James Bond and Christmas-themed toy car and train sets will fly off the shelves this winter, Hornby said.
The maker of model trains expects a £49.99 Scalextric James Bond 007 racing set and a £79.99 Santa train set to be popular as it sets course for a ‘positive’ second half, with a ‘strong’ order book.
The Margate firm has planned stronger seasonal promotions than in previous years but added that ‘like everyone, we are seeing the ramp up into Christmas trade coming later ’.
Key period: Hornby expects a £49.99 Scalextric James Bond set and a £79.99 Santa train set to be popular this Christmas
Sales increased 6 per cent to £23.8million for the six months ended September 30, compared to £22.4million in the same half in 2022 – but were offset by a dismal £5.1million loss.
Chief executive Olly Raeburn insisted there were signs his turnaround plan was paying off.
‘In a year of structural and operational change, we are starting to see critical improvements in many areas,’ he said.
He blamed woes on high overheads including wages and costs related to changes to senior staff.
The shares were flat at 16p.
