Hobbystores

[Les Baynham]

**LINK**

[Tim Flyer]

Very sad.

I often visited their Branch in St Albans. In fact it was Jason there who encouraged me back into flying after a very long break. He is a very knowledgable and helpful guy. I hope he finds another role in the industry. Shops like these provide a vital link into the hobby. Im not so sure that the web will properly replace shops like these. Its sad for the hobby. Clubs are now the only real source of help, its less likely that kids or adult beginners will "bump into modelling" as I did many years ago.

[Joe Beavis]

I quite agree with Timothy Harris. When I returned to aeromodelling after many years, Jason at St Albans Hobby Store was a tireless source of advice and information in what seemed a foreign land. Visiting the shop was always a pleasure that I will be very sad to be denied. I think the effect of losing all the modelshops will be profound. People like me need a face-to-face tutorial sometimes to get to grips with modern technology. This is a gloomy day.

[FastFlyer Smyth]

Sign on our local shop posted at 9:30am yesterday morning.... More local job losses too ! The Ripmax head office is just down the road from here...

[Jim Purcha]

Sad.

It's not just the hobby stores. We had a large chain of stationary stores in Winnipeg, Canada "Grand & Toy" (Toys ... but no hobby supplies). They closed all their retail outlets and went to being strictly online sales. Order on line and they will ship it to you. Unforturnately I was looking for a particular size of mailing tube to ship something in. Order a shipping tube online, and they will deliver or mail it to me?????

I went else where.

Edited By Jim Purcha on 22/01/2016 02:26:47

[cymaz]

The thing is, we all know of these stores because of their on street presence. It's a shame.

[Cuban8]

That's quite a big name to fall and all of their shops in one go as well. Yes, a shame (a club mate works for them, so I suppose he's out on his ear) but no surprise, as they readily admit that trading conditions have changed so markedly over the last few years. I don't remember the last time I needed to visit the Chelmsford HobbyStore itself (closest to me, although a thirty  mile round trip) - it must be three or four years because I mainly do my shopping on-line or pick up my consumables at the shows - and I'm obviously not unique in that.

Edited By Cuban8 on 22/01/2016 08:56:50

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[John F]

They're not saying that they've fallen in any way, they have just closed the shops to concentrate on online shopping only.

I would not be surprised if they closed simply to maximise profits. The closing of all the shops in one go instead of a phased shut down of the lesser profitable shops would indicate it is a strategic shift rather than seeing all their shops doing badly at the same time.

[Stevem3akm]

Without a High Street model shop presence, where does the potentially new modeller go for guidance and advice. The Internet may be able sell and give advice in black and white but I don't think it's a substitute for face to face tuition and guidance. The closure of the LMS will reduce the number of people being attracted to the hobby.

[MattyB]

The "potential new modeller" has not been going to local model shops for their first advice for many, many years. If they were then shops like Hobbystores would not be closing - selling kit (often inappropriate kit in my experience) to newcomers was historically a mainstay of shops like this!

The world has changed, and far more people are entering the hobby now having viewed content online that has piqued their interest or picked up a RTF model from a non-specialist retailer. For this reason I doubt the closure of shops will have any real effect on the number of people entering the hobby. The only significant effect I can see of the loss of the LMS in general is that glow fuel is going to get increasingly difficult to source, but again other forces are seeing it replaced by electric and petrol over time anyway. Tis the way of the world!

[..]

Posted by MattyB on 22/01/2016 14:37:07:

The "potential new modeller" has not been going to local model shops for their first advice for many, many years. If they were then shops like Hobbystores would not be closing - selling kit (often inappropriate kit in my experience) to newcomers was historically a mainstay of shops like this!

I'm sorry but that's a bit of a sweeping statement that may apply to you but not others?

And to state they were "selling inappropriate kit to newcomers" is not only a massive slur on the unfortunate blokes (most of whom in my experience locally are active flyers) who have just lost their jobs but its also a tad libelous to the company in my opinion.

[IanN]

Whilst closures are regrettable, and obviously a personal tragedy for those employees directly affected, retail in general - not just our hobby - has been going this way for a VERY long time now. It's a sad fact that news of closures is no longer even remotely surprising

There simply isn't the "walk in" trade that there used to be. LMS's therefore have to cut their cloth by being very careful re their costs. A big part of that is stock. We then complain when we can't get the widget that we need, and go online and so visit the LMS less and less frequently. It's a self fulfilling viscious circle that has been evidenced by many other discussions on here in recent years

The outfits that seem to thrive are those who have a strong mail order/online business alongside their "bricks and mortar" walk in trade

[..]

