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History & Business

Discover Leisure plc is a group listed on AIM of the London Stock Exchange and which is engaged in the retail of caravans, motorhomes and leisure goods from sixteen sites throughout England and Wales.

The Company was formed in April 2003 to exploit opportunities in the leisure market. It acquired the business known as "YorkBoat" in November 2004, and the company was floated on AIM in May 2005. YorkBoat provided river cruises and leisure activities on the River Ouse, near York City Centre.

In August 2005, the Company acquired the entire issued share capital of Signlease Limited, which trades as Harringtons Caravans, a substantial caravan dealership in the North West of England, which reported turnover of almost 14 million in the year ended 28 February 2005.

In September 2006, Signlease acquired the entire share capital of Leisure World (Holdings) Limited, which owns four subsidiaries operating caravan retail sites throughout England and Wales and a further subsidiary that imports motorhomes and caravans from Germany.

In December 2006, the YorkBoat business was disposed of in order that the Group can concentrate on its core business, Caravan and leisure retailing.

During 2006, the Company reorganised its Board of Directors to reflect the new business focus. A team that had previously worked together at Dixon Motors PLC, a motor retail group that grew to 800 million turnover before being acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, reformed with the aim of applying the car retail experience to the distribution of caravans and motorhomes.

In July 2007, Discover completed two major acquisitions, that of Barrons Holdings Limited and Mendip Caravan Centre Limited increasing its annual turnover to approximately 150 million.

In March 2008 the Company acquired the assets of a motor home dealership in Cannock, Staffordshire from the Brownhill Group.

My View:-

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.

He suggested that the positive start to the show in terms of the units being sold was being driven by a number of factors. Last year a lot of people delayed their buying decision so theres a lot of pent up demand.

He also detected a rush in advance of the VAT increase at the end of the year. A lot of people are concerned that VAT might go above 17.5%, so this show is the last chance to buy a caravan at the best possible price.

http://www.caravanshows.com/page.cfm/link=119

More Positives in Snippet today from the Motorhome show:-

Caravan industry can help UK plc

Jim Hibbs, managing director of Coachman, has said that the revival in the industrys fortunes is benefiting many sectors of the UK economy.

Caravanning is a UK success story, he said, And its not just the manufacturing part of the business. We are starting to use British businesses for components because the euro exchange rate means that overseas suppliers have lost their cost advantage."

Another beneficiary is the UK tourism sector. There really has been a massive move towards British holidays this summer, he said. But what is really good for the caravan industry is that it has brought families into our sector. Its not just that overseas holidays with children are so expensive, its a great holiday.

Camp sites are safe for kids to run around. I havent talked to anyone who caravanned for the first time this year who hasnt enjoyed it.

Rural and coastal economies are benefiting from the staycation trend, which is another boost to UK plc. People holidaying in the UK are contributing taxes into the British economy, not the French.

Most first-timers buy a used caravan as their entry-level vehicle, but Hibbs said; The usual cycle for upgrading is two or three years, he said, but weve had people coming to our stand who are looking to buy a new caravan after just one season.

Hibbs was delighted with the level of interest and sales so far at international Caravan and Motorhome 2009. "Last year we sold 235 units, which we were fairly pleased with. When we closed on Friday night we had sold 218. We're pretty sure that with the weekend to come we'll hit our target of 300. Our best ever show was 2007 when we sold 354 units and there's a good chance we might get close to that."

http://www.caravanshows.com/page.cfm/link=128/GoSection=2

Topped up with 78,995 shares at 1.14p this morning. Trade gone through on PLUS.

October 16, 2009...3:48 pm
Increase in visitors to International Caravan and Motorhome 2009


Sales were booming on the first few days of International Caravan and Motorhome 2009

After a year where sales of caravans and motorhomes increased despite the credit crunch, this years major caravan show was expected to continue the trend. However visitor numbers to International Caravan and Motorhome 2009 have exceeded even these expectations.

The number of people attending the show at the NEC in Birmingham has increased by just over 10% for the first two days. Meanwhile exhibitors are reporting bumper sales. The top five caravan manufacturers Swift, Bailey, Lunar, Coachman and Elddis sold just under 400 units between them on the opening day, worth over 6m.

