realise that they need to support physical, independent retailers on the high street. These retailers are an entry point to folk new to the hobby. Without them the hobby dies. No new consumers sinks their business eventually so the approach Hornby appear to be taking is very short sighted. Their revenue figures hide the true facts of reduced actual sales over the years. To grow your market you need more consumers which should translate into more sales. To get new consumers you need to support the independent model trade shops NOT try to out compete them. Nobody gets into the hobby for the first time by popping down to one place in Margate or looking at a website selling only airfix stuff...sigh
I completely agree!
All the old men ( like me ) re capturing their yoof, glad to see the 1 : 48 scale because I done all the 1:72 when I was about 9 or 10 they were a few nice kits but a lot of dodgey ones but so cheap , I think horny sell way too dear Tamya they ain’t , it’s not scalextric or the 00 railway stuff I can’t see why that’s pricey but cheap injection moulded plastic (I was in the trade) and a cardboard box !
Not enough (read: no) scifi!! 😊
Interesting video - is there anything in those reports that point towards which part of the group is a particular problem? Was the move to TT120 a good idea? Did it Rob Airfix of development funds? So many questions....!
@@jeffholt9437 unfortunately there isn't any breakdown between brands - which I agree would be VERY interesting!
Personally I'm done with Airfix WW2 stuff and would like more cold war and modern kits.
Their new kits are good but they're not the only game in town.
I have no nearby model stores unfortunately so pretty much always go online or roll the 🎲 on eBay.
We need a lot more Cold War subjects...
I agree, produce more Cold War & modern jet fighters Airfix. Their 1/48 Buccaneer is pretty good, albeit a wee bit overpriced.
@@anthonyjones5444 I am mainly a 1/72 modeller, so here's some ideas I'd like to see from Airfix:
- Alouette III (the only 1/72 version available is the Heller version, with raised panel lines and some weird decisions when it comes to building. Not to mention no current boxings containing military versions. Airfix could use the opportunity to have the option to mount either twin MGs or a 20mm MG151/20 like the Rhodesian K-Cars. Also, optional "elephant ears" air filters)
- Sea Harrier FRS.1 and FA.2 (Airfix's old molds are horrible in scale and the panel lines look like deep trenches. Perhaps making something to be the definitive 1/72 Shar option would be the best idea, maybe even blowing the Esci/Italeri kit out of the water)
- Mi-2 Hoplite (this tiny helicopter used to be the backbone of several communist air forces during the Cold War, from North Korea to Poland)
- MiG-21F-13 (since Revell's kit is pretty much impossible to find, adding this to their catalogue would be pretty nice. Modelsvit also does a very nice MiG-21F-13, but it's relatively expensive)
- Supermarine Scimitar (a relatively unknown plane outside of Britain, I think only a few manufacturers have come out with a 1/72 kit, and I think they were all short-runs)
- Westland Wasp (Airfix used to have an old mold, but I think they can improve drastically, just like the Alouette)
- FJ-2/3 and -4 Fury (the Fury is a notorioisly difficult find in 1/72, so I believe that Airfix could maybe shine some light on it)
- SA.330 Puma (operated by the RAF and the South Africans, can have both paint schemes available, as a Puma or an Oryx. Again, only relatively known molds are made by Heller and an old Airfix one)
- Draken and Viggen (these two are perhaps the most difficult kits to find out there, and when you do, they're ridiculously expensive. Airfix would certainly fill a nice gap in the market by releasing new molds)
That's only some of the stuff I'd like to see from Airfix. I honestly think that model companies should try to compete against eachother to see "who puts out the best kit on the market", and not keep re-releasing stuff from the past like Heller does. Yes, Airfix also does that, with their Vintage Classics line, but that's like, a separate line of kits, not their main offerings. Kinda sad when you have to scourge around the internet for a particular subject, and when you find it, it's either way too overpriced (like the Draken and Viggen, those Hasegawa Drakens feel like a shot in the stomach) or some old mold from the 1970s/1980s (like the Alouette).
