Hornby Confirms Thomas The Tank Engine Licence

RNS Number : 1984N

Hornby PLC

15 May 2015

 



 

HORNBY CONFIRMS THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE LICENCE

Hornby Plc ("Hornby"), the international models and collectibles Group, is re-launching its classic range of Thomas the Tank Engine model railway sets.  This comes as the popular character from the iconic books and TV series marks its 70^th anniversary.

Hornby has agreed a new licence with HIT to re-launch the Thomas & Friends™ range. This continues a relationship that began 30 years ago when it first developed a train set based on the characters.  The product range is already available to pre-order from its website - www.hornby.com and is due for delivery in December 2015.

In the past the range has proved to be popular with a younger generation of model rail enthusiasts whilst making an incremental addition to the Hornby brand sales.  There is still clear demand for this core range. In the UK market Thomas & Friends™ is the number one pre-school character, with total sales up 18% year to date according to market research from NPD data. It remains one of the most searched-for terms on the Hornby website.

The popular children's TV series has recently had a makeover and episodes of the CGI cartoon show appear regularly in the UK on Channel 5 and Nickelodeon.  It also reaches a growing global audience with the TV show being aired by broadcasters in many other countries.  A programme of events is planned to celebrate Thomas' 70^th anniversary alongside a special full length feature film planned to be released during the Autumn of 2015. 

Richard Ames, Hornby Chief Executive Officer, said:

"Hornby Plc has a strategy to develop licences associated with strong brands.  We are delighted to be celebrating another agreement with Thomas & Friends™. We have been consistently asked by consumers about our plans and we are pleased to confirm the product will be in the market in 2015.

"Thomas the Tank Engine has a broad appeal with younger model enthusiasts and importantly, attracts them into the hobby, from which many go on to enjoy both collecting and creating their own model railways.  We are planning to extend the range of products to support this important market segment."

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Date: 15^th May 2015

For further information contact:

Hornby Plc	Broker Profile
Richard Ames, Chief Executive Officer	Simon Courtenay
Nick Stone, Group Finance Director	Harry Rippon
01843-233500	020-7448-3244

 

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