Model Zone in Administration & to close

[Karl]

In 'ull (the 'H' is silent as in "Leeds"), the nearest large conurbation of my youth there were 2 shops who's windows were filled with very well made models which were very inspiring and always had a crowd.looking in - and inside. I've not seen anything similar anywhere else - perhaps you can boost interest if you offer your local pusher some models to display for a while. Constant rotation would help with maintaining interest as well.

If we're talking 'The Model Shop' and 'Sports Craft' I would whole heartedly agree; an absolutely mesmerising display for a young boy to oggle at and hopefully spend some pocket money within!!

Karl

[stormfrontmodels]

Apparently, tomorrow morning the staff in the shops get a new promotion from the administrators...

[Plastic Bonsai]

If we're talking 'The Model Shop' and 'Sports Craft' I would whole heartedly agree; an absolutely mesmerising display for a young boy to oggle at and hopefully spend some pocket money within!!

Karl

Absolutely - wonder if there are any pictures?

[chaddy]

Again if MZ pull through this I think people should try and buy from model shops as much as possible as once everything's online the prices will start to rise there too.

Whilst I would always prefer to wander into a model shop, browse and purchase, this isn't always possible.

The reason I only buy from MZ rarely is that they don't necessarily stock what I might be looking for. When I was a kid I'd wander into a shop that sold models and I'd spend my pocket money on whatever took my fancy. A plane this week, a ship next week, a tank the week after. Of course now I'm much more specific in my requirements. Most of us have specific requirements and they won't always be found in the same place, and certainly not in MZ. That's where the internet is useful in sourcing these items.

It's a hard fact but, survival or not, I'll only purchase from MZ if they have what I want, when I want it. As for internet prices rising, well, rising prices are a fact of life anywhere. As long as there is competition, that ought to serve to keep price rises within reasonable limits.

[keefr22]

It's a hard fact but, survival or not, I'll only purchase from MZ if they have what I want, when I want it. As for internet prices rising, well, rising prices are a fact of life anywhere. As long as there is competition, that ought to serve to keep price rises within reasonable limits.

I couldn't agree more. And there's only so many Airfix & Revell kits that a man can buy & not already have multiples of! But it's not just kits, they don't (& can't see they ever would) stock the primary ranges of paints I use - I don't intend to change back to Humbrol enamels or use those 'orrible Revell acrylics (which are OK for detail work but not much else I find) just in the hope that my minor purchases will keep MZ going!

And when you actually think about it when we buy online we are often buying from someone's 'local model shop' anyway, as many of them will allow customers to visit the premises....

[Terry McGrady]

.

It's a hard fact but, survival or not, I'll only purchase from MZ if they have what I want, when I want it. As for internet prices rising, well, rising prices are a fact of life anywhere. As long as there is competition, that ought to serve to keep price rises within reasonable limits.

I'm with you there. I was in MZ in Leeds on Saturday. They had nothing I wanted , or was interested in I search for the best price I can find for a kit.

If I can get the same kit on the net cheaper than I can buy it in a Model Shop then that's what I will do

I owe no loyalty to any Retailer.

Cheers

Terry McGrady

[chadders]

I'm with you there. I was in MZ in Leeds on Saturday. They had nothing I wanted , or was interested in I search for the best price I can find for a kit.

If I can get the same kit on the net cheaper than I can buy it in a Model Shop then that's what I will do

I owe no loyalty to any Retailer.

Cheers

Terry McGrady

Agreed. My "local" MZ is in Derby (I was the manager there), and I just can't see the point of going over there to get some Tamiya paint or Squadron green, when I can get them cheaper on the internet. Last time I went Tamiya paint was £1.89 a pot, on the net its £1.39. OK postage is expensive now but buying 10/11 pots and the saving pays for the postage, and I haven't had to pay for petrol and parking.

[andrewfl290]

I'm with you there. I was in MZ in Leeds on Saturday. They had nothing I wanted , or was interested in I search for the best price I can find for a kit.

If I can get the same kit on the net cheaper than I can buy it in a Model Shop then that's what I will do

I owe no loyalty to any Retailer.

Cheers

Terry McGrady

I'm lucky, I have a LMS that I like, I get on with the owner and he has a group of regulars that call in on a regular basis for a chat and a coffee. Out of choice I will support him and he is always my first port of call when I want a kit, he always gives me a discount too. Okay, so he is only 10 minutes from where I live and parking is either on the road or round the back so it is free. When I buy from the internet it is because he cannot get what I want or because I am buying a second hand kit that is no longer available. For me I suppose it has something to do with loyalty but more to do with the fact that I can call in and spend a pleasant hour browsing and chatting with like minded folk.

