Hornby Price rise - 1st September 2024

[JohnR]

Just had a notification from a model shop that there will be a price rise from Hornby on 1st September - so get those pre-orders in now!

[spamcan61]

3 minutes ago, JohnR said:

Just had a notification from a model shop that there will be a price rise from Hornby on 1st September - so get those pre-orders in now!

Was that Colletts perchance? That implies retailer pre-orders will be honoured at pre increase prices?

[JohnR]

1 minute ago, spamcan61 said:

Was that Colletts perchance? That implies retailer pre-orders will be honoured at pre increase prices?

 

Yes, I dont know whether he is keeping his pre-order pricing, but Hornby on their website do. 

[The Stationmaster]

As Hornby seem to have recognised that one of their sales problems resulted from price resistance it dies seem a biyt odd t be increasing prices as they run into what allegedly could be one of their busiest times of year.  I wonder if the price rises are going to be selective and won't apply across the board to their whole model range?

 

PS As the message gets it around it will presumably increase their First Half pre-orders - just a thought

Edited July 23 by The Stationmaster

[scottrains29]

I expect we'll actually see some Hornby models becoming cheaper in time. e.g. who is actually going to buy a Hornby class 60 at their current price when other manufacturers are now producing far better models at often similar or even cheaper prices. Same applies to their MGRs, class 08, 31, 50, 56 and maybe soon hst.

 

Hornby can increase their RRP to anything they want (sports direct style) but when it doesn't sell it'll still end up in the bargain bins.

[ColinB]

I thought this was just a rumour, so far I don't think there is any solid evidence. In the end the market will decide, currently the only really desirable models are in TT120 and most of the OO ones will have been preordered so for the moment fixed price. They haven't increased their prices for a while, so not a major surprise. 

[Robin Brasher]

In retrospect it seems more sensible to order items directly from Hornby because Hornby honours the original asking price whereas the local model shop is usually unable to do so.

[spamcan61]

3 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

In retrospect it seems more sensible to order items directly from Hornby because Hornby honours the original asking price whereas the local model shop is usually unable to do so.

...almost like a plan...

[irishmail]

This subject was raised on the Hornby forum last week.  Don't know if you have to be a member to read it.

 

https://community.hornbyhobbies.com/forums/topic/36251-prices-rising-1st-september/

[The Stationmaster]

22 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

As Hornby seem to have recognised that one of their sales problems resulted from price resistance it does seem a bit odd to be increasing prices as they run into what allegedly could be one of their busiest times of year.  I wonder if the price rises are going to be selective and won't apply across the board to their whole model range?

 

PS As the message gets it around it will presumably increase their First Half pre-orders - just a thought

 

PPS  The Hornby website forum link does work but it doesn't help too much as it vanishes down various byways and irrelevant arguments.

 

[adb968008]

3 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:

In retrospect it seems more sensible to order items directly from Hornby because Hornby honours the original asking price whereas the local model shop is usually unable to do so.

 

3 hours ago, spamcan61 said:

...almost like a plan...

Could be but isnt the website full RRP ?
Most retailers offer at least 10% off.

 

if prices creep 10% your only saving from retailers later, what you lose by going direct now ?

 

I stopped using Hornbys website when the 10% club discount ended, as that was the only incentive worth having by being a member. 
 

They did the exact same back in 2017, they uses to offer 10% discount, and then ended it, so I voted with my wallet that time and returned to buying from retailers.  Only for them to realise and bring it again back later… which they removed once more just recently…

As for the points, they lost their value too, in that last program mod, as the website is full RRP the wheels are worth slightly less against a retailer offering a discount.. so the real benefit is to buy something on special offer…but if its on special offer from Hornby theres almost always a reason, and the retailer often has gone deep first for that same reason.

 

it’s like ground hog day at Hornby, shuffling the customer around only moves the point of sale, it doesn't increase sales.. it just modifies the statistics.

 

its nebulous anyway, all my preorders date back to early 2022, when the club discount still applied, since then they've announced little new of interest, where as Ive lost a lot of interest and canceled many of those pre-orders through boredom waiting…

 

They can raise prices all day, if they aren't delivering much, it makes no difference, if they aren't announcing much it raises little new interest. They are becoming a frustrated irrelevance to me at least…. Sadly it just feels like another round loop of the vortex heading to the plughole.

 

 

 

 

 

[adb968008]

17 hours ago, scottrains29 said:

I expect we'll actually see some Hornby models becoming cheaper in time. e.g. who is actually going to buy a Hornby class 60 at their current price when other manufacturers are now producing far better models at often similar or even cheaper prices. Same applies to their MGRs, class 08, 31, 50, 56 and maybe soon hst.

 

Hornby can increase their RRP to anything they want (sports direct style) but when it doesn't sell it'll still end up in the bargain bins.

Theres a land fill site in Crewe collecting real class 60’s… At £220 (today) maybe some of Hornbys might go there too if they got a price rise ?

