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13.01.2022 Press conference 2022
At the annual press conference, the management of the Sonneberg model railway manufacturer PIKO reported on the sales development of the past year and presented the attractive new products programme as well as the planning for 2022 to the media representatives present.
1. Turnover development 2021
PIKO owner, Dr. René F. Wilfer, was visibly pleased to be able to report to the guests present at the press conference on another very successful year at PIKO in 2021.
The Corona pandemic has now accompanied the world for the second year.
As in 2020, the model railway market continued to develop positively in 2021.
Many model railway enthusiasts have devoted themselves more intensively to their hobby under the Corona-related restrictions. But also a large number of new customers have turned to the fascinating hobby of model railways.
This very pleasing market development in 2021 was countered by increasing difficulties in logistics and the procurement of electronic components as well as in some cases dramatic cost increases for container deliveries from China. For example, due to a lack of capacity, the transit time for a container delivery from China to Europe has increased significantly from 6 weeks in the past to currently up to 10 weeks. In addition, the transport costs for a 40 ft. container have increased more than 6-fold. In addition, the worldwide shortage of electronic components has also led to restrictions in the production of digital locomotive models and the supply of decoders at PIKO.
Among other things, this led to delays in the delivery of planned new products.
In December, only one of the two originally planned containers with goods from PIKO China could be delivered to the trade. Since the arrival of this container was also delayed, PIKO in Sonneberg had to work in sales and shipping between the Christmas holidays so that PIKO fans worldwide could promptly purchase their desired December novelties in the trade.
Despite these difficult circumstances, PIKO was able to continue the pleasing growth of the last few years in 2021 and close the year with an increase of + 12.3 % compared to the previous year's turnover.
The Sonneberg model railway manufacturer has thus succeeded in increasing its turnover by an impressive 74.5% in the last 5 years and is thus making great strides towards its goal of becoming the second largest model railway manufacturer on the continental European market and the number 1 among DC suppliers.
The export sector developed particularly successfully in 2021. Here PIKO was able to increase turnover by + 19.5% compared to the previous year.
In 2021, PIKO was able to achieve significant sales growth in countries with their own sales organisations, such as the USA, Poland, Russia, the Netherlands and Austria. PIKO RUS, the PIKO sales organisation for Russia based in Moscow, was awarded the in-house title "PIKO Export Nation 2021" at the end of 2021. Through active marketing and intensive support of the market there, as well as the successful sale of starter sets, it was possible to further increase sales and expand the market position.
But also in the Czech Republic, in Italy, in Hungary or in France, in countries where PIKO products are distributed by importers, sales developed very positively.
Thanks to extremely high December sales, PIKO also managed to end the year on a good note in Germany, PIKO's largest market with almost 2/3 of sales, with an increase of + 8.5% over the previous year. Here, the specialist trade as the largest and most important sales area was the main sales driver. However, the B2C business also developed very positively, especially in the online segment.
In addition to the now very broad PIKO product range in the four scales H0, garden railway, TT and N, very attractive and high-quality new products as well as the very good price-performance ratio of the PIKO products again contributed to this pleasing sales growth.
In recent years, PIKO has become a reliable partner on the model railway market worldwide. The trade as well as the consumers honour this through their buying behaviour. More and more model railway enthusiasts are becoming fans of the PIKO brand.
An important component of this successful development was and is the good and stable supply of goods to the trade as well as the on-time delivery of the announced new products. Despite the difficult situation, all PIKO employees were able to ensure this with high commitment in Sonneberg, where the complete garden railway range is produced, as well as in Chashan in southern China, where all N, TT and a large part of the H0 articles are manufactured.
The good sales results in the domestic market as well as in exports led to PIKO making a profit in 2021 and thus being well positioned to face the challenges of the model railway market in the coming years.
2. Preview of new products 2022
PIKO owner, Dr. René F. Wilfer, used the press conference to present the attractive new products package to the media representatives present, together with the Sales Manager Jens Beyer and the Head of Product Management, Mr. Matthias Fröhlich. The package includes more than 400 new items in the four scale sizes G, H0, TT and N and is therefore again very extensive in 2022.
In G scale, the gauge for garden railway enthusiasts and the largest scale size at PIKO, the Sonneberg model railway manufacturer is launching the extremely attractive class 94.5 steam locomotive nicknamed "Rennsteighirsch" in the version of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. The locomotive can also run on narrow radii thanks to a split running gear and has many applied details. One version is supplied with and one without sound.
In the H0 segment (scale 1:87), the best-selling segment within the PIKO portfolio, a multitude of interesting novelties in the digital area and the product lines Expert Plus, Expert, Hobby as well as Classic nostalgie will be released again. Some of the highlights for the domestic and foreign markets were discussed in more detail at today's press conference.
A highlight in the PIKO H0 segment is the class 93 steam locomotive. The locomotive will appear in the course of the year in the four different versions of the DB, ÖBB, SNCB and PKP. The respective variants are convincing due to the typical national designs, for example on the lines, chimneys, lamps and driver's cabs.
In addition, friends of historic old building locomotives can look forward to the striking German Crocodile BR 194/ E 94 in the versions of the DB in Era IV and the DR in Era III.
Model railway fans of modern vehicles will be served by the new BR 152, a heavy freight locomotive in the service of the DB AG.
These attractive moulded novelties appear in analogue versions for direct and alternating current as well as sound versions with factory-installed PIKO PSD XP 5.1 decoders of the latest generation.