The only time I purchased directly from Airfix is when I wanted something from the Airfix club. Even though I get and give a fair amount of friendly abuse at my local model shop I still prefer to support them, just don't tell him or it might go to his head.
I wonder what accounts for the gap in distributor availability in the US after a new release, e.g., Bulldog and 1:24 Spitfire mk VIII? I assume, in investor speak, that the US market is material to Airfix’s results. They are running 90 days behind the announcement of the products and one has to wonder what the knock-on effect is upon impulse purchases that are being missed around a release.
@@ChristianGurney I believe it's a result of their gtm strategy - they're building a dtc model, which is harder to scale globally than a distribution model
@@MannsModelMoments I read the 2024 annual report and I was surprised how small the gross revenues were from North America (roughly 10%). Also it wasn’t helpful that the brand performance was broken out, but not unusual. DTC is unlikely to fair well in the US if there is no US based fulfillment.
@@ChristianGurneyI'm not surprised - again, a result of not developing a strong international distribution business because of a focus on DTC, which is very difficult to pull off with international shipping
Please remember the text below:
Someone has been given the task of creating a new locomotive that is not being built by another manufacturer. On average, new models take about 2 years before they reach the customer. The process starts with the drawings being sent to China, where China makes the molds, and then sends the engineering sample to Margate. The sample is carefully inspected for any faults, which are then noted. The model is then sent back to China for the faults to be corrected, and a new one is sent to Hornby for evaluation. Hopefully, all the faults have been addressed by then. Next, Hornby wants a running sample to be able to test run the new locomotive. It goes around the test track at Hornby and drives through the points two or three times. Once everyone is happy with the sample, China is given the go-ahead to put this new product into production. The new product is then sent out to the retailers, with the price being about 300 pounds for DCC ready and 375 pounds for DCC Sound. However, the buying public is put off straight away, and those who do buy the latest model will be disappointed by the quality and parts that are missing or even broken. As a result, the model does not sell well, and Hornby lets the retailers offer them at a discount, with TT120 being offered at a 50% discount. Many have suggested, including Hornby, to bring Hornby back to Margate. The money saved in shipping costs could cover new workers' training.
I have a couple of questions. Is this just a U.K. problem? I live in New Zealand and shipping direct from Airfix precludes that option as it is too expensive. Our model shops here are always stacked with Airfix kits. Also are the stats that you quote worldwide figures for the buisness?
No, it's not just a UK problem, and the Hornby figures are its complete (ie global) numbers
as a lay person, I notice as always shareholders seem to come first no matter what other suffer in price and service, Hornby Never should of gone on the stock market, they have been lucky up till now, I think the rug will get pulled from under their feet and will crash big time. As stock holder come first so perhaps this is why they never make any profits these days. Totally bad strategy, they should drop this insidious kind of management.
I would like to say Airfix seem to be taking the Lazy approch when it comes to "new" releases with several of them being nothing morevthan a slightly retooled kit of something they already have with just a few different parts to make a different version or in some cases nothing more than different decal sheet but if Hornby (the parent company) are in finacial trouble it does NOT bode well for Airfix
Totally agree i was looking at an Airfix Catalogue from 2022 and i noticed that the majority of the planes in the 1/72 scale were spitfires, BF 109s , NA Mustangs the range actually is rather small inconsideration of what is offered by other model makers , don't get me wrong i do love Airfix models and Hornby trains but they same issues which is in what bring out in respect of the class 66s and other classes not that i am saying its a bad thing but they don't get the numbers right
@alexdrennan6185 agreed.....now just to be clear im not talking about the tooling quality but the range of subjects... loiok at an older brochure from the 1970s or 1980 (or even the 1990s) and compare what was in the range back then to what is in the range these days......for example
1) F-14
2)F-15
3) F-16
4) F/A-18
5) Hawker Hunter
6) Alpha Jet
7) G-91
8) Draken
9) Viggen
10) Mirage 111
11) Miarage F-1
12) A-5 Vigilante
13) Mig-21
14)Mig-23
15) Mig-27
16) Mig-29
17) Tornado IDS
18) Tornado F-3
19) Jaguar
and so on.....where are even some of these now.....yes it could be down to a lack of funds from Hornby but it could just be Airfix getting too complacent and gotten themselves too far down the ww2 rabbit hole and are now either unwilling or unable to get out of it.
