PIKO Spielwaren GmbH - Press conference 2025

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14.01.2025 Press conference 2025

To mark the start of 2025, PIKO held its annual press conference at the company headquarters in Sonneberg on 14 January 2025. The main topics were PIKO's business development in 2024, the planning for the current financial year and the presentation of the new model railway products for 2025. Dr René F. Wilfer also took the opportunity to introduce the new PIKO Managing Director, Mr Rainer Landwehr.

1. Development of PIKO in 2024

Dr Rene F. Wilfer, Managing Partner, reported on an eventful and challenging 2024 to the press representatives who had travelled to the event.

Last year was characterised by the 75th anniversary of PIKO at the traditional Sonneberg-based company. To mark the occasion, PIKO presented a limited-edition anniversary model in all available track sizes (N, TT, H0 and garden railway). In addition, ‘The PIKO Book II’ was published at the end of the year as a continuation of the company chronicle published in 1999 - a collection of exciting background information, interesting insights into model railway production at PIKO and some entertaining anecdotes.

The highlight of the anniversary year was undoubtedly the 13th ‘Open Day’, which was held on 22 June 2024 and attracted around 14,000 visitors from near and far.

In addition to these and other highlights in 2024, however, PIKO also had to contend with numerous problems and the continuing tense economic situation was felt here. Customers' reluctance to buy non-essential products, which was already becoming apparent, continued last year. In addition, fluctuating container delivery times caused delays in the delivery of some models. As a result, the sales target set at the beginning of the year was unfortunately not quite achieved.

Nevertheless, Dr Wilfer remains positive about the future.

PIKO models are still in demand and are highly praised on the market by customers, dealers and the press. The reasons for this are the design of the model railway range, the selection of attractive new products and the high focus on quality, both in terms of scale and attention to detail, as well as digital functions and driving characteristics. And last but not least, PIKO models are characterised by a very good price-performance ratio. These factors, the work of the highly committed employees and the positive development of the company over the past three decades have resulted in a stable economic situation for PIKO. And this was also reflected in the sales trend in 2024: as small as the lead over 2023 is, PIKO is proud to have achieved a slight increase of 0.3% overall compared to the previous year.

Against this backdrop, the planning for 2025 is now somewhat more cautious than it was 12 months ago.

2. Plans for 2025

Due to PIKO's good positioning in the trade, the extensive and attractive new products for the various markets and track sizes and taking into account the difficult conditions that are expected to continue in 2025, a moderate increase in sales of + 2.5 % is expected for 2025 compared to 2024.

With planned growth of +6%, international sales are expected to develop somewhat more strongly than domestic sales, which are planned to remain at almost the same level as in 2024.

However, PIKO is not only looking ahead in terms of turnover, but also with regard to the future viability of the company's management.

3. Introduction of the new PIKO Managing Director

The aim is to strengthen the management of the company in the long term and so a personnel change was also announced:

Since 1 January 2025, Rainer Landwehr has been CEO and additional Managing Director at PIKO Spielwaren GmbH, with the aim of taking over sole management of the company in the medium term. Dr René F. Wilfer will focus on the business of PIKO China and in the medium term will exclusively chair the Advisory Board of the PIKO Group. He will of course continue to be available for the PIKO fan videos, production at PIKO and other PIKO-related topics. With his distinctive glasses and as the face of PIKO, he will therefore remain ‘visible’ for the industry and at PIKO.

The 49-year-old Rainer Landwehr lives in Coburg and has gained a wealth of experience in the manufacturing industry and in management consultancy in Germany and abroad. Over the past 12 years, he has worked as Managing Director for a successful medium-sized Coburg-based group of companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.

In addition to his many years of experience, Rainer Landwehr will be able to rely on the strong team at PIKO in his future tasks, which has succeeded in making the traditional company PIKO one of the leading model railway manufacturers in Europe over the past decades. The basis for this success is not only the strategic orientation but also the investments in the future, committed employees and the stable financial situation. Based on this, Rainer Landwehr's goal is to further expand PIKO's market position and lead it into a stable and successful future.

4. Business development in 2024

PIKO's Head of Sales, Mr Jens Beyer, went into more detail about the sales trend later in the press conference.

After sales development in Germany was slightly below the previous year's level at the beginning of last year, sales growth of +4% was recorded in this area at the end of 2023. As the largest and most important sales channel, German specialist retailers made a significant contribution to this with an increase in sales of +5% compared to the previous year. Key factors for this development are the very good response to the product range, the quality of the articles, but also the availability of delivery and service.

Furthermore, the B2C business via PIKO's own web shop and the PIKO flagship store also exceeded the previous year's level. The ‘Open House Day’, the highlight of 2024, also had a positive impact on the development of direct sales.

In exports, PIKO recorded a decline in sales of -8% in 2024 compared to the previous year. The main reason for this is also a difficult market environment in some cases. At the end of the year, the export share was 35% and therefore - 3% below the previous year's level.