Model railway enthusiasts from Denmark, Hungary and Belgium can look forward to the eye-catching NoHAB diesel locomotives as offshoots of the legendary F series from the US manufacturer EMD. In order to achieve the elegance of the prototype, great importance was attached to the countless details. The side ventilation grilles made of fine etched parts are an absolute eye-catcher.
Diesel locomotives of the Rh 600 of the NS as well as the Rh 2200 NS in finest detailing and with contemporary equipment are planned for our friends from the Netherlands.
For our neighbours in Austria, variants of the 1041, 1044 and Taurus series of the ÖBB will appear alongside many coaches.
Other interesting colour and shape variants are representative of the Vectron locomotives. The ultra-modern Era VI electric locomotive is very popular with private railways. The Vectron can also be found in other European countries.
This year, model railway enthusiasts in Poland will receive another excellent model of an important Polish locomotive series, which was part of the daily appearance of the railways in our eastern neighbouring country for many years, with the already announced multiple unit train of the BR EN 57 of the PKP.
With the eleven-piece Giruno, model railway enthusiasts from Switzerland get a modern multiple unit train with the highest play value. The extensive signalling is controlled by a specially developed bus system in the train. The portfolio is completed by shape and colour variants of the Re 4/4, the Ae 6/6 and many coaches.
For France, attractive colour variants of the CC 25000 and the BB 60000 as well as many carriages are on the agenda.
With the three-axle conversion wagons of the German Federal Railways, another important and newly constructed wagon family appears on a scale of 1:87, which had a lasting impact on the train image in the Federal Republic.
The sets include a push-pull train with a class E 41 electric locomotive, conversion wagons and a German Federal Railways middle entry control car, which offers PIKO friends the opportunity to revive times long past in the model.
The top of the PIKO H0 models are the vehicles of the Expert Plus line. Here, the assortment is extended by a pair of living/workshop cars of the DB AG and a dining car of the DR. Both novelties have extensive sound and light functions as well as integrated buffer storage for silky smooth runs without unwanted power interruptions and thus visually and acoustically enliven all model railway layouts.
The Classicnostalgia programme is extended by a variant of the Desiro Trilex diesel railcar with its attractive colour scheme. In addition, the three-part DR DGBgp double-decker articulated train and many other colour variants of well-known car types will appear.
In the especially low-priced H0 Hobby assortment, several colour and lettering variants of well-known series and wagons as well as a newly constructed terminal block wagon convince in the proven PIKO quality.
In the TT assortment (scale 1:120) the longed-for electric locomotive of the BR S499.1 of the ČSD is realised. The beautiful vehicle with modern Next18 interface, streak-free polished windows and undercarriage lighting will soon be in the shops. As in the H0 scale, a sound version with authentic noises will be released. The numerous other novelties are joined in the TT range by a variant of the popular DR class 83.10 steam locomotive in the Era III version, a DR V15 and a measuring wagon based on the G02 freight wagon with brakeman's cab. The technical innovation in the centre gauge records measurement data, such as gradient and speed, and enables a far-reaching analysis of the model railway layouts via WLAN or USB connection.
In the PIKO N range (scale 1:160), the new constructed models of the goods train old building electric locomotive class 191 DB and the typical German IC locomotive class 101 of the DB AG, both of which already thrilled H0 model railway enthusiasts, will be released. As already in H0, shaping, detailing and faithfulness to the prototype are of utmost importance. Technically, the locomotives feature a modern Next18 interface and LED lighting. The PIKO N "Silberlinge" have been extended by era 4 and 5 colour variants.
3. Planning 2022
Due to the good positioning of PIKO in the trade as well as the extensive and attractive new products for the various markets and track sizes, PIKO is planning an increase in sales of + 8% for 2022.
The growth is to take place equally in the domestic market as well as in the export sector.
An overview of the complete PIKO model railway range for 2022 can be found on the Internet at www.piko.de as well as in the current catalogues for 2022, which have been available since the beginning of the year in specialist shops or directly from PIKO which have been available in specialist shops or directly from PIKO since the beginning of the year.
4. "Open Day" 2022
During the press conference, Managing Director Dr. René F. Wilfer also referred to the 12th "Open Day" planned for 18 June 2022 at the PIKO headquarters in Sonneberg.
Due to Corona, this already traditional event was postponed from 2021 by one year. At PIKO, preparations are already underway to offer visitors another interesting and attractive programme.
On this day, the guests can experience how PIKO model railway articles are produced, get in touch with PIKO experts from construction and the service department and exchange ideas with many hopefully enthusiastic PIKO fans from all over the world. Of course, there will again be attractive special models as well as discounted 2nd choice items and a large raffle.
Food and drink will be provided as well as for the little guests, who can experience the emotion model railway at a large PIKO garden railway playground and have fun at other play stations including a bouncy castle.
There is plenty of parking available nearby and those arriving in style by train can use the free bus shuttle from Sonneberg station to the PIKO factory site.
If the construction work continues as planned, guests should also be able to take away their first impressions of the new PIKO Flagship Store on the PIKO company premises. The opening of this flagship shop is then planned for the end of the third quarter.
Further information about the "Open Day" and the possibility to register online in advance can be found on the PIKO websites www.piko.de and www.piko-shop.de.
Sonneberg, 13 January 2022
CEO
Dr. René F. Wilfer
PIKO owner, Dr. René F. Wilfer, presents first samples of 2022 novelties in the scales N, TT and H0.
             
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