@@Damien-u2x totally agree at one point the highlight of the year was looking at old airfix catalogues , i make regular emails to the customer service team at hornby who just pass it onto marketing who do nothing except bring out more spitfires , lancasters etc , i was very sad indeed when JB Models were bought by Hornby as at least their range was modern all be it saracen and saladin armourd cars , bedford trucks , even two different versions of the M113 AND A M118 but what did they do nothing they used up all these stocks and they have gone forever. You know with all these lovely new systems that armies have and armoured vehicles no imaginations has been shown to get a licence to make models of them. On the the other hand they have made the effort with ships especially with the model of the illustiuos light carriers and the type 45 destroyers and even with the submarine they produced . i feel that they want to make a quick buck and give people the known planes iin ww2
@alexdrennan6185 agreed....not to forget a serious lack of helicopters and as far as their armour line up is concerned they currently have ZERO modern /cold war items....it is 100% WW2 subjects....yet they can do a challenger tank in the quick build series.....so what are they playing at
@@Damien-u2x In my emails to airfix i have mentioned such models as the ch53 jolly green giants both version and the KA25
I do maintain some outwardly good kits from Airfix in my extensive stash, and I got two MK12s from Jadlam recently which I did enjoy. But.... I also built a few older airfix kits in my youth and there's a poison there that colours my enjoyment and for similar lumps of money there are just better kits. That said they have a purpose in their role of bringing new people into the hobby and doing British subjects that wouldn't really appeal to other companies. Their output quality wise has improved on the proper kits tho so maybe I won't throw them to the lions just yet?
Most of my recent kit purchases have been impulse buys. I visit the local hobby shop to re-stock consumables & come out with an HKM B-25 or an Italeri Stirling simply because they caught my eye & that's something that isn't going to happen when buying on-line or direct from manufacturer is it?
The Hornby group has, for years, wanted to have their cake & eat it. They want retailers to display & promote their products but for the consumers to go home & order direct for a couple of £'s less
I was not aware that airfix is one of many Hornby brands…. I wonder how much revenue and profit comes really from the airfix brand.
Me too!
I don't know anything about the retail side of things, but Airfix in my opinion are definitely losing ground to other manufacturers, particularly the Chinese, who seem to be setting up a new modelling firm every week and bringing out a huge range of new kits. The name of the game is constant innovation, new products and I mean new not just rehashes with different decal sets and box art. Airfix get a lot of customers just out of brand loyalty but this wont last forever.
If you want to kill this hobby and the model companies carry on this way!! And in the end there is nothing left .
It does seem crazy. How do you regrow your customer base by literally closing your own shop windows. The direct to market model, at best, only appeals to established customers.
@@JohnnieE1961and only to UK residents. Here in the states, I’m better to buy Airfix from a Chinese company and wait 2-6 months to get it then pay the exorbitant shipping costs to buy direct from Airfix.
Adjust your numbers by annual inflation to see the real trend….
Hasegawa usually re-pops out much older aircrafts kits with new or improved decals every so often, I'm looking at the Fuji T-1A kit. They've *never* updated the molds on that kit since 1971, but each re-release has better and better decals, just like their celebratory F-4s and F-15s but by no means are they new models.
