I think First actually hit a rare home run with Bright Bus Tours (BBT). They haven't tried to go toe to toe with Lothian's Edinburgh Bus Tours (EBT) operation and rightly so as they didn't want to invest that heavily and if they had the market would be saturated with two near identical options.
What they've done is invest a little, to cause a lot of pain. Whereas Lothian, with LCB have arguably done the opposite! Instead with BBT they've gone very much with more of an easyJet low cost approach to EBTs full service offering and I think that's been the masterstroke.
If you are visiting Edinburgh for a while and are happy taking multiple tours to see it all then EBT has you covered, and really well too.
If you're not around for so long, or you just want a quick tour then BBT now offers that option at a much lower cost. The (pre COVID) loadings for both operations seem to demonstrate that their is a market for both.
First will be over the moon as they've rolled a few quid into an operation and will likely be seeing a decent return on it already. The low investment levels will probably help it survive COVID too so it can keep on bringing in coin when things properly bounce back.
You'd think if the feedback was telling them people were put off by their staff appearance they'd invest to correct it - but like most corporates First won't spend a penny unless they'll see a buck so I think they'll view the 'look' as part of a successful formula that they are disinclined to change as it's working for them.
For EBT prices I'd expect them to be dressed as they are, but for BBT I'd accept it's part of the deal. Just like I don't expect table service in McDonalds but I'd be unimpressed if I had to order on a touchscreen and then get my food in a brown bag at Miller and Carter's!
My view on it anyway.
Edit - appreciate this could arguably be in with the BBT or Lothian thread before this one but I was chiming in on the earlier chat - mods please move if appropriate!
I fully agree with you (and think for the purposes of this discussion, it is inextricably linked).
We all know the travails of First Scotland East and the serial mismanagement of the Lothian operations etc. That's old ground. The fact is that in the last few years, First had begun to invest in its West Lothian operations with Streetlites (!) and e400mmc. They'd simplified the WL network but even so, it seemed an odd time for Lothian to consider this a good time to set up a competitive operation.
Not only that but that Lothian decided not to opt for a simple competitive operation that largely covered the best bits, doing so from existing resources. They went all in, new depot and then additional services with brand new and expensive fleet. Even more strangely, they introduced two express services with brand new fleet from relatively small towns/catchment with a parallel rail service. As a total strategy, I thought that seemed to be bold, for want of a better word.
Some people on this thread suggested that First would simply pack up (citing earlier exits like Northampton or North Devon) but that was always unlikely to happen. Similarly, it was unlikely that First were going to launch some huge onslaught on Lothian in their back yard. My view was that they would simply batten down the hatches, introduce a few extra runs over key corridors and try to starve Lothian's incursion and that's been broadly true. Some of the most expensive fleet (depreciation on e400mmc, fuel on B7TLs) have been moved on and they've been replaced by more frugal Streetlites.
What I hadn't anticipated, and don't believe anyone else suggested it, was First's attack on Lothian's lucrative open top tours market. Now this is what some people are failing to appreciate:
- The cost of entry has been kept low - old fleet, running in from Livi etc. The deliberately cheap and cheerful approach keeps in with that with the genuine (?) justification that it has been done to differentiate from the Lothian offering
- There is a genuine market segmentation of the market; some tourists will buy on quality and convenience, and some on price - that's why in the early 1990s, you'd have an official tour and then Guide Friday running tired ex Nottingham stuff (and not just in Edinburgh)
Had Lothian not entered WL, do people think First would have done this? It's a retaliatory move and the clear plan is to abstract trade from Lothian.
It's a clear "for every £3 fare you make in Livingston, you'll lose £x revenue on the Edinburgh open top market". That's not to say that Lothian are losing money on the open toppers. Nor that there isn't some organic growth on BBT with a product that is cheap enough to attract a bit more discretionary spend. However, First are doubtlessly taking more off Lothian for relatively little spend than Lothian are taking off First for much more investment.
The great unknown now is Covid. Should the X38 and EX2 not return then it will signal that part of the incursion has not succeeded. However, given the money they've invested in Livi, that they are consolidating some routes in the town shouldn't be a surprise. That's the latest chess move....one has to then ask what is the next one for First?