A very sad time for this Industry

Segway tours all over the UK are closing due to the economic pressures right now, 3 have closed in Devon and Cornwall alone!

Segway Bude, South Devon segway (Paignton) & North Devon Segway (Ilfracombe) .

UPDATE : late 2023 (re open over summer)

Other sites closed include:

"Dragon Riders, activity park Wales" 

"The Isles of man Segway"  

Lots of other Segway site are not taking any bookings for the foreseeable future but not confirmed closing ,this is something we have not seen in our 15 year in the Segway Business.

Bude Segways statement on their Facebook page only this weekend said the following: 

"Hi All, 

I wanted to give everyone an update on the current situation with Bude Segway & Outdoor Pursuits. 

Unfortunately, I have made the heartbreaking and difficult decision to close the business indefinitely. 

Due to financial climate it has become impossible to maintain the business on a viable level. This year especially has been extremely difficult on a personal level and on a professional level and I have faced many challenges with both of these. 

I am aware that some groups are awaiting refunds for cancelled sessions in October, which I am working hard to process as soon as I possibly can, rest assured… these will be issued. 

I’ve worked hard over the past 7 years to build up this business and I have loved every second of it, to say I’m saddened to make this decision is an understatement. But I feel this is the best and most responsible thing to do. 

I’d like to thank every single person who has supported me over the years. I’ve met some incredible people and have so many fond memories. 

Please note, as a seperate and independent business to the site I have been operating on at Wooda Farm, this is completely unrelated and and has no affect to any other businesses. 

Thanks again for all your support over the years. 

Lots of love, Wayne”

It's truly sad to see a business throw in the towel and see dreams shattered and hard work come to an end. We all wish Wayne the best in the future.

So where are we at?

 

Challenging Times needs new thinking

We are lucky that we have a sound and resilient business model set up to withstand turbulent economic headwinds. It has been a challenging time for all industries, we would like to thank everyone for supporting us, we are truly grateful for each and every one of you, our repeat customers show great loyalty and support which we are truly grateful for as we do really try to give the best experience possible for everyone.

Post Covid

Other hospitality & Segway companies all raised the prices for the huge land grab after the restrictions were lifted in 2020 as most people in the UK were holidaying down in the Southwest due to travel restrictions 2022.

Paul knew we were going to be busy so did not feel the need to raise prices as he knew this would all be short lived with all the money still sloshing around that people have saved in the furlough scheme. 

In actual fact we haven't raised our prices in three years, just made more company wide efficiency. 

What you see is what you get Paul is committed to our "the price you see is what you pay" policy and gets very annoyed when he received services with hidden extra costs. Paul is a big advocate for what you see is what you get. No extra charges, the price is what you pay.

Gift vouchers are now online E-vouchers which can be redeemed and booked online rather than printing physical vouchers, saving on printing shipping and postage our end. Before we used to have printed vouchers and posted them out to the customers. 

How are the booking this month?

 

Thankfully bookings are still strong for this time of year considering the economic climate (can only put this down to how we do things and the value we offer). 

Other segway companies in the the area have quickly slashed prices as we keep our consistent. 

And sure, that can work in the very short term, but it’s ultimately a counter-productive move, because it gets people used to your drastically-lowered prices. They start to question the value of the products or services (“if they’re so good, why are they so inexpensive?”) — and even if they’re no less interested, they’ll come to think that if they just wait for long enough, you’ll eventually slash your prices again.

As an example, one Segway site has slashed their prices by around 50% for supposedly the same service but as you dig deeper, you can see there's a lot of hidden extras through the booking system. Therefore, customers end up paying more, we find this dishonest and customers will find this confusing. This is why we have our "the price you see is what you pay" policy, this allows the customer the best and easiest booking experience and value for money! 

The solution is simple: We aim to to maintain value, and stick to offering occasional discounts. We can still have giveaways for charity and other good causes but have to concentrate on getting the Business profitable and keep the staff in jobs. 

 Here at Southwest segway, we are based at Cann Wood right in the heart of the Southwest in the middle of Devon & Cornwall. Our segway tours are suitable for all abilities from beginners to experts. Giving the ultimate and Very Best experience, built on 16 years at Segway Haldon  which now all come under the same umbrella Go Segway, Segwaysouthwest, Cann Woods Segway all operate from Cann wood for the best Family friendly experience,The Price you see is what you pay NO Hidden Extras.

Good luck everyone

Segway Team