Now, I also buy R/C model gear, there is a small shop about 20 minutes away, he does not have much stock and tends to specialise. Another shop is 40 minutes away but has more stock. Neither of the owners are as affable and don't offer a discount, the shops don't offer what I want much of the time, plus the distance and thus cost to get there is greater, so much of my R/C gear is purchased from shows and the internet.

Over the years I have not bought much from MZ as I have not had a shop nearby. When I have visited they have not had much that appealed to me and to the extent that I would not make a detour to visit one, it would have to be a distraction from "shopping" I felt they were more like a toy shop rather than a model shop with no real identity (the R/C stuff they sold was definitely toy like).

[DannyB]

it would have to be a distraction from "shopping" I felt they were more like a toy shop rather than a model shop with no real identity (the R/C stuff they sold was definitely toy like).

In my opinion I think you've hit the nail on the head! I'll always try and make a bee-line for a MZ if we are going somewhere with one, a useful distraction if the misses is going clothes shopping, and I'm always on the hunt for kits that just catch my eye, but 9 times out of 10 I'll come out empty handed.

But, what has really made me rethink about the whole MZ situation has been a recent conversation with my brother.

He is not into modelling, never really has been and wouldn't know where to even start, but this year for my birthday he set on the idea of buying me a kit, completely unprompted. So, he set out to Bluewater and to MZ as in his mind it was the only place he could buy one. By all accounts he spent ages in there looking at different boxes, taking things down from the higher shelves, looking at ships, tanks, cars, aircraft, and was even asking the staff and other shoppers, that as he put it 'looked like they might know what they were looking at' about which kit he should buy. His other half said the staff were really helpful and friendly but didn't really know much about it all, and he got the most help from a fellow shopper!

This to me is where MZ have room to capitalise, with the resurgence of airfix, as to the layman they are 'the' place to go on the high street and with the right marketing, staff training etc. it could be a very profitable business once again but they'll only have one shot at getting it right! There is a market for those that don't even know where to start with online ordering and will make a purchase on impulse instead of researching the desired subject, finding all the add-ons and extras who are always more likely to buy from specialist online retailers anyway.

[Val]

I got to say, the Model Zone in Norwich is pretty good. I've been to a few in other parts of the country (Trafford Centre, Peterborough, Leeds, Stratford) and they are half the size, and have quarter of the selection, so I'm lucky to have this branch near me. The point is though, I'm not worried about paying 20-30p more for a pot of Tamiya paint, but I'm not going to travel 15miles to do so. If I'm in Norwich, I'll call in and get whatever I want instead of online.

The problem with the traditional hobby shop in this day and age is simply selection as I see it. For example, I could go out and by the Airfix Seafire FR46 or whatever it is. And then buy the Aires engine detail set for it, and a vacform canopy, a resin seat, Eduard PE cockpit set, landing flap and gear set, resin wheels, metal landing gear and a new decal sheet. That's all for one aircraft. Then multiply that by the number of models in a shop. There's noway they are going to be able to stock all this for a reasonable selection of kits. And then extend that to tanks, boats etc. And I wonder how many customers a hobby shop would get are serious modellers and would buy all that? The only way I can think of supplying all those additional items to modellers is simply via mail order/internet.

It's a tough one, and I love going into the shops and looking at kits; you never know what you might find and come out with. But I can't see a solution for the high street that will keep the majority of people on here happy; costs and limitations of a shop is going to make things more expensive and selection smaller. It's a real shame, I love going into MZ.

[Kallisti]

What you guys have to remember is MZ isn't primarily there for us, the dedicated modellers, but mostly for the average punter. There are a LOT more average punters who will buy their kids a model or two and even more semi-serious modellers who don't frequent shows and forums. We are in a minority so I don't expect MZ to cater for my every need.

That said, I was in the Reading MZ earlier this week and picked up the new Airfix Coyote/Jackal Crew set and I regularly pick up tamiya paint from there as its cheaper for 1 or 2 pots than through the post.

[Val]

What you guys have to remember is MZ isn't primarily there for us, the dedicated modellers, but mostly for the average punter. There are a LOT more average punters who will buy their kids a model or two and even more semi-serious modellers who don't frequent shows and forums. We are in a minority so I don't expect MZ to cater for my every need.

Yeah, exactly mate.

[keefr22]

What you guys have to remember is MZ isn't primarily there for us, the dedicated modellers, but mostly for the average punter. There are a LOT more average punters who will buy their kids a model or two and even more semi-serious modellers who don't frequent shows and forums.