In terms of the countries served directly, Poland in particular performed very well in 2024. However, PIKO was also able to close above the sales level of 2023 in Austria. In Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, the trend was characterised by greater consumer restraint.

Conditions were similarly difficult in the countries served by importers in France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Switzerland. Despite the challenges and the noticeable reluctance to spend, some results were above target, although overall sales fell slightly short of expectations here too.

Although the targets set for this year could not be achieved, the company is satisfied with the result in view of the difficult general conditions and the general market trend. It shows that PIKO is able to further expand its market position in difficult times.

5. Presentation of the PIKO new products 2025

As in previous years, the PIKO novelties were released at the beginning of the year. And PIKO fans can also expect an attractive programme in 2025, including completely new designs in all four track sizes (N, TT, H0 and G).

After a steam locomotive rolled into the PIKO range last year with the class 91.3 in the garden railway sector (scale 1:22.5), diesel traction is getting a new addition this year. With the V 200.1, the later class 221, PIKO presents one of the most popular diesel locomotives of the German Federal Railway. Whether as an express locomotive or in goods train service - like its prototype, the PIKO model cuts a fine figure everywhere and promises great model railway fun in digital operation with numerous light and sound functions. As a special highlight, the doors and windows in the driver's cab are movable and can be opened.

In the H0 range (scale 1:87), the most extensive and best-selling segment within the PIKO portfolio, numerous interesting new products are appearing in the Expert, Hobby and Classicnostalgie product lines. Some of the highlights for the national and international market were discussed in more detail at the press conference.

For the fifth year in a row, PIKO is presenting a new Expert steam locomotive model. In response to the wishes of numerous model railway enthusiasts, the BR 91.3 now also rolls onto the tracks as an H0 Expert model and impresses with its wealth of detail despite the compact design of the prototype. In addition to the German Federal Railways version, Polish model railway fans can also look forward to the PKP TKi3 version.

The second Expert newcomer was used in the prototype in four countries at once: As a four-system locomotive, the ‘Europa-Lok’ E 410 could be used in cross-border traffic to Belgium, France and Luxembourg. With four fine metal pantographs, the very successful mould construction and many digital functions, the PIKO model leaves hardly any room for wishes - whether on the layout or in the display case.

The ÖBB 1067 series, realised for the first time as a large series model, is an eye-catcher: the compact shunting locomotive has a delicate scissor pantograph and two detailed front ends. From a technical point of view, the model even surpasses its prototype, so that the usual reliable operation of the layout is guaranteed.

In addition, the PIKO Expert programme also includes a number of different shape variants in the international sector, such as the Polish EP09-042 in Era V, the DE 18 in the SNCF, CFL and Mercitalia versions or the modified KM 4000 diesel locomotives of the Southern Pacific Railway.

Last year, a widely used type of goods wagon was added to the PIKO range in the form of telescopic hood wagons. For the coming year, PIKO is planning an expansion in the area of Expert passenger coaches and is presenting the well-known Halberstadt centre-entry coaches in the matching livery of Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn. A matching control car is also being released for the formation of prototypical trains to go with the mint DB AG cars.

The Classicnostalgie and Hobby ranges impress with numerous colour and lettering variants of well-known model series and carriages, including a G7.1 from ÖBB (Hobby) or two beautifully designed Desiro multiple units from ČD and the Danish railway company Midtjyske Jernbaner (Classic nostalgie).

While last year's TT range (scale 1:120) focussed on an extremely successful steam locomotive model in the form of the class 62, the change of year also heralds a change of traction. The electric locomotive of the 243 brewery series can be used universally in front of almost all types of trains and impresses with proven PIKO quality - a must for all friends of the middle gauge. In addition, TT railway enthusiasts can of course look forward to numerous shape and colour variants.

The PIKO N range (scale 1:160) also shows a contrast to the year 2024: Following the BR E 32 vintage electric locomotive, one of the first series locomotives in the legendary Eurosprinter family from Siemens, the class 152, is coming to the shops this year. With a length over buffers of just 123 mm, the model impresses with the highest level of detail, free-standing handrails and windscreen wipers, fine engravings and a clear view through the driver's cab. The perfectly co-ordinated drive allows prototypical, modern goods trains to be transported over the tracks without any problems.

Of course, the matching wagons should not be missing. Following the success of the excellent chemical tank wagons in H0 gauge, these striking wagons will appear directly in all three other gauge sizes in 2025! Equipped with numerous details and outstanding running characteristics, these widely used wagons will be expanding the PIKO G, TT and N range from 2025. The 1:120 and 1:160 scale models will go on sale at the beginning of the year.

PIKO will also be offering various variants of existing models in the smallest gauge size, including the BR 132 in Era IV with series insulators and DB standardised lamps, including matching pairs of conversion coaches in Era IV livery, as well as the Rh 600 in the American version as LNE 65 clay.

PIKO Spielwaren GmbH

14.01.2025