Posted by IanN on 22/01/2016 16:30:04:

The outfits that seem to thrive are those who have a strong mail order/online business alongside their "bricks and mortar" walk in trade

But isn't that what Hobbystores was Ian ?

[Spice Cat]

I was fortunate enough to visit my not quite local model shop, Avicraft in Bromley today. I have to say it was a real pleasure to go into a shop with helpful friendly staff, tons of stuff on display and you couldn't see the ceiling for the secondhand models hanging there.

I had a long chat with Rob and his assistant, I am ashamed to say I didn't get his name, so long in fact I had to run out as my parking ticket had run out. It reminded me of how such visits can be a pleasure and an opportunity to learn.

Thanks Avicraft.

[Cuban8]

We've mulled over the issue of model shops closing for quite a while now, so we shouldn't be surprised at Ripmax's decision to get out of retail. They're not making enough money from it so quite unsentimentally the shops get the chop - just the way of business.

I think we'll wind up with mainly internet retailers with a scattering of specialist suppliers, smaller traders and Ebayers filling in the gaps - not forgetting Hobbyking of course. This trend is, I believe, well underway now.

I think Inwood's have the right idea for today's trading climate in that they have a good internet presence, seem to be at most of the larger shows thereby keeping their name in the public eye and they keep their shop overheads to a minimum by trading out of a basic industrial type unit (which may well serve as their warehouse, as its always well stocked when I've been there). Crucially, their prices are very good - particularly for radio.

[IanN]

Posted by Justin K. on 22/01/2016 16:32:59:

Posted by IanN on 22/01/2016 16:30:04:

The outfits that seem to thrive are those who have a strong mail order/online business alongside their "bricks and mortar" walk in trade

But isn't that what Hobbystores was Ian ?

Yes, but it would seem not strong enough in one or the other (or both?) aspects to justify keeping the shops open

[MattyB]

Posted by Justin K. on 22/01/2016 16:16:28:

Posted by MattyB on 22/01/2016 14:37:07:

The "potential new modeller" has not been going to local model shops for their first advice for many, many years. If they were then shops like Hobbystores would not be closing - selling kit (often inappropriate kit in my experience) to newcomers was historically a mainstay of shops like this!

I'm sorry but that's a bit of a sweeping statement that may apply to you but not others?

And to state they were "selling inappropriate kit to newcomers" is not only a massive slur on the unfortunate blokes (most of whom in my experience locally are active flyers) who have just lost their jobs but its also a tad libelous to the company in my opinion.

I mean no ill will to those who have lost their jobs, but the reality is that this business model no longer works as is being proven again and again. Walk in trade must be at an all time low, and those that do come in don't spend enough to cover the huge costs associated with a bricks and mortar shop, often because they know they can get the same goods cheaper online.

Re: the "inappropriate kit", it was a generic statement about LMS' in general based on my experiences over many years, not a specific statement about Hobbystores. The LMS in my town (now gone) was guilty of this, and many others I've been in have been the same, especially pre-Christmas when a lot of people would be coming in to buy gifts. Often the standard of advice was not high from staff hired to cover the rush, and people would walk out of the shop with expensive radios, low wing racy ARTFs or other inappropriate models under their arms. I do not doubt there are shops out there that do a good job on advising their customers, but I have not seen that many. YMMV.

Edited By MattyB on 22/01/2016 18:14:37

[Erfolg]

I have been pondering the concept of MS selling inappropriate stuff to new starters.

I am not completely certain to what extent this has and does happen, although it certainly has. There is another issue that MS are guilty off, and that is the sale of a full package of stuff, that theey will need at some point. This practise does ensure that our newcomer has everything he needs, at all stages, it has also emptied their bank account. It can be enough of a shock that many actually never make it to the field, as there is a latent fear that even more costs await.

In many respects the MS should be the province of those who know what they want and need at that point. The reason being is that many shop keepers see it as their duty to empty the customers wallet.

The best place for newcomers is the local club, with sympathetic modellers, who often help newcomers out with low cost items, that may not be cutting edge, or the best available. yet what they really need at that point.

Ripmax have been a very profitable organisation, so i shed not one tear for them, they are successful. The employees who have lost a job i do have sympathies with.

For a niche hobby such as ours the Internet is the way of the foreseeable future. There is not many places for our hobby on the high street, although some will carve out a unique formula that works with a walk in shop.

