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Thread: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

  1. #41
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dance Demon View Post
    Given that most weekenders are run are off season, a lot of the time Pontins depend on people coming on special voucher offers at these times, and a lot of the people who go to Pontins on such offers probably don't have a lot of money to spend on eating in the Queen Vic every day, and kids spending loads on games etc. I would reckon that they probably make more out of an organisation taking over the whole site for a weekend, than they would out of the cut price holiday brigade TBH.
    Possibly - I don't know. Perhaps there are similar-but-opposite problems with traditional holidayers, i.e. the main halls are deserted but the pool and games rooms are packed.

    I've no idea how the economics work with these things, I'm just pointing out - again - that as a rule MJ-ers don't provide much revenue to businesses compared to other leisure segments.

    But, just to throw some numbers in the mix, let's assume that the total "Pontins MJ weekender market" in the UK is 12 weekends per year, with maybe 12,000 people in total.

    Ignoring travel and food costs, I reckon I spend about £150 on a weekender, mainly on accommodation. I suspect most people pay less, as lots of people book early and / or share, but let's assume an upper spend per person of £150. So that's a total business revenue of no more than (say) £1.8 million / year.

    Assume that the organisers will take at least half that cost (wild guess), then you have potential revenue, from the entire UK MJ weekender market, of less than £1 million.

    The Pontins business itself is worth £46 million, with turnover roughly £50 million per year. And business is looking good, as more people are looking for "staycations" because of the credit crunch.

    So the entire MJ weekender market is probably fairly trivial in terms of the Pontins turnover. And Southport itself probably accounts for 3 weekends out of 52, out of 7 sites. So I can't see it being a significant factor in any new business strategy; I doubt that Graham Parr is rushing to finish his review for us somehow.

  2. #42
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    I've been to plenty of Soul Weekenders at Pontins and leaving on Monday morning, you would think the camp had been involved in some form of civil war! We might not spend much at the bar, but we don't wreck the place either...it's all relative.
    Depends on how the finances work out.

    If the "bar spend" is counted as revenue and the "fix broken stuff" is counted as standard overheads, even if they cancel each other out, they look much better in the accounts, and the business is seen as healthier.

    It's a weird world, company finance.

  3. #43
    Registered User stewart38's Avatar
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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    So the entire MJ weekender market is probably fairly trivial in terms of the Pontins turnover. And Southport itself probably accounts for 3 weekends out of 52, out of 7 sites. So I can't see it being a significant factor in any new business strategy; I doubt that Graham Parr is rushing to finish his review for us somehow.
    Note this comment from the owner of Pontins Graham Parr

    "Not everything in the garden is rosy. We are also seeing a bigger resistance to spending money on site. People are turning up and taking lots of bags with Lidl or Aldi on them out of the boot of their car."


    Boom time for Pontin's as UK families feel economic pinch - Telegraph



    Quote Originally Posted by JonD View Post
    Tesco isn't far away and I'm happy to do a provisions run sometime on Saturday morning for those who haven't travelled by car - I'll need to buy stuff myself. We can sort it out on Friday night.

    Suggest we keep the buying of site quite for a while, he didn’t mention Tesco

  4. #44
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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    Note this comment from the owner of Pontins Graham Parr

    "Not everything in the garden is rosy. We are also seeing a bigger resistance to spending money on site. People are turning up and taking lots of bags with Lidl or Aldi on them out of the boot of their car."
    Yes - that seems to indicate that the food / drink takings are seen as significant, which sounds plausible.

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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    Note this comment from the owner of Pontins Graham Parr

    "Not everything in the garden is rosy. We are also seeing a bigger resistance to spending money on site. People are turning up and taking lots of bags with Lidl or Aldi on them out of the boot of their car."
    Good grief! What on earth does Graham Parr expect?

    He offers budget, self catering, holidays for families in tatty apartments in this country and surprise, surprise they are taken up by people who have families and are on a tightish budget. Given the standard of food offered by Camber and Southport on-site shops and resturants it is hardly any wonder that people feel they can do a whole lot better by shopping at Lidl and Aldi.

    If people with families had loads of money to spend on top notch food, entertainment and drinks they wouldn't be spending it at Camber with Britians unreliable weather, they would be off to spain, greece or turkey for almost guaranteed sunny weather. Center Parcs may be the sort of place that he wants Pontins to become. He better be prepared to demolish most of what he has and start again on the sites he has abd have the pockets deep enough to have little income while he is doing it.

    If Mr Parr really wants people to come along to his establishment and splash loads of cash then he is going to have to offer a whole lot more than is currently available and I just don't think that is worth doing in British seaside locations.

    When we all go along to Pontins it is for the dancing, the music, the lessons and the other dancers rather than the kiss-me-quick decor and facilities.
    Last edited by Chef; 11th-August-2008 at 05:09 PM.

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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
    Good grief! What on earth does Graham Parr expect?
    I imagine he expects to maximise revenue from his business.

    One obvious way to do that would be to attempt to get more people to buy more food and drink at his venues rather than at the local Tescos. It's difficult to see how he could enforce this, however.

    But the main point is, the food and drink stuff is clearly a big revenue stream, and I suspect that MJ-ers spend less at Pontins venues on this than family-holidayers do, on a per-person basis.

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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post

    I have no idea if a dance weekender could be replaced with a 'I failed at AA weekender', easily or what the average spend is for different types of weekenders.

    I always shop on site
    The shop was better than i expected. Adequate for a weekend. Not if I was there for a week though, with kids.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    .... Snow white is always pushing whisky down my neck and wine.... mind you so is Rosie... honestly the things i have to put up with.

    I had some wine, but the where was the whisky?
    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    But the main point is, the food and drink stuff is clearly a big revenue stream, and I suspect that MJ-ers spend less at Pontins venues on this than family-holidayers do, on a per-person basis.
    I would have tried some meals, but the tables were right next to the dance floor. It wasn't a restaurant per se.

    OK if everyone was eating, but just a few odd ones eating and everyone one else stood around gawping at the eaters. No no no.

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    I would have tried some meals, but the tables were right next to the dance floor.
    That's exactly what I love about it!!
    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    OK if everyone was eating, but just a few odd ones eating and everyone one else stood around gawping at the eaters. No no no.
    I don't think anyone is looking at people eating when there are people dancing! In fact its more like people sitting eating watching the dancers.

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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    The shop was better than i expected. Adequate for a weekend. Not if I was there for a week though, with kids.
    Yeah, it's OK - basically just a small supermarket with some holiday stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    I would have tried some meals, but the tables were right next to the dance floor.
    I wouldn't eat there if you paid me

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    It wasn't a restaurant per se.
    Camber has a restaurant proper - quite nice for late-morning brekkies

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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Well I see today you can book for camber sands for next year summer 2009 , but not Southport. I’m sure the option for 2009 for Camber Sands wasn’t there last week

















    Get a life

  11. #51
    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    Well I see today you can book for camber sands for next year summer 2009 , but not Southport. I’m sure the option for 2009 for Camber Sands wasn’t there last week

    please post a link -

    Ceroc 2009 Camber dates are announced but booking is not open on here


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    Re: Pontins & Weekenders - Still Hope?

    Quote Originally Posted by Minnie M View Post
    please post a link -

    Ceroc 2009 Camber dates are announced but booking is not open on here
    No Jo public booking

    You cant book anything for Southport next year etc

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