Except that doesn't really seem the case - otherwise they wouldn't be in administration!! Those average punters are obviously not a significant enough market for a wannabeeverything toy/model/lego/diecast/can't make up our mind shop....

[Séan Pádraig]

But the impression I get from reading the responces to this news are that most serious modellers treat MZ more as a fall back and instead actually source their kits and accessories elsewhere (internet, shows, via forum member sales etc)

So MZ must have relied more on the casual/novice/newbie modeller and on the RC/Train/Diecast collectors for the bulk of their bussiness...

It could be as simple as the fact that the result of the last few years of belt tightening has reduced the footfall on the highstreet sufficently to force this administration.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Séan Pádraig

[Roo]

Personally I prefer to talk to people rather than mainly shop online. I will happily pay the £1 or so extra that a certain kit may cost if I can walk into my LMS and pick it up today. The same also goes with modelzone, altohugh I don't have one local. I vary rarely order enough at one time to save the cash to make online ordering worthwhile, and when I do it's generally in a sale or when i will end up saving more than enough to make postage costs irrelevant. The problem I have is my LMS's are crap. One has kits as a sideline and sells more to the RC brigade, and my nearest one took 3 weeks to order me in a yellowjacks gnat starter set when I could have gone straight to modelzone in lakeside and picked one up in under an hour. I don't mind a few days, but 3 weeks take the mick.

What you guys have to remember is MZ isn't primarily there for us, the dedicated modellers, but mostly for the average punter. There are a LOT more average punters who will buy their kids a model or two and even more semi-serious modellers who don't frequent shows and forums. We are in a minority so I don't expect MZ to cater for my every need.

I would say the same with regards to the staff. They are not like LMS staff might who tend to enjoy one of the hobbies they try to encourage, more like the souless drones at currys and any other high street shop. If you find someone that is interested in what they do or sell, all the better.

Modelzone is run far too inefficiently for a high street store. It's more like a chain of bad LMS' as there are too many options but not enough space. They need to rationalise what they sell in store with the option of instore ordering for anything else. They also tend to over-order on certain things and the stock tends to hang around for ages as the demand dries up, yet they still have lots that they then need to sell cheaply in a sale to get rid of, the Airfix London icons set for one.

I think they also have to computerise stock levels, so that you can see online if it is in store and reserve it if needed, and give the store empoyees the ability to see online too. in 2013 you should not have to phone a chain store to see if something is in stock and wait for them to amble about and mooch around to see if they have any. It should be almost instantanious.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Roo

[chaddy]

What you guys have to remember is MZ isn't primarily there for us, the dedicated modellers, but mostly for the average punter. There are a LOT more average punters who will buy their kids a model or two and even more semi-serious modellers who don't frequent shows and forums. We are in a minority so I don't expect MZ to cater for my every need.

Then those of us that find MZ does not meet our needs need shed few tears in its passing. I'll shed tears for the staff, but not the business.

I think most of us don't (and never did) expect MZ to cater for us primarily. As I said earlier, MZ turned a shop I'd used for years into little more than a toyshop. And whilst on the subject of toyshops, we used to have a local Toymaster which was my prime source for all things Airfix. It had a good range and seemed to stock in depth. No use for paints or the more esoteric stuff though, which is exactly what you'd expect. Well, even that went down the tubes a couple of years back. The buyers of toys couldn't keep it going. Interestingly enough The Games Workshop a few doors away is still there and flourishing. Now that is a specialist shop!

Edited July 3, 2013 by chaddy

[Gary C]

Except that doesn't really seem the case - otherwise they wouldn't be in administration!! Those average punters are obviously not a significant enough market for a wannabeeverything toy/model/lego/diecast/can't make up our mind shop....

Airfix said in their annual statement...

The recruitment of young consumers through our toy ranges, starter sets and those items with lower price points is essential for the future of the brands. Inevitably many of those young consumers will not be retained as they grow older but there will be opportunities to re-invigorate their interest later in life when they perhaps have their own children or turn back to pastimes of their youth through our mid-price range items such as the Hornby Railroad products and Airfix. The core of our business currently is the typically older consumer with more time and disposable income who has become an enthusiast and is retained by the production of new material in the high end Hornby locomotives, the Corgi premium ranges and the Airfix higher scale ranges.

That sums up where MZ have gone wrong. Too much mass market stuff like the RC choppers and not enough for the people who are spending the serious money. The kit selection alone is poor compared to a few years ago

[Mandrake]

It is worth remembering that the administrators have said that historically MZ has been profitable but that a recent unsuccessful expansion policy has been their downfall.

So whilst other areas of their business model and operation may not have been perfect it is worth remembering that.

