[southwestforests]

I expect that some here use their cutting mats, blades, glues, tools.
https://www.hobbico.com/company-news.php

Hobbico, Inc. Files Petition for Chapter 11 Relief and Pursues Sale of Company Seeks Protection from Creditors to Restructure and Attract New Capital Investment; Operations Continue Throughout Bankruptcy Process

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – January 10, 2018 – Hobbico, Inc. ("Hobbico" or "the Company") announced today that it has filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code while it seeks an orderly finalization and implementation of its comprehensive restructuring plan. The petition was filed today with the United States Bankruptcy Court – Wilmington of Delaware In conjunction, Hobbico also announced its plan to sell the company.
Since 1971, Hobbico has grown in to one of the largest United States distributors of radio-control and general hobby products. Built up over time and with the best intentions to further grow its business, Hobbico’s debt has added too much leverage for the Company, and it has been unable to successfully restructure to help meet its financial obligations. With the added impact over the last few years of an increasingly competitive industry, market headwinds and a series of one-off events with key suppliers, Hobbico’s current financial position is unsustainable.

The following post and comments are worth reading.
Due to disabling illnesses it has been since 2006 that I was in retail and retail hobbies but I did have fun while there. Maybe in a perverse way I got lucky by being forced to leave retail, and leave working at all.

Industry Giants Flounder | UAV Expert News

Each industry is different, but in the US most customers simply do not understand (or care) how businesses work. Most are unaware that retail hobby and electronics stores operate on profits that have been driven to less than a 20% gross margin. What this means is that a typical beginner model airplane that might sell at a store for $99.99, cost the store $79.99. But to really get the full picture you have to do all of the math. For instance that model aircraft product that sells for $99.99 at the store (and online) has the following cost associated with it.