‘SELLING DINOSAURS TO WEST SOMERSET’

Despite daunting trading conditions, Bachmann is upbeat about the coming year, writes BEN ANDO.

Increasing labour costs, an ageing customer base and Sterling in freefall post-brexit: on the face of it, these factors should spell disaster for a British model railway manufacturer. But at the launch of its 2017 range on January 8, Bachmann Europe MD David Haarhaus painted a picture of increasing sales, new acquisitions and - at last of catching up with the huge backlog of previously announced models. “We will build on our core strengths,” he explained. “Innovation, quality and the support for our retail base. This is how we stay competitive in what is a difficult market.” Highlighting its commitment to innovation, Mr Haarhaus said that Bachmann was the first company to introduce weathering and mass market DCC sound. He said a model like the Wickham trolley (MR230), which was “somewhat traumatic in development” showed the resolve to try new ideas. This, he said, had led to an increase in like-for-like sales, and while retailers might have taken less stock up front, when that sold out they were “coming back for more.” As well as increasing sales, Bachmann says it has been able to freeze prices on the majority of its ranges - despite the impact of Brexit - after what it said had been “tortuous” discussions. ‘00’ gauge prices will increase by an average of 6% on fewer than one in three models - and some prices have been reduced - while in ‘N’ the increase is slightly lower (4%) but across more models - just over a third of the range. Mr Haarhaus said that recent acquisitions - such as the Proses and Pocket Bond ranges - had been good for Bachmann. It enabled the company to look at new ways to market models from traditionally different disciplines. The ‘Vulcan’ pack that combines two Vulcans with the recently renamed Class 37 was an example of such thinking. “We are [now] selling dinosaurs to the West Somerset Railway,” he concluded. “Whoever thought that would happen?”