[Erfolg]

I have been turning over the event of Rimax closing down its retail arm.

It does seem that the pointers towards the future are probably very bleak for MS sole traders on the high street. That is those who do not have a unique aspect to their operation. Ripmax in essence have been the implementers of a strategy that I have advocated for some time. The strategy is to be both the importer and retailer as one integrated business. The objective was conceived as both the profit normally taken as a distributor and that of the retailer, staying within the same business. Closing the shops indicates that the overall margin is just not high enough.

This perhaps indicates that the world of both the distributors/wholesalers and the retailers is going to undergo further contraction. If there is not enough profit for the retailer, then there numbers will reduce. A reduction in retailers is ultimately bad news for the distributors, even if their mark up is the the most significant, as a reduction in retailers will almost certainly be matched in a decline in overall retail sales.

I am more convinced that for the foreseeable future that the Internet is the future. Yet at present there is just one outstanding trader, which is HK. In the past Giant Cod seemed to a potential competitor, although the web site was blighted by unavailable products, they have disappeared. Robotbirds and BRC started with great potential, yet some how do not seem to be in the race any more. Yet Internet trading does seem the way of the future, there seems opportunities there for those with vision and organisation, together with connections at the points of manufacture. Could this still be Ripmax?.

Edited By Erfolg on 23/01/2016 21:18:26

Edited By Erfolg on 23/01/2016 21:20:09

[Geoff S]

I think one of the main barriers to retail trading of technological based products is, ironically, the fact that the products themselves are so good. To a large extent it's just a matter of switch 'em on and they work. Their functions may be complicated (eg computer radio or internet ready TV) but they are essentially reliable and in any case are often virtually unrepairable and any failure means either replacement under guarantee or upgrading to the latest model. And there's always the internet if you struggle with operation. Most people my age give up anyway.

When I was a young teenager in the early 1950s I used to enjoy serving in the shop and explaining to customers how their new radio or TV was operated. It wasn't straight forward then and required a mastery of things like vertical and horizontal hold as well as brightness and contrast settings. In fact sometimes several visits to inexperienced purchasers homes were sometimes needed. It's much easier now and a service such as ours was is unheard of now.

Once TVs became reliable our family business days were numbered and the same fate applies to LMS now. It's only because far more people want to buy a TV that the big stores still exist. We, as modellers, don't have that pull so we are destined to rely on the internet and hope we've ordered the right thing unseen.

It's a pity really because running a retail business 50 years ago was fun. Dad made a lot of friends from his HiFi customers but no-one would drop into HK for a chat and a cup of tea.

Geoff

[Cuban8]

Posted by Geoff Sleath on 23/01/2016 21:55:41:

When I was a young teenager in the early 1950s I used to enjoy serving in the shop and explaining to customers how their new radio or TV was operated. It wasn't straight forward then and required a mastery of things like vertical and horizontal hold as well as brightness and contrast settings. In fact sometimes several visits to inexperienced purchasers homes were sometimes needed. It's much easier now and a service such as ours was is unheard of now.

Geoff

The early colour TVs could also be a nightmare for the inept. I was amazed at how many people would happily watch an appalling quality picture, totally unaware of the unrealistic tones of colour that they'd set.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Geoff S]

Posted by Cuban8 on 24/01/2016 10:10:40:

Posted by Geoff Sleath on 23/01/2016 21:55:41:

When I was a young teenager in the early 1950s I used to enjoy serving in the shop and explaining to customers how their new radio or TV was operated. It wasn't straight forward then and required a mastery of things like vertical and horizontal hold as well as brightness and contrast settings. In fact sometimes several visits to inexperienced purchasers homes were sometimes needed. It's much easier now and a service such as ours was is unheard of now.

Geoff

The early colour TVs could also be a nightmare for the inept. I was amazed at how many people would happily watch an appalling quality picture, totally unaware of the unrealistic tones of colour that they'd set.

Colour TV came out after I decided the family business couldn't support me in 1960 so I never had to repair them. In fact I never had to work on any receiver that wasn't 405 lines and haven't ever owned a TV in 50 years). However, I saw an experimental colour TV at Murphy Radio in about 1952 which needed to be readjusted if you moved it a few feet. It didn't help that it was NTSC (Never Twice the Same Colour) rather PAL (Perfection At Last)

Geoff

[Erfolg]

Talking about radios, I would imagine that the apparent collapse of UK Futaba sales has not been good for Ripmax.