Discover Leisure Share Discussion Threads

[hena79] 27/5/2009 11:26

20 March, 2009

Hot summer prediction fuels caravan sales



Many caravan dealers are seeing a surge in sales, particularly from young families. Many of the enquiries are coming from first time caravanners who are trying the hobby for the first time due to the credit crunch and poor exchange rates.

Weather forecasters are predicting a good summer after the cold winter we have just experienced and both the Caravan Club and Camping and Caravanning Club have seen a significant increase in bookings.

Let's hope the predictions are accurate!

[hena79] 27/5/2009 11:24

Few buys this morning. Interim results definitely out tomorrow morning. One to keep an eye on especially after the recent interest last month took the price to 3.70p. DYOR as always!

Last broker note from Panmure Gordon on 30 Jan 09:-

30.01.09 :+0.33, (.93) the caravan and leisure industry retailer publishes its latest update, which traders say shows to date that progress has been good. Panmure Gordon, which has a "hold" rating on the stock, says results for the year to date show market share growth, cost reduction and the clearing of stock. The broker says it expects Discovery to reduce debt, by around 20 million pounds by the year-end and it believes "the spoils for the survivors will be great", though it adds trading over the coming year will be tough.

[hena79] 26/5/2009 09:56

From: Mike Barrett
Sent: May 2009
Subject: Excellent cutomer service
Hi, Just a quick note to thank you for the excellent service I received with my recent purchase of Lafuma chairs from your company. They were delivered today and we are delighted with the quality. Not only was your price was the most competitive, but the customer service from your online order staff (Sadie Prestwood) was outstanding. A very pleasant experience, we look forward to dealing with you again. Many thanks, Marion Barrett

From: Archie Heslop
Sent: May 2009
Subject: archie and olwyn heslop has sent you a 'Contact Us' enquiry
Enquiry: not an enquiry,just a massive thankyou for everybody at your dealership,this is the second caravan bought from yourselves,it was so easy with the kind help of your staff,especially Andy the salesman who was so kind and went far beyond being just helpfull,we were a little worried we could not afford the most brilliant caravan we had seen and was just what we were looking for,without his kind words and help we would have gone away really disapointed,to anyone looking to buy a caravan or motorhome etc,look no further,"find your home in the country,at discover leisure."WE DID. love to all Archie and Olwyn Heslop..

From: Peter Reynolds
Sent: April 2009
Subject: Discover Order
I would like to thank you for the first class service that I have received from yourselves today. My order was only placed yesterday and to my amazement it was delivered this afternoon. In this present time of "Sorry waiting on stock/10 to 14 days delivery,charge for each item sent." You did not apply any of these to my order. I was able to fit these batteries to my Motorhome this afternoon and I am confident,like your service,they will give me first class and long lasting usage. I will not hesitate to recommend you to my friends and members of the Motorhome owners clubs. Please pass my thanks on to Susan in your customer service department for the excellent and professional way that she handled my order. Once again many thanks,I will be using your services again.

From: Roger Salt
Sent: April 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Attention Sadie Prestwood, The Cadac Savvy Chef arrived today about 14.30hrs, i.e. less than 24hours after I made the order on the net. Thank you for the excellent service. The BBQ works well,I unpacked it and lit it up as soon as I could after it arrived!!, and I am impressed with it's quality. Many thanks, Roger Salt

From: David Stevens
Sent: April 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Enquiry: I wanted to say thank you for your highly efficient and helpful service. I made an order (small) yesterday (Tuesday) over the phone, and it arrived by post first thing this morning. Thank you, I shall certainly use your store again, and make sure that all my motor-homing friends know about you. Location: chorley Method of Contact: Email

From: P Woodings
Sent: April 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Good morning Thank you for your efforts in obtaining a Harrington's porch awning for me. It arrived yesterday so hopefully we will have fine weather next week to make to most of it. Your service was first class and much appreciated. Regards Peter Woodings

From: Gerry Kennedy
Sent: April 2009
Subject: Discover Order
I received my AL-KO triple pack yesterday and am delighted with the quality and price. I am even more pleased by your excellent customer service by keeping me updated with my order as it progressed. Your company will be one that i recommend to my many caravanning friends. Well done Discover you have put the service back into customer service. Gerry Kennedy

From: Tony Hill
Sent:April 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Hi folks Had to write and applaud you for the magnificent service and ultra rapid (and free) delivery not forgetting the cheapest prices also. Ordered 4pm Thursday and unwrapped and being used Friday morning 10am - marvelous I Will be back. thanks Tony Hill