[ColinB]

4 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:

In retrospect it seems more sensible to order items directly from Hornby because Hornby honours the original asking price whereas the local model shop is usually unable to do so.

Yes I figured that out after I got caught out with a price rise for a preordered item off a retailer. I do wonder though how long the practice will continue with a fair amount of items off Hornby, preordered at their original price.

[ThaneofFife]

The quality control needs to be increased before they increase their prices imho.

[Bulleidboy100]

Didn't this originate from a German forum a few weeks ago? The poster of the information had no evidence, but knew a man, who was a friend of his sisters boyfriend, who's uncle had a train set - and so it goes on. The poster got slated by other forum members.

It certainly gets the pre-orders in.

[GMKAT7]

Good afternoon folks,

 

I am a member of the Airfix section of the Hornby Hobbies members club, as a 1/72 aircraft modeller in addition to my model railway interests.

 

I often get offers/updates, etc from Airfix, usually things that apply across the Hornby group.

 

There has been nothing stated (yet!) about any Airfix price rises on 1st September but if I hear anything I will advise on here.

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[Bulleidboy100]

Like GMKAT7, but my membership is of the Hornby section of Hornby Hobbies, and a fully paid-up member of the Collectors Club, I too get emailed offers and updates, but I don't recall ever getting advance notice of a price rise. It is usually through an observant forum member noticing that the price of something has increased, and they post about it. Happy to be proved wrong. I always order with Hornby on the day of announcement, and then wait - my order is in and I will receive whatever in due course - no need to panic - as some do😉

[Downer]

A 20% increase has been mentioned, which would bring the forthcoming B17/5 with an HM7000 sound chip close to £400.  If that were the case, I don’t imagine I’d be the only person who really wanted one to choose to do without.  

[adb968008]

20% ?

Good luck with that.

 

Good old R610 short straight would be closer to £2.70 or 54p a sleeper.

 

This could be an Interesting demand gen strategy if its true… ..

tease a price rise, watch what pre-orders rise…. Then selectively increase the price of the popular ones as thats where the demand is.

 

 

Edited July 24 by adb968008

[Dunsignalling]

 

Given the current distribution of my pre-orders across the market, nothing Hornby do to their pricing will make any difference whatsoever....😇 😏

 

Edited July 24 by Dunsignalling

[Legend]

20 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

Given the current distribution of my pre-orders across the market, nothing Hornby do to their pricing will make any difference whatsoever....😇 😏

 

Yes , sadly it’s become an irrelevance !

[nightstar.train]

6 hours ago, Downer said:

A 20% increase has been mentioned, which would bring the forthcoming B17/5 with an HM7000 sound chip close to £400.  If that were the case, I don’t imagine I’d be the only person who really wanted one to choose to do without.  

 

If true I can only see that harming Hornby's market share. £300 is a lot for a loco, especially if only DCC ready. And that would push a TXS decoder up to £84, which is getting close to the price of a Loksound or a Zimo. I have bought a few TXS now, as they represent good value for certain locos. But I'd probably be reconsidering at that price. 

[Farang]

Price rise on forthcoming new models or are they increasing the price of in-stock models? If the latter, too, then they're just having a laugh.

Hornby have scraped along from crisis to crisis for years but unless they radically rethink their business they will fail. Of all their brands only Hornby and Airfix have value, ditch the rest and all the expensive staff. The major investor gets no profit from their investment so you have to wonder why they don't sell it off. But that would be a huge loss?

[GrumpyPenguin]

2 hours ago, Farang said:

Price rise on forthcoming new models or are they increasing the price of in-stock models? If the latter, too, then they're just having a laugh.

Hornby have scraped along from crisis to crisis for years but unless they radically rethink their business they will fail. Of all their brands only Hornby and Airfix have value, ditch the rest and all the expensive staff. The major investor gets no profit from their investment so you have to wonder why they don't sell it off. But that would be a huge loss?

And there lies the crux of the problem.

Unfortunatly, they also suffer from "The Thanet Disease".

[The Stationmaster]

17 hours ago, adb968008 said:

20% ?

Good luck with that.

 

Good old R610 short straight would be closer to £2.70 or 54p a sleeper.

 

This could be an Interesting demand gen strategy if its true… ..

tease a price rise, watch what pre-orders rise…. Then selectively increase the price of the popular ones as thats where the demand is.

 

 

As mentioned above that is what has passed through my mind.  It could be a way of increasing First Half revenue depending on where the money is allocated once its paid or equally it would help the less than brilliantly performing Second Half's revenue if taken to account when it is paid and not backdated to the pre-order date. 

 

On the other hand it might just be a 'come on and buy quick' approach to get some sales boost before the AGM.   But whatever it is, assuming it is real, it still seems an odd way of approaching what they are saying is a price sensitive market place (or is it only price sensitivity as far as Hornby items are concerned?).