On a more individual note I would happily spend a few extra quid to have a kit in my hand rather than await a parcel or a weekend trip to the sorting office. However the limit range of kits carried coupled with a poor online linked approach left alot to be desired. A reserve/pay online and collect in store option would of created alot more custom from myself.

If MZ does continue to exist I will imagine those less profitable stores closing and potentially those less profitable areas of business being scaled back which could well be a lossto us, the more serious modeller.

[Andrew Jones]

I was in MZ Cardiff today , no sign of any promotions other than a sign saying, " Buy one get one half price " , on R/C helicpters. All the sale items seemed to have gone back to full price,with evidence of sale price stickers having been removed, although some of the staff seemed to be unpacking boxes of diecast trucks and restocking.

Had a look around , but didn't fancy anything and left empty handed.

Andrew

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

The Games Workshop comparison is interesting - just shows that a Niche product shop can exist on the "high street" - but then they do a lot of pro-active marketing - in store. I say well done to them - they are getting youngsters into an area of 'modelling'.

The guys in the oxford show

Jonners

[Karl]

Absolutely - wonder if there are any pictures?

I've got a couple of pictures of 'The Model Shop' however these were taken when John had already sold the business to the two chaps that did the die-cast buses and after we knew it was closing down for good..

No pictures of Sports Craft - didn't have a camera in those days, only my mums Kodak 127 Brownie!

Karl

[Ghostbase]

I guess I fall into Kallisti's 'semi-serious modeller' category, I love popping into MZ to see what is new on the shelves and also to hunt for bargains. My local MZ is in Guildford however I do get to visit the Basingstoke and Doncaster (TAG) sites quarterly. I am old enough to remember the era of the LHS as well as Beatties and I still like to see and hold a kit before I buy it.

I have found MZ to be very frustrating in the last few years. The Guildford shop used to have a couple of staff who clearly were modellers - they happily ordered me a couple of the Airfix 1/48th TSR-2 kits when they were released - but they have both long gone and the current sales assistants are exactly that. The Guildford shop is relatively small and the plastic kit business is clearly a very small part of their overall sales. On the other hand the Basingstoke MZ is always worth a visit; they stock Humbrol paints and my last visit/purchase there was the Academy 1/48th US Air Force T-33A; when I asked about the forthcoming Trumpeter 1/48th Vampire kit the sales assistant knew exactly what I was talking about which impressed me. The Doncaster MZ which was TAG models is a sad shadow of it's former self however again the staff there are still excellent.

The most confusing thing over the last year has been the MZ sale strategy - I have picked up an 1/48 Academy F-15I, F-15C and F-15E as well as an F-111C which are quality kits for half price, worse still many of the Revell and Airfix kits I have purchased over the last year have been reduced in sales, I should have waited to purchase them. End result is that I went into Guildford today and was delighted to see the 'new' Airfix Stirling kit which I would like to purchase; think I will wait a few months for it to be reduced in price.

I do wish the best for MZ, I want you to be on the High Street in the future and I will buy kits from you, but for Chrissakes sort yourselves out!

Edited July 3, 2013 by Ghostbase

[Robert]

Went along to the Croydon store today to buy some Albion Alloy rods but they did not have what I wanted and was told that no stock is being ordered because of being in administration.

It therefore does not look very good if they are hoping to sell what they have left.

Needless to say I left empty handed.

Robert

[HAMP man]

I went into the Bristol MZ on Tuesday, as I live out in the sticks a trip to a LMS must be incorporated into other journeys, it was my first time to the one in Cabots Circus and I was surprised how small their stock was considering they have a sizeable city to pull customers from. One of the staff told me they had built up a contacts and that they were going to start up on their own, so I passed on my e-mail address, hope they succeed.

Strickers

[Stuart91]

MY SELF PERSONALLY WORKING FOR MODEL ZONE IN THE LONDON AREA, AND I HAVE TO AGREE WITH MANY OF YOU, ITS A COMPANY OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS BUILT UP A FANTASTIC CUSTOMER BASE, BUT I HAVE NOTICED A DECLINE IN KITS AND MORE SPECIALIST PRODUCTS, I REALLY DO HOPE THAT THE ADMINISTRATORS CAN SORT IT OUT, AND THEN HAVE A RE-THINK, NEED TO GO BACK TO OUR ROOTS AND SELL PRODUCTS WHICH CUSTOMERS SUCH AS YOURSELVES WANT AND NOT WANT SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU WANT, ITS NICE TO SEE SOME POSITIVE COMMENTS AND OBVIOUSLY LITTLE BIT SAD ABOUT THE NEAGTIVE ONES, BUT UNFORUNATELY SOME OF THEM I CAN SEE THEIR POINT