From: John Culman
Sent:March 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Hi Michelle The chair arrived yesterday as we missed the delivery on Wednesday, everything is fine with it so you now have a very happy and satisfied customer who has book marked your web site and will check it first when we need equipment for our caravan or garden. Thank you for the swift and helpful way you have dealt with our order as soon as we queried the delay. Cheers John

From: Gary Beynon
Sent: March 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Dear Ms Atkinson Your prompt response, and unfailing help and assistance is wonderful. Thank you so much for all you and your team are doing, it is very much appreciated. Gary Neil Beynon

From: Doreen Pelham
Sent:March 2009
Subject: Discover Order
I'm just writing to say that we have now received all 3 items under order ref: HL - 580680, and thank you very much for your speedy delivery, rapid response on Customer Service and excellent prices. We look forward to placing further orders with you in the future and will certainly recommend you to our caravanning friends! Kind regards Doreen Pelham

From: J Hale
Sent:March 2009
Subject: Service
Enquiry: Previously we have have used Mendip Caravans for purchase, service etc. of our caravans and must say that we have been left feeling dissatisfied with the service we received. However at this point we would like to say that we have been very pleasantly surprised by the service we have received both customer service and speed of completion of work and service carried out and would like to thank you for your help with our recent problems . Mrs and Mrs Hale Location: newport

From: Paul Taylor
Sent: February 2009
Subject: Discover Order
I think it is appropriate to offer thanks to your staff for the recent good service received! On Tuesday I ordered a Fullstop Excalibur wheel clamp. Due to the fact that the product was offered at a competative price it was out of stock at your central point. However because the nearest Discover Branch to me (Delamere) had 2 in stock the telephone sales clerk offered to sell me the item and arrange for the Delermere site to despatch the item to me. This arrived the next day! Thanks to all concerned(both at the sales centre and at Delamere) and as a result a very satisfied customer!! Paul Taylor

From: I.E.Turner
Sent:February 2009
Subject: Discover Order
Dear Keelie In respect of our telephone conversation of yesterday 18Th the goods in question arrived today,I would like to thank you for your kind assistance in this matter delivery was excellent. This is as you may be aware is our first dealings with your company and as disabled people trying to return to Caravaning after several years break I will no doubt be in contact with your company in the future. Yours faithfully Mr and Mrs I.E.Turner

[8trade] 26/5/2009 09:12

Good morning treacle !

Yet another username, how is the pump and dumping going ?

[hena79] 26/5/2009 09:03

In with 180,000 shares at 1.19p. Interims due this week and possible upswing to very recent rise of 3.60p or more on good news. DYOR.

[biffus2] 19/5/2009 21:40

Nice to see a rise today, perhaps peep sare starting to come back now that the news is Sales are flying in the caravan industry and disco's interim results are due in a couple of weeks, i know im staying put for a while!!

[naiad] 13/5/2009 18:41

We know the business has been suffering badly so the closure of 7 branches is a good indicator of decisive management. Yes - there probably are some branches that are making only modest profits but if the worst performing branches have been shut the overall business will be in better shape to benefit from any upturn in buyer confidence.

The other issue we wait to hear about is that their financing is sorted out. I recall that they are still to finalise a deal with their bankers.

The pre-acquisition trading peak was about 30p and they made some solid acquisitions which in fairer times would have taken them up towards 60 or 70p. That says there is a realistic chance of a risk reward return of 15 times - 2p to 30p - and a possibility of a 30 times return. Worth sticking it out and buying on any further deterioration towards 1p subject to sensible limits.

[david77] 13/5/2009 18:13

I haven't sold any of these. I know that the dirs have made fortunes in the past - that is the best indicator that they may be able to do it again - BUT - closing 7 branches recently doesn't look good. It means that those branches weren't worth keeping, and probably means that other branches are making only modest profits. IF we have a good summer, then sales may pick up a bit - let us hope so.

[biffus2] 13/5/2009 17:43

Gone a bit quiet in here of late..
you still in Davidd77 or have you sold some or all of your holding?
I still have my 510K i think i will wait till interim results in late May ;)

[biffus2] 05/5/2009 17:24

"Adrian Storr, Discover's commercial director, said closing the Carlisle branch was an extremely difficult decision.

"Whilst we are currently enjoying positive trade at the start of the high season, external economic pressures are such that, like any business, we cannot continue trading from non-profit making branches."


In times like this, it makes goos business to close non profit making area's down, every company does it!

I think it was a good decision, i feel for the staff, but i too have been there, working for a few companies that laid off in a moments notice, and i guess quite a number of people have, thats life!

