The Sinking Ship: (Un)Love Letters to Merlin

[Matt.GC]

@matthewgcole The rebuilding has commenced.

Woah now, easy tiger! The share price is indeed recovering as I predicted, the long term prospects however are as grim as ever as I noticed they're still peddling the same failed strategy that caused the share price collapse 6 months ago.

I need 400p plus to make a tidy profit. As long as we don't have any further terrorist attacks, I think we'll see a good recovery in the midways and a positive half year. That's when I'll be looking for the exit, if not before.

Apologies for the late reply, I've had my own choppy waters to navigate my way through these past few days, what with the weather and all.

 

[Sauron97]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ts-slump-Smiler-crash-Staffordshire-2015.html
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/la...h-profits-tax-row-injuries-outrage-theme-park
'At the tax tribunal Merlin said its annual business rates payments should be cut because the public had been put off rollercoasters. It argued the shift in attitude towards "thrill rides at Alton Towers in particular" constituted a "material change" for its business which continued to impact on trade.'
Just for the record, this bid failed this morning.
@matthewgcole , query for you, do you really expect it to reach 400p now? The so called recovery last month is no more...

 

[Croftybaby]

"the possible lack of new appealing rides."

Even a judge recognises a lack of decent rides at Towers

 

[bluesonichd]

“People losing confidence in Merlin being able to run a theme park”

 

[BarryZola]

"Please give us a tax break because we've run our business badly". OK, that's not what they said. I was just commenting on the above comments. Seems like business is easy if you can just get your rates cut when things don't fall into your lap. Where do I sign up?

P.S - I didn't bother reading the whole stories.

 

[delta79]

Ok lets look at the quote from the judge

"However what was not known is how much of that was down to a change in attitude of members of the public to thrill rides,

Drayton Manor is doing well.

weather,

Well there has been some rough weather

better alternatives,

As i said Drayton Manor is doing well

pricing policy,

Another way of saying people think it is not value for money

possible lack of new appealing rides

Lets see what happens this year with wickerman

or a lack of confidence in the site owners as opposed to the park or thrill rides."

Has the judge been reading this forum.




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[BarryZola]

"But its request for a review of payments was dismissed by the tribunal, which said in its judgment: ‘There is no doubt that attendances did reduce following the incident.

‘However, what was not known is how much of that was down to a change in attitude of members of the public to thrill rides, the weather, better alternatives, pricing policy, the possible lack of new appealing rides or a lack of confidence in the site owners (as opposed to the park or thrill rides)."

In other words, as most intelligent members on this site have continually mentioned, poor investment in Towers and their operations, rides etc have probably had some effect on the crappy trading figures of late. As well as the offerings from other leisure sites who don't charge £50 a day for a reduced offering. A few flat rides would bloody help.......

Edit - Probably explains a less than adequate current staff offering if they're going to be losing big bucks. Or more worryingly, if the judgment means that more cuts are to come.....

 

[Croftybaby]

 

[Sauron97]

Soooooo... what does the future hold for the RTP branch?

 

[Matt N]

Soooooo... what does the future hold for the RTP branch?

They might hold on to it for a bit longer. I reckon all Merlin need is a second chance. Wicker Man has shown us that they are capable of wonderful things, and if the visitors come flowing back this year, then I reckon the cuts will be reversed and the park will enter a second golden age...

 

[BarryZola]

They might hold on to it for a bit longer. I reckon all Merlin need is a second chance. Wicker Man has shown us that they are capable of wonderful things, and if the visitors come flowing back this year, then I reckon the cuts will be reversed and the park will enter a second golden age...

There won't be a golden age again any time soon. All businesses, including Merlin, are just cutting back as much as possible to maintain a bit of profit year on year. They will not surrender a few % of profit just to please a few customers. Times are pretty bad and they'll be staying that way for a good while. Just don't want you to get your hopes up buddy.

 

[Matt Creek]

The chances of Towers entering a second renassiance now are equivalent of Wild Mouse being rebuilt next year.

Unfortunately I can’t see the outlet closures, hours, staffing and entertainment being reversed anytime soon.

It’s just the Merlin way unfortunately.

 

[BarryZola]

The chances of Towers entering a second renassiance now are equivalent of Wild Mouse being rebuilt next year.

Unfortunately I can’t see the outlet closures, hours, staffing and entertainment being reversed anytime soon.

