Will the Caravan Industry survive the next 12 months?

[Dustydog]

Politics is banned as we all know. This is more a genuine current situation awareness view of where we are going with our hobby , interest, fun time etc.
Halfords , known to all of us a Public Limited Company ,have today explained the repercussions of the increases in running costs to their business. They are struggling with 12000 employees and the final nail may be going in the coffin sooner than most think.
Will our caravan manufacturers survive?

 

[RogerL]

The rise of online shopping will have hit Halfords hard.

Erwin Hymer Group might decide to switch production of Buccanneer, Elddis and Xplore to one of their mainland Europe factories but Bailey, Coachman and Swift don't have that option.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Certainly hope so!

We've got trips booked right through to October 😎

 

[Dustydog]

Certainly hope so!

We've got trips booked right through to October 😎

I’m sure caravan and camping sites will survive 😉

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I’m sure caravan and camping sites will survive 😉

I'll drink to that 🍺🍺🍺

 

[borderbilly]

Well if they keep churning out inferior vans, like they are doing now, i very much doubt it.

 

[otherclive]

The wet spring this year hit bike

Politics is banned as we all know. This is more a genuine current situation awareness view of where we are going with our hobby , interest, fun time etc.
Halfords , known to all of us a Public Limited Company ,have today explained the repercussions of the increases in running costs to their business. They are struggling with 12000 employees and the final nail may be going in the coffin sooner than most think.
Will our caravan manufacturers survive?

Halfords cycle business boomed during Covid but since the early part of this year sales have dropped. In part due to a rubbish spring and not very good summer. They have closed some of their specialty shops within shops IE Bordman. Also not as many car owners do their own maintenance these days.

Wrt caravan manufacturers I’m sure there will be a future but how they will market their models is uncertain. Car makers have moved towards the larger and/or better outfitted models which bring greater profits. But as a non enforced purchase caravan makers need to look to their market place. Sites too will have to recognise the part they play in supporting the market.

 

[ProfJohnL]

The answer to the question is, some might and some might not. The same answer applies to caravan sites and dealers.

 

[Dustydog]

The wet spring this year hit bike

Halfords cycle business boomed during Covid but since the early part of this year sales have dropped. In part due to a rubbish spring and not very good summer. They have closed some of their specialty shops within shops IE Bordman. Also not as many car owners do their own maintenance these days.

Wrt caravan manufacturers I’m sure there will be a future but how they will market their models is uncertain. Car makers have moved towards the larger and/or better outfitted models which bring greater profits. But as a non enforced purchase caravan makers need to look to their market place. Sites too will have to recognise the part they play in supporting the market.

I deliberately picked Halfords because of their directions, change over the last few years. Car servicing isn’t far off 49% and increasing. Retail eg cycle sales is dropping. So even trying to stay ahead of the game it is not a rosy picture even for those with an entrepreneurial skill.
Caravan manufacturers do not understand the phrase Entrepreneurial skill😉

 

[otherclive]

I deliberately picked Halfords because of their directions, change over the last few years. Car servicing isn’t far off 49% and increasing. Retail eg cycle sales is dropping. So even trying to stay ahead of the game it is not a rosy picture even for those with an entrepreneurial skill.
Caravan manufacturers do not understand the phrase Entrepreneurial skill😉

Agree, they are becoming more competitive in tyres with a good range. Also my daughter’s Toyota hybrid is a lease car and the lease company requires servicing at Halfords. But changing to meet changing customer needs must be incredibly difficult as it will possibly differ area to area.

 

[Dustydog]

Agree, they are becoming more competitive in tyres with a good range. Also my daughter’s Toyota hybrid is a lease car and the lease company requires servicing at Halfords. But changing to meet changing customer needs must be incredibly difficult as it will possibly differ area to area.

It’s not that long ago certain people were shopping at Aldi and Lidl but using Harrods shopping bags😜

 

[Buckman]

Instead of a manufacturer offering several models that are almost the same, they could cut back from several to just one or two and improve the quality!

 

[Beachball]

Certainly hope so!

We've got trips booked right through to October 😎

We also got trips booked right to next November with lodges or static caravan .

 

[otherclive]

We also got trips booked right to next November with lodges or static caravan .

Hopefully then your statics and lodges are already installed. 😱

 

[Beachball]

Hopefully then your statics and lodges are already installed. 😱

I should think so one of the breaks is at Thornwick bay Flamborough East Yorkshire with Haven .

 

[borderbilly]

We also got trips booked right to next November with lodges or static caravan .

Is that the one's that recently got swimming pools?

 

[Grey13]

Sure they will survive, even this government cannot inflict that much damage.
However, here I was for a short while thinking the bogus Net Zero drive with EV's may do exactly that but now feel I must grit my teeth and hold my breath, hydrogen will save us I am sure! EV production is grinding to a halt, or so I read.

 

[otherclive]

Well if “JaGUar” don’t keep “Pace” there will be a a nice battery megafactory near Bridgwater that we have all contributed towards. 😱

 

[Buckman]

Not only caravan manufacturers in trouble but also a car giant like Nissan is very worried due to falling sales in Chin and the US and are cutting back drastically. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62jng5299jo

 

[Dustydog]

Not only caravan manufacturers in trouble but also a car giant like Nissan is very worried due to falling sales in Chin and the US and are cutting back drastically. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62jng5299jo

So sad when we started this thread there was no indication of the closure at Vauxhall Luton😥, failure of the Swedish battery plant, the threat to Nissan Sunderland,Fords closures , and yet to be said bad things at Ellesmere Port..
More sadly these closures will cost a mega loss of income on the reduced NIC. 🤪

So sad for the employees. Why do these so called Captains of Industry shut things down so close to Christmas. Totally heartless 🤬

 

[otherclive]

So sad when we started this thread there was no indication of the closure at Vauxhall Luton😥, failure of the Swedish battery plant, the threat to Nissan Sunderland,Fords closures , and yet to be said bad things at Ellesmere Port..
More sadly these closures will cost a mega loss of income on the reduced NIC. 🤪

So sad for the employees. Why do these so called Captains of Industry shut things down so close to Christmas. Totally heartless 🤬

Unfortunate but it’s not just restricted to UK. When I worked for a major British engineering company the thing that hit me the hardest was the focus on cash flow and margin. It was reflected in each days business. If things went the wrong way action was taken without delay. Perhaps not instant redundancies but actions to stem the loss. With the car market in turmoil everywhere and uncertainty and inconsistent policies it’s extremely difficult for industry to maintain its plans for investment. Hopefully a wake up call for our policy setters, but in a global interrelated market other countries decisions have impact beyond their national boundaries.
Let’s hope the affected workers are able to find new jobs without undue delay.