Hard times for Jessops

See here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6225070.stm

TBH they have a load of superfluous stores which should have been closed years ago. They bring these things on themselves.

All that complaining about film sales dropping is rubbish too, you can hardly buy film in a Jessops even if you want to. Everything they have is digital.

I suspect digital camera retailers and manufacturers in general are in for a rough ride in the near future. Digital cameras have hit a level of capability where the average man in the street has a good enough one already and feels no need to upgrade. That will lead to a drop in digital camera sales, since only the accident prone and the really geeky will need a new camera every year.

This is particularly true of compacts, but it's becoming true of DSLRs as well. I can't imagine a spec upgrade to the K10D which would cause me to buy a new DSLR inside the next 5 years. The difference is that Pentax have a very good chance of relieving me of my hard earned cash in exchange for some shiney DA* glass, even if I have no intention of buying either K1D or K20D.

Very true. There are two in Kingston, for instance; one large, one small.

When I bought my K10D, they had a "buy now pay later" deal on, but when I picked the camera up, I didn't have the relevant documents on me, so I paid by CC, and then went back a few days later to get my CC refunded, and the credit agreement arranged.

I'd bought it in the bigger store, so I went back there. In true Monty Python style, "the man didn't have the right form", so they phoned through to the smaller store, which did.

Having had my CC refunded, they then trusted me to walk round the corner to the smaller store to do the paperwork - I could easily have 'forgotten', or indeed got two for the price of one - the phone call must have been misunderstood, since they tried to give me another K10D when I completed the credit agreement!!

Too damn honest, me

LOL, there are FOUR here in Leeds none of which have customers most of the time. The largest one is the one with least people in as it is tucked away round the back of a shopping arcade in a dodgy spot.

Talk about positioning yourself into the market.

The quicker they disappear the better IMO, done nothing of note for us togs for years

There are at least two in Manchester; I think one was a Tecno before. I don’t mind paying a little above internet prices if it gives you a chance to actually get to see and handle the kit before buying – also easier to sort any problems out after buying.
But Jessops in Manchester don’t appear to carry any stock Pentax. I guess that’s another problem high street branches have – its not economic to carry a wide range of stock, and if you have to buy online there are much better places than Jessops out there.

Showing my age here, maybe it is because they started in the area, but I purchased all my early Pentax gear from the original Jessops warehouse just outside of Leicester.
At the time (early 80's) it was seemed like a magical place to me (going all misty eyed), a bit like a Santa's grotto for big kids.
The building was split into 2 areas:
There was a well laid out shop area, where as I recall they had a demo version of just about every make and model going, as well as a vast range of lenses and accessories. They even had a mini studio area with some very tasty lighting kit, that you could use. I remember handling a ME Super, a Canon AE1, and an Olympus OM10. No contest really

Then there was the huge warehouse that was stacked from floor to ceiling with all the goodies. At that time most of their business was mail order and prices were very competitive, £127 for a ME Super, 1:1.7 50 mm lens, a ER case and 4 rolls of film.

The mistakes they have made since then are classic, but I have rambled on enough.

It sounds very much like Eric Fishwick's place was in Haydock. But they couldn't make it pay and I think they diasappeared in the late 1980s.

I wouldn't wish for Jessops to bite the dust, why wish all those people out of work? Jessops have been offering some fantastic DSLR deals, including Pentax, for some time. They also frequently run "any price in this magazine matched" offers. You just have to buy the magazine and follow the instructions.

If they can turn things around, we will all be better off for that. Which other high street store could take their place in so many locations?

Well said, John!

Whilst have found them often lacking in Pentax gear so one can 'handle it', etc, I have nevertheless benfitted from their price matching policy and other bargains over the years!

Andy

I agree with John, I don't like Jessops, I think of them as the PC World of cameras, but if they disapear do you really think the vacant stores will be taken over by other camera shops? They'll be selling shoes, handbags or coffee within a week.

I wouldn't want to see them go, their Glasgow city centre store has one of their professional departments so that would just leave Calumet here. The staff are always knowledgable and helpful and they are one of only three stockists of 120 film in this city. So much for them closing stores, however, the Photo Optix shop has just become a 'Jessops Outlet' with some real bargains on digi compacts but Lowepro bags seem to be dearer than they are in the regular shop 50 metres away!

The problem with expansion by acquisition is that you have to change the culture of the people who work in the stores you acquire, and this can be difficult, and it will always take time.

When you expand as rapidly as Jessops did, the process of assimilation may not be given the attention it deserves.

This is why Jessops stores are such a mixed bag. Some have staff from way back when, who are photo-enthusiasts, and some have staff who are just ignorant box-pushers.

I am sure Jessops will survive, and no doubt they will realise that in order to compete with the Internet they have got to offer something the Internet can't - knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff.

G

I find that I am buying most things from the internet now, whether it is photographic equipement, marine equipment or whatever.

Having said that virtually all