I have not bought air fix kit for 10 years. Fed up with constant short shots, sinkage and warpage. These are not cheap models now, premium price you pay for crap. Then you have the reboxed ancient kits with no warning it's old crap. Then you have the entire kit in one bag. Airfix are a joke, they think they are some high end kit makers, they are not. It's 85 percent crap and bad QC and worse customer care. Even the TV show shows how bad the company is, everything is a third over true worth
Wanted to buy Buccaneer. Highly overpriced, and when I am making order in hobby shop - unavailable. I wanted to get Folland Gnat - unavailable. I wanted Victor K.2 - they only released a small batch! Kit released in 2018 hardly available in 2021 and out of offer in 2022... Restocks to hobby shops take ages, usually I will clear up some space in stash by the time and just buy kits from other brands that are available.
Hornby is getting a name for having mediocre products. I have a friend who spent good money on the new hornby LMS black 5. And he was less than impressed. Things broken, running poorly. He also had the same situation with his hornby large prairie
I don't want to point fingers here, but I think this is all my fault 😞I haven't bought a single Airfix kit since I stumbled upon the existence of 1/35 scale Tamiya kits in 1981 🙂
@@MikeUSA67 hahaha...I knew it!! Dammit Mike, how could you??? Lol
@@MannsModelMoments I was young and needed a quick fix - now I'm hooked and can't get enough.
I must agree, as a modeller here in Europe, Tamiya and Eduard have been the ones I have been supporting as they frankly blow Airfix away with quality and options. I recently tried a newer tooled Airfix kit again, childhood loyalties and all that, only to be disappointed as it felt like a starter kit next to the Eduard version. In fact I had to buy some Eduard photo-etch parts to make it look half decent. Compared to an Eduard Profipack which is around the same price as Airfix here in Germany, where you get seven different decal options, fuselage options, canopy options, etc. with photo-etched parts included. I always get the feeling that Airfix gives you the very least they possibly can to get it off the shelf.
@@RowanvanTonder
I would add Hasegawa kits tooled in the lady twenty years or so.
@@Chilly_Billy agreed!
I rewrote this comment several times before publishing it, but it comes down to this, put bluntly. Airfix (and Hornby) are relying heavily on the sentimentality, loyalty (and some nationalism) of an aging demographic to support the sales of their most expensive kits. They are noncompetitive against European and Asian manufacturers who provide a superior product at a reduced price. Even manufacturers in a war zone do better. As another commenter has said, they "can't have their cake and eat it too" - this also applies to inability to escape the effects of globalisation in supporting a costly UK management and distribution infrastructure whilst using inferior manufacturing subcontractors offshore. For these reasons, Airfix in their current incarnation are ultimately doomed. A collapse or takeover and/or removal of the entire operation to a cheaper offshore environment is all but assured in the future.
I think part of the problem is that modelling is a niche pastime these days. I'm lucky to live in Halifax where we have a good shop but that's a rarity these days. When I was a kid you could buy kits at the corner shop. What I'm trying to say is there aren't anywhere near as many retail outlets to sell your products which is why I guess they're trying to go down the direct to customer route.
@@christianfairhurst3877 I understand the point, but that doesn't explain them going down that route when no one else is
If and i do mean IF Hornby truly are in finacial trouble they will look after themselves 1st to save going belly up and that COULD mean sacrficing some of the other brands they own such as Airfix,Corgi Humbrol ,Scalextric etc.
I think that airfix would probably be safer than other brands as they sell pretty well I expect, its the European brands that they have that are strangling them I think
@@bionicgeekgrrl its tje Hotnby group as a whole sadly
Airfix is the ONLY good thing Hornby makes imo
Excellent analysis but one point I should bring up is that 60 million back in 2015 Is the equivalent to around 90 million today.... so as the average inflation rate over the last 10 years in the UK is a little under 3% that 60 million today they made now is now actually about 45 million in equivalent buying power in 2015..... quite a drop actually....
Hornby have been mismanaged for years and are only kept going by nostalgia.