It’s just the Merlin way unfortunately.

I agree. It's not only the Merlin way either. Pay attention when you go to the supermarket, the fast food place and any other large company (or even smaller company). They all want to keep that profit margin, and staff are usually the easiest first option. This makes it harder for the remaining staff, and then customer service is not what we would usually expect. Most things are becoming a bit worse for the end user at the expense of a percentage in a boardroom for people who are probably quite rich already. This, in my opinion, is capitalism gone too far. Profit at the expense of everything else. No one has managed to get a hold of it yet, but I promise you, this is what has happened. The more companies that are held ransom to shareholders who would like an increase on their investment year on year, the worse the human experience on the whole will become.

 

[delta79]

Dare i mention the unknown financial future due to brexit.

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[Matt N]

I agree. It's not only the Merlin way either. Pay attention when you go to the supermarket, the fast food place and any other large company (or even smaller company). They all want to keep that profit margin, and staff are usually the easiest first option. This makes it harder for the remaining staff, and then customer service is not what we would usually expect. Most things are becoming a bit worse for the end user at the expense of a percentage in a boardroom for people who are probably quite rich already. This, in my opinion, is capitalism gone too far. Profit at the expense of everything else. No one has managed to get a hold of it yet, but I promise you, this is what has happened. The more companies that are held ransom to shareholders who would like an increase on their investment year on year, the worse the human experience on the whole will become.

There's a simple solution to that... why didn't they just stay private instead of going public?

 

[Croftybaby]

Because they needed money to invest in the world domination master-plans and the only way to get that was from selling off the company.

Somebody mentioned Tesco a few pages back and this scenario is EXACTLY the same one that they were faced with a few years ago which ultimately led with the collapse of the company share price. Bosses wanted to go global, borrowed loads of money and opened up all over the world, they neglected their core business (UK Stores) and when the global plans started to stall they had nothing left to fall back on, their customers had all left for other supermarkets and the company lost vast sums of money.

Merlin would be wise to look at how Tesco has recovered. They sold off most of it's global business and came home to concentrate on what they did best. Customers are coming back, the business is back in profit. Shareholders are a bit happier.

 

[imanautie]

Because they needed money to invest in the world domination master-plans and the only way to get that was from selling off the company.

Somebody mentioned Tesco a few pages back and this scenario is EXACTLY the same one that they were faced with a few years ago which ultimately led with the collapse of the company share price. Bosses wanted to go global, borrowed loads of money and opened up all over the world, they neglected their core business (UK Stores) and when the global plans started to stall they had nothing left to fall back on, their customers had all left for other supermarkets and the company lost vast sums of money.

Merlin would be wise to look at how Tesco has recovered. They sold off most of it's global business and came home to concentrate on what they did best. Customers are coming back, the business is back in profit. Shareholders are a bit happier.

That would be nice but I just can't see Merlin doing it unless something catastrophic business wise happens.

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[WillPS]

Merlin would be wise to look at how Tesco has recovered. They sold off most of it's global business and came home to concentrate on what they did best. Customers are coming back, the business is back in profit. Shareholders are a bit happier.

I don't think running resort theme parks has ever been what Merlin have done best. They did a decent job running Sea Life centres and Legoland as far as I can tell.

 

[IanSR]

Dare i mention the unknown financial future due to brexit.

That won't really affect the likes of Merlin because they don't rely on exporting goods to the EU.
They do rely on tourism, but Mexico isn't in the EU and that doesn't stop people going there on holiday.

How Brexit will affect them is domestic trade (us), because average Joe may earn less, it will be an indirect knock on rather than a direct one, but this won't be as bad because Merlin have already neglected and driven away their core demographic, it's the casual trade where they will suffer after Brexit.

The Tesco example above is a perfect example of how this is playing out.

 

[imanautie]

That won't really affect the likes of Merlin because they don't rely on exporting goods to the EU.
They do rely on tourism, but Mexico isn't in the EU and that doesn't stop people going there on holiday.

How Brexit will affect them is domestic trade (us), because average Joe may earn less, it will be an indirect knock on rather than a direct one, but this won't be as bad because Merlin have already neglected and driven away their core demographic, it's the casual trade where they will suffer after Brexit.

The Tesco example above is a perfect example of how this is playing out.

Aren't most merlin attractions European ?

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