Show director Sam North spoke to Caravan Times on Thursday and noted that some motorhome manufacturers had also sold units around the 100K price point. It seems that manufacturers and dealers are shifting entry-level, mid-range and luxury units.

He also noted how smaller items are also flying off the stands. Accessory dealers are also reporting strong sales, with many already committed to taking a stand at next years show.

http://blog.caravantimes.co.uk/2009/10/16/increase-in-visitors-at-international-caravan-and-motorhome-2009/

October 23, 2009
Kent caravan numbers on the up


More people than ever are choosing to caravan in the "garden of England"

The number of holidaymakers staying in caravans in Kent next year is expected to rise. Following the publication of figures from the Caravan Club, which showed bookings increased by 40 per cent in summer 2009, Kent Online has reported a rise in reservations for 2010.

Bearsted Caravan Club warden Sue Greenaway told the online resource that the Hollingbourne site had noticed a record number of new caravanners. She said people have purchased either a new or secondhand model and are making the most of it when they can.

http://blog.caravantimes.co.uk/

Discover Lesiure are selling the 2010 Pegasus range on the website.

PRESS RELEASE DATE: 20/10/09

Bailey Pegasus - a star is born.

Amid high excitement the eagerly awaited Bailey Pegasus range was finally unveiled to the public at the International Caravan & Motorhome Show - and these ground-breaking new caravans, featuring the unique Alu-Tech body shell, did not disappoint in helping the company secure retail orders to the value of 12 million which is double the amount achieved at the same event last year. This represents the Bailey brand's best ever sales performance at an exhibition in terms of both the volume and value of orders received and confirms the company's position as the number one touring caravan manufacturer in the UK, as well as being one of the largest in Europe.

Whilst sales were strong across all product ranges much of this achievement was down to the performance of the Pegasus range which accounted for a remarkable 65% of the total business written. Naturally Bailey is delighted that the caravan buying public has reacted so positively to the new range on its debut at the show. Particularly encouraging is the fact that included in the many new Pegasus owners are a significant number of senior caravan journalists and other leading industry figures.

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/information-centre/latest-news/index.php

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/information-centre/latest-news/newsitem.php?recordid=179

02 October 2009 07:31
Caravan holiday homes 'increasingly popular'

Brits are increasingly investing in caravan holiday homes to give them the opportunity to get away to their favourite domestic destinations whenever they fancy a break.

According to a spokesperson from Haven Holidays, there has been a significant increase in new customers purchasing caravan holiday homes.

http://www.world-first.co.uk/home/travel-insurance/destinations/uk-and-channel-islands/caravan-holiday-homes-increasingly-popular$26980.aspx

See the website and positives in the past month including with hiring:-

Monday, 28 September 2009
Discover Chorley achieves CaSSOA Gold Award

Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Katy and Helen join the After Sales team at Discover Leisure, Darlington

Fergus said "With the upturn in holidaying at home since the turn of the year, the need to have your leisure vehicle serviced is increasing and having Katy and Helen on board will allow us to meet the demand put upon us over the Winter months.

Monday, 14 September 2009
Alan Freeman appointed Brand Manager at Discover Leisure Chorley

Alan Said "I'm really looking forward to the challenge and to working with the team at Discover Chorley and am keen to develop the superb site to its full potential. It has been a difficult year but with the rise in interest in both camping and caravanning and for holidaying at home since the turn of the year, things are looking up.

http://www.discover.co.uk/pages/blog/outdoor-people-newsblog.asp

Staycation Britain creates all time record sales of 28 million for Swift Group at NEC Show

20 October 2009

Britains rediscovering of the benefits of caravan holidays helped Britains largest manufacturer, Cottingham based Swift Group, achieve all time record sales of 28 million at the International Caravan and Motorhome Show held at the NEC, Birmingham last week.

The level of sales was almost 10 million more than at the same show last year and is a clear indication that many people are planning to holiday in the UK again next year. It also marks the beginning of a fight back by both the company and the industry which were hit hard at the start of the recession.

Sales were helped by record attendance at the show, another clear indication that people are looking for value for money, stay at home holidays in the current economic climate.