But as Adrian said they are enjoying positive trade!! Good news and a little bad news

Tighting of the belts as all companies are doing at the moment

[david77] 05/5/2009 12:29

I haven't been able to read that report - but I worked for a company designing a tape system for the parent companies ICL and NCR. An American company announced a system with a much better spec than ours.

Staff were called into an outside meeting room where we were told that we were all out of a job. All staff were given their notice as per employment contracts. I was a contractor so I got one week's notice - permanent staff got a month's notice - we all worked our notices.

When we got back to our desks after the meeting, stores staff had collected all the expensive test gear - mostly oscilloscopes - so we couldn't do much other than clear up and twiddle our thumbs.

On another occasion, a long, long time ago, record players and tape decks were lowered out of the windows so that we didn't have to walk thru the front door with them, after we had been told the end was nigh.

I can understand why DISL wanted to get rid of the staff if the branch wasn't profitable. Cruel, but that's the way it is.

[someuwin] 05/5/2009 11:10

Staff given fifteen minutes notice as Cumbrian firm closes down

News & Star - Carlisle,England,UK

"Eighteen workers from Discover Leisure in High Hesket near Carlisle lost their jobs on Thursday after head office staff arrived with security guards"...

[this_is_me] 01/5/2009 13:44

The real spread is not that big; it is currently 1.73/1.97. It was 1.68/1.73 earlier.

[jayson26jay] 30/4/2009 18:37

The UK is "odds on for a barbecue summer", with no repeat of the washouts of the last two years, according to Met Office forecasters.

[biffus2] 29/4/2009 12:56

What i cant understand is why is the spread so big i mean 1.5 to sell 2.oo to buy which is .50 whereas before it was only about .15

[david77] 29/4/2009 08:04

Those Barclays sales were probably for punters with nominee a/cs.

[biffus2] 29/4/2009 07:44

Barnet, what makes you say it is only a punt at around 0.9p ? I think there are another 4 weeks till disco put out there interim which im guessing should mean even more caravan sales ;)

Barclays sold a few on 23rd about 2 mill but i didnt notice the share price going down that much TBH

There were some buys and a few sells yesterday, once the good news about caravan sales hits the news then this share price should start to go back north .

[barnetpeter] 28/4/2009 22:46

Worth a punt again at around 0.9p. Many who punted on this before the rns will look to cut losses so the fall will continue. Out myself after that rns that was just too negative.

[jayson26jay] 28/4/2009 21:54

looking at the Bailey Caravans dealer network - DISCOVER's 9 stores are listed.


Discover have approx 10% market share according to their annual report, therefore lets say 100 Bailey Caravans caravans sold, typical prices are:

Senator California £ 15,695


Pageant Sancerre £ 13,695


The entry level Ranger models are approx £10k.

Bear in mind this is from one caravan manufacturer, Discover sell 8 types of caravans according to:


I understand Swift is the biggest brand - and this might be useful information on the industry..does anyone want to buy and share this analysis?!


It is clear that sales are up for the start of the season.

[biffus2] 28/4/2009 17:53

Maybe now the good news is slowly coming to fruition, Maybe the share price will reflect this? What, i wonder is Disco doing not only with caravan sales, motorhomes and statics, if they sell those, the amount of business in general they are doing, anyone shed any light on this?

[biffus2] 28/4/2009 17:50

Here's some excellent news:-
Bailey Caravans say that their dealer network has sold nearly 1,000 caravans in the past four weeks, and is planning to increase production.
Marketing Director Simon Howard exclusively told The Caravan Channel, "We have seen a surge in demand for our new touring caravan sales in the past month and as a result the Bailey network has recorded its best ever start to a calendar year in terms of site retail sales".
"New layouts such as the Pageant Sancerre and the Senator California have proved very successful as they are offering existing caravanners a geniune reason to change. We are also seeing substantial growth in the sales of the entry level Ranger and Ranger GT60 models as a general shortage of used caravans has meant people looking to take a carare now trading up to a new model".
"General market conditions such as the prohibitive costs of overseas holidays as a result of currency variations and the prolonged period of good weather have also been contributory factors to the buoyant nature of the market. In response we shall be implementing a measured increase in production to cope with this surge in demand".


Question is how well have Disco done?

[david77] 28/4/2009 16:42

And avoid bug-ridden airplanes and bug-ridden foreign destinations

[biffus2] 28/4/2009 15:07

We will just have to wait and see come what may, in May when they release hopefully some good news.

[santa14] 28/4/2009 12:58

£20 - Bear No DOUBT!!!

The pain shall be like no other for the shorters and for those that killed my hours HELL awaits U...

£6 billion IPO

[strongbuy] 28/4/2009 12:51

If the Swine is all over surely people will stay at home = This share is heading NORTH very soon !