Model train maker Hornby steams ahead with festive orders

Model train maker Hornby said the hobby industry can weather the economic storm as it gears up for a banging Christmas.

The company, best known for its railcars, also makes Scalextric cars and Airfix model aircraft and said its “outstanding order book is very strong” – even better than last year.

And it said that while it was “conscious of the impact the current economic climate can have on demand,” the hobby industry tends to perform well in times of trouble.

Executive Chairman Lyndon Davies said shoppers still spend money on model cars and trains because they “get comfort from brands they remember from their past.”

He added: “Having a hobby allows you to turn inward and not be dominated by the problems around you. In times of crisis, people turn inward and seek comfort, and what our brands offer is that comfort.’

Hornby is bringing forward shipping dates for key products to avoid supply chain disruption in the run up to Christmas.

As a sign of resilience, it said April to September sales and earnings were in line with last year.

Davies said, “The most interesting thing people are discovering is that we’re not saying sales are going down.”

Hornby is seeing strong sales of Christmas rail sets and Scalextric models of the DeLorean time machine from the Back to the Future movies and the Batmobile. It has also released a model of a Spitfire fighter.

A Covid-fueled boom returned nearly a decade of losses after poor management decisions nearly collapsed it.

Interest in the company remained strong, with a 2021 documentary Hornby: A Model World looking behind the scenes. Another series about the company is currently being filmed.

Davies, a toy industry veteran who took over in 2017, has started a sea change.

He pushed for cost savings, supply chain improvement and expansion of the product range of brands such as Airfix and Scalextric. Shares rose 1.8 percent, or 0.5p, to 28.5p.