The results at the show exceeded our wildest expectations and gives us more confidence for the whole of 2010. The mixture of existing owners coming back into the market and a large number of younger couples and families spending their holiday money on our products for the first time is really positive news going forward, Commercial Director Nick Page commented.

http://www.swiftleisure.co.uk/swift-group/news/staycation-britain-creates-all-time-record-sales-of-%C2%A328-million-for-swift-group-at-nec-show

Another recent positive outlook on cravanning from a manufacturer:-

Lunar Growth Continues

Thu 22nd Oct 2009
Lunar Growth Continues

Despite the current economic climate caravanning has increased as the great British holiday becomes more and more popular.

Since the start of the 2009 calendar year Lunar Caravans have seen retail demand grow constantly.

http://www.lunarcaravans.com/news/lunar-growth-continues.php

Also:-

Coachman enjoys most successful International Caravan & Motorhome Show to date.

October 23, 2009

Coachman Caravans, one of the UKs leading caravan manufacturers, recently enjoyed unprecedented success at the International Caravan & Motorhome Show 2009. The event, which took place at the NEC in Birmingham from the 13th 18th October, saw Coachman sell a total of 410 caravans, resulting in 6.8M sales.

This time last year we were deep into the recession and whilst we remained optimistic, we acknowledged that tough times were ahead. However, the results from this years NEC show are extremely positive and the best that we have ever experienced. The atmosphere and attendance was back to what it was before the recession which created a fantastic atmosphere.

We hope our recent achievements at the NEC signify that the caravan industry is making great strides out of the recession. We still have some way to go but will be working hard to make the 2010 season a successful one.

http://www.coachman.co.uk/news/coachman-enjoys-most-successful-international-caravan-motorhome-show-to-date

Discover Leisure are on the Exhibitor list for the next caravan show in Birmingham between 23-28 February 2010.

http://www.boatandcaravan.co.uk/visitors/exhibitors/list/?l=D

From the National Caravan Council:-

12 October 2009

Number of caravan holidays taken in 2009 up 24 per cent and new caravanners set to boost new industry sales

http://www.nationalcaravan.co.uk/home/index.asp?id=22&rid=458

12th October 2009

PRESS RELEASE ~ PRESS RELEASE ~ PRESS RELEASE

CARAVANNING ON THE CREST OF A WAVE
Number of caravan holidays taken in 2009 up 24 per cent
New caravanners set to boost future industry sales

The trade association for the UK caravan industry, the NCC (National Caravan Council) says that figures recently released by VisitBritain for their United Kingdom Tourism Survey show that caravanning and camping is proving hugely popular in 2009.

Holidays to Britains caravan parks between January and May were up by 24 per cent when compared with last year. With the number of holidays taken in the UK up by 16 per cent, caravanning is clearly outperforming the market.

Speaking before the International Caravan and Motorhome show at the NEC (13-18 October) Director General of the NCC, John Lally said: Interest in buying new caravans and motorhomes is beginning to rise again the economic crisis had understandably made buyers cautious. Manufacturers and dealers are very aware that value is uppermost in purchasers minds - and value is whats clearly on offer in the new, high-spec models coming to the show.

Through the summer, we have had a large number of people new to the market trying caravan holidays (both in tourers and in caravan holiday homes) for the first time or the first time for many years. With the high quality, diverse and excellent value product that our industry offers, I am confident that we can convert these holidaymakers to long-term caravanners. And that bodes well for the success of the Birmingham show in October, he said.

Looking back over previous couple of years I don't think we'll get a trading statement now. It'll be straight to final results for year ending 31 August 2009. Although we should get a notice of results any day now imo with the results towards end of November or early December.

Long term downtrend from Summer 2007 when 20 million was raised at 22p over now with the 200 moving average in an uptend.

Problem is you do this week in week out, just take over a thread, tell us how wonderful the stock is then dump it and move to the next one so what is the
point of all this ?

Discover Leisure - Summer is Coming (DISL) (DISL)
Treacle28 - 26 May 2009 18:10 edit this post

If only you could keep to your bullish tone and actually hold a stock
for more than a T10 you may find yourself making some real money treacle.

After your usual ramblings i added this to my monitor just incase and noticed
your sales many weeks ago but today they hit the jackpot and look a great
recovery play and i got in early doors at a nice price, shame you missed out
on it but then you get what you deserve in trading when you try and pump
and dump stocks on T10's.