In truth, Hornby ran out of steam over a decade ago; purchasing other modelling companies to bolster their revenue has caused the parent company to over-reach; couple that with their outlandish overheads (which has been passed onto the customer); all we are witnessing is corporate greed, with no consideration for their clientele. I won't purchase their sub-standard products anymore, particularly because their competitors can offer equal quality at a fraction of the cost - true modelling goes beyond the basic kit - it is the modeller who creates a superlative finish.
Mike Ashley, stay away please
I mean if you like Airfix kits buy them if yiu don’t like them then don’t buy them. Don’t over think it. They are a reasonably priced interesting group of kits
@@petemathers3481 not really the point, is it?
Well, you could be an American and find that there are no longer any domestic model companies producing new molds of aviation and military subjects.
Another thing to consider that has led to the above is the decline in the modelling population. I was once very active in a couple of clubs, but no more. One club that I went to starting in 1978 had 60-70 at a meeting, at a then thriving hobby shop. In the 90's that had declined to 40-45 at a meeting. Yesterday the club's newsletter arrived and there were only 15 at the last month's meeting. And the meetings have not been held at a store in years, as the stores have gone out of business.
Frankly, Airfix has had to go direct due to the decline in hobby shops and the fact that they can make more per item by bypassing the middleman...
I don't believe this is true, otherwise it would be equally applicable to other manufacturers
@MannsModelMoments I guess it depends where those other companies are based. If there is a booming model shop sector in Japan then Tamiya and Hasegawa don't need to build a DTC business.
Would have been interesting to see no. Of units shipped over the 10 years. Hornsby just keeps regurgitating old crappy kits; uninteresting, dull, boring. Online website is mediocre. Direct models always piss off the channel and it’s the channel that gives the manufacturer the market coverage. One mediocre airfix website isn’t going to beat 500 retailer websites, staff, stock, customer service etc. And is t it primarily a uk business. If they went thri disti’s in the rest of the world they’d have no probs shifting the gross excess stock. To me airfix is struggling in a slow death spiral. Shame management are so inept, myopic, staid.
What about eduard?
@@kjp76 what about them?
@@MannsModelMoments It seems to me that their sales policy is very similar to the one you complain about as a seller.
@@kjp76 no, not at all - I can get Eduard kits no problem at all and they always sell well, and I don't see competition from Eduard direct
I'm not understanding the fretting. Their new tool 1/48 P-51D is well done as is their completely retooled 1/48 Buccaneer. Their 1/48 P-40B is very nice. Their 1/48 Anson, 1/48 Chipmunk, and 1/48 Sea King, and 1/48 Gannet are all nice. Their new-tool 1/24 scale aircraft have been stunning. From my perspective, they're doing a great job putting out some very nice kits. Look, inflation and supply chains are still mucked up post-COVID. People are going back to work, but still have less disposable income these days. We're seeing it here in the US as well. If Hornby's is patient and stays the course, things will slowly recover.
Then you don't understand the issue
Whinge time. Why do Airfix not seem to listen to their customers. I like many others would like a new 1/48 scale SEPECAT Jaguar and or an updated Tornado.
So I was hopeing one might be in their recent new kit announcement. No, disappointed again. Different version of the Sea King and an admittedly brand new Lysander, neither of which particularly interest me. I know that is a personal view but I don't really see the Lysander being a model that would be high on the wish list.
Any new kit is of course welcome and I have recently bought the Airfix MkVIII Spitfire in 1/24 scale because it is such a great kit.
I too, am probably responsible of the demise of the lical model shop by purchasing on line. Larger companies can sell cheaper but do younrealiy save that much after postage?
My nearest model shop is a 20 minute drive but is more railway orientated, the same for the next one that is about 35 minutes away. A 60 minute drive will get me to a proper kit shop but the owner is semi retired and only opens 3 days a week. 70 minutes will get me to another good shop, with a good mix of kits and railway stuff and has a great range of paints, at least ut did last time I went but it has changed hands in that time but believe it os the same.
For paints etc this is where I miss a local shop, as online the p&p cost is more than the paint if you only need one paint, and no, i cant mix my own as I am colourblind.
Mike Ashley is what’s going wrong
@@russellbower3454 I don't think so - the changes happened before his interest in the company, and his stockholding is minimal
To be honest, the kits you mention are boring. Who buys them?
Boring is a value judgement and a matter of opinion. The Anson for example is an excellent albeit complex kit with a lot of variants and schemes, well into post war use
The decals you showed on your video are actually masks. Xtradecal are big supporters of Airfix releases and they are half the price of the Masking sets you showed as examples...
I'm pretty sure they were decals as I searched by that product category! They might be dual decal and mask sets though
yet you push temu
I don't "push" Temu, I did a paid promotion. Buying from Temu is a VERY different experience and demographic that buy there, and they're not a manufacturer (they're effectively Chinese Amazon). People buying from Temu are not directly competing with retail model shops in the same way at all. If I had the choice of competing against Hornby direct and Temu, I'd choose Temu every single time.
@@MannsModelMoments I thought they were crushing retailers just the same. plus with temu you're funding global communism
@@MannsModelMomentslol
Thanks for the video...but all the stock images are not a good look.
You've obviously no idea how long these videos take to put together - how else would you imagine such a video should be created???
Two tier Hornby!
Must be where the police get their policies from!!! 😂
🏴
Question 1 NO question 2 GREED I no longer but AIrfix or Horny because of their Fraudulent price hikes
As they're running at a loss (or very close to), are "greed" and "fraudulent" appropriate words?
@@TheLittleThingsJunkie YES a 1\72nd Swordfish now robs you of £24.99 and a Simple tank engine that you could get for £17-£23 is now £46:00 I do not recall inflation hitting 100%
@@ianwootton2690 So if they were less greedy and less fraudulent they'd sell at lower prices, even if that meant losing even more money?
@@ianwootton2690 So if they were less greedy and less fraudulent (by the way, who exactly are they defrauding, and how?) they would sell their products for lower prices, even if that meant they'd make even less money?
Inflation doesn't determine prices, prices determines inflation.
@@ianwootton2690 So if they were less greedy and less fraudulent (by the way, who exactly are they defrauding, and how?) they would sell their products for lower prices, even if that meant they'd make even less money?
Inflation doesn't determine prices, prices determines inflation.
So when are you going to be respectful to Hornby! I’ve not watched the video, I’ve just asked you to be respectful and take it down!
@@wamgoc I'll be "respectful" to Hornby when they're respectful to my business. As you haven't watched the video, your voice, opinion and comment are worthless.
How do they expect children who should be the future of model rail to get involved when it’s priced beyond anyone who hasn’t yet opted off their mortgage? It’s now exclusively the preserve of well off middle age/ retirees. Even basic entry level stuff is beyond most kids wildest dreams.
This is exactly what did for Gibson guitars , priced them exclusively for 50 year old bankers having a mid life crises when they should have been targeting 15 year old kids who incidentally don’t usually have a spare five grand knocking about.
Difference is that at least with guitars you don't have to buy a Gibson, there are loads of guitars costing a lot less than a Gibson, but then again having a fair few Gibsons, all bought new and never having paid £5,000 for one haven't had a problem. Let's be honest the biggest enemy of model railways, slot car sets, etc is that very few people's modern houses come with the amount of space needed to set up a permanent layout and as with most electrical products the more often you take it up and re-build it the more likely you are for it to not work properly. I have invested in a TT:120 layout as it fits my available space and is not as fiddly as N gauge but still allows me to have something more than a basic oval track in a space of 6' x 3' but I do worry that if there is not a decent uptake of peopel being able to afford the price of a TT:120 layout for their kids I may have a layout which will be the equivalent of a BetaMax video player as far as future product to run on my layout is concerned.