Discover Leisure eyes recovery signs (1 Viewer)

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Sep 12, 2007
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Caravan firm eyes recovery signs

Caravan and motor home retailer Discover Leisure has posted a £16.7 million loss but said that the decline in sales of its vehicles was slowing.
Revenues fell from £135.8 million to £84.4 million in the year to August 31, after the closure of 11 branches and a "fundamental decline in sales as consumer confidence fell dramatically".

A major restructuring plan recently saw the group agree a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) with its lenders regarding repayment of debts over a certain time period. If the CVA and restructuring had been unsuccessful, the firm faced administration.

The leisure industry retailer said the results for the first two months of the new financial year were "encouraging" and said it is looking forward to a "better 2010".
Chairman David Morrow said: "We have made a reasonable and brave decision to protect the company as best we can. We have put in place a restructuring plan and we have achieved all the objectives.

"As far as the famous green shoots of recovery are concerned there are a couple of them around. In the tourer market in the past two or three months sales are down by 7%, that is compared to the peak drop of 55% in January. Because stocks are very short, manufacturers for the first time are lifting production. Last year for the first three months of the financial year we were holding 62 orders for the following year. This year we are holding 313."

The firm, which is based in North Newbald, near Hull, said that after the CVA was agreed relations with manufacturers and suppliers were "stabilised relatively quickly".
The company said good progress has been made in the disposal of seven surplus sites. Sites in Wrexham and Carlisle were sold before the end of the financial year, generating proceeds of £350,000.

Copyright © 2009 The Press Association. All rights reserved.
 

atakd

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Nov 15, 2009
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All they need to do now is send their staff on an advanced training course so that when a customer rings up FIVE times to BUY something, someone will answer / return the call.
 
May 23, 2008
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Don't be sillt Atakd that is bordering on Customer Relations. There dictionary hasn't the meaning so we are all siunk.
Wiljoy:thumb:

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hilldweller

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Caravan firm eyes recovery signs

Good luck to them.

They gave us good service.

They took action to secure as much future as possible for them and their staff.

By British standards that's good going.
 

peter marshall

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We bought our first MH from Coppull and our new MH in September, from the Darlington branch excellent service from start to finish and they always phoned me back to arrange bits and pieces I wanted to change on the order. My daughter is picking up their new caravan on saturday from coppull and they are very pleased with the service received, so well done discover and we hope they prosper. Pete Lynn, :thumb:
Jane & Gary (tuggers to be ):ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

Kon tiki

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Oct 11, 2007
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Haven't got anything I could say good about them, when I was looking to buy a van the salesman didn't have a clue. When I said what layout we wanted & asked what he had that might be suitable his answer was to have a look around & if we saw something he would get they key & open it up for us. I'm still waiting for them to get back to me from about October. I'm surprised they have lasted this long.

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Peter JohnsCross MH

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Haven't got anything I could say good about them, when I was looking to buy a van the salesman didn't have a clue. When I said what layout we wanted & asked what he had that might be suitable his answer was to have a look around & if we saw something he would get they key & open it up for us. I'm still waiting for them to get back to me from about October. I'm surprised they have lasted this long.


Hi Ed,

Come to me all our vans are unlocked and my lads know their motorhomes, Andy lives fulltime in his on a campsite down the road to us.

Peter
 

Kon tiki

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Oct 11, 2007
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We will probably be in the market for a new motorhome sometime in 2011 (need to get a bit of my moneys worth out of this one) so we will certainly have a look at what you have Peter. You are a bit far from us but we might have a look either on our way over to Europe or on the way home.

I know I won't be going back to our current dealer, even though we seem to be getting everything sorted but I put that down to my persistence rather than their good service. It was so bad that I started to keep a record of phone conversations (about 40 in 2 months) all about a few problems. A year later I'm still waiting on one of them I've been promised it will be sorted this week.

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Peter JohnsCross MH

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You're not very good are you.
Your head man has to live in a mobile home.
And you live on an old barge.
Have you thought of applying for a job at Discovery ?

Oh Brian ye of little sympathy tis a hard life being a motorhome dealer, can't even have a hotel when I stay overnight, they put me up in a Kontiki on the forecourt, mind you I do get a free hook up and a kettle.

Naw, no Discovery, we like to make a modicum of a profit, not lose money every year:cry:
 

Douglas

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Good luck to them.

They gave us good service.

They took action to secure as much future as possible for them and their staff.

By British standards that's good going.

You are far to generous Brian,

Doug...
 

Happyhome

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Dec 9, 2009
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To loose 16.7m on 84m revenue is disasterous. I dont see how that can ever be viewed as positive or ever be turned around

looking around the industry and the shows other retailers seem to be doing well, I dont belive the sector is bad. good deals exist you just need to look.

as regards the 300 order for next year I bet this is people taking advantage of the low vat that runs out in Jan....

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josielynne

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Oct 4, 2007
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discover

they will never get anymore trade from me ,,,i bought a burstner argos from them ( had some problems things breaking) they wernt interested after sales service terrible ,,hope they go bust:roflmto:
 

Dave'N'Mags

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Apr 17, 2009
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After sales service absolutely appalling......still....at Darlington.

Some of you will remember the 'issues' we had while in Slovenia last summer, having only bought the Bessacarr from them in April. Still not totally resolved. Been waiting since October for a replacement control panel. Service department dont pick up when we ring for an update. Never bother calling us to volunteer information, despite assurances from service manager that they would be in touch.

Will NEVER buy from Discover Darlington again. They obviously have no concept of the definition of 'customer service' - no wonder they are in trouble.

:Angry:
 
Nov 23, 2008
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Discover Leisure

Terrible Company for after sales service but they must be getting desperate have some very cheap new vans on internet site including a Bursner Nexxos 6 berth for a tad under 28K but make sure you pay at least £100 with a credit card if you buy to cover you

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derekfaeberwick

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Dec 1, 2007
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Can only say as I found for myself, Darlington were excellent.

All the vans were open and no pushy salesmen around unless called upon.
 

Dave'N'Mags

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Apr 17, 2009
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Sorry - should have clarified a bit.

Sales team were excellent - from our point of view the problem has been with after sales/service.
 

lazydays

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I had a bad experience at Discover Portsmouth when looking to buy a new motor home, Salesperson lacked product knowledge and customer facing skills, surely a necessity if he was looking to gain a sale?

Visited Discover Cannock, the salesman Simon had excellent product knowledge, and good customer focus well impressed. So we bought our motor home there many thanks to the team, with special thanks also going to Alan who managed the installation of our extras and handover.

Unfortunately, the branch has now closed, very sad indeed
:Doh::cry:
 

Emmit

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So what would happen to me if, (God forbid) I went to my bank and borrowed £20,000,000 without any security other than a piece of paper that said,"Here is my note for £20,000,000"
I then go and buy umpteen apparently profitable Companies who have selling two and four wheeled boxes for years and, within five years close these Companies because somehow I can't make any money.

The valuation of the assets I once had have now somehow reduced from many pence to a fraction of a penny.

I wonder what the Bank would say?????
 

Emmit

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Further to that, last week I had to queue, (I jest you not) to throw money at a dealer because I wanted to give them many thousands of pounds to change our 'van .

Someone is getting it right.
Someone at Discover needs lessons.

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parkay3560

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Jul 18, 2010
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We bought our first MH from Coppull and our new MH in September, from the Darlington branch excellent service from start to finish and they always phoned me back to arrange bits and pieces I wanted to change on the order. My daughter is picking up their new caravan on saturday from coppull and they are very pleased with the service received, so well done discover and we hope they prosper. Pete Lynn, :thumb:
Jane & Gary (tuggers to be ):ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I can reccomend the former Barrons at Coppel myself. Paul, the service manager is a good mate of mine and has in the past gone above and beyond to help me with things. I kind of lost touch with him for the past yar or two due to higher education taking my time. I hope discover leisure do okay because Id hate the place that was Barrons to disappear. They are good guys.

Bessy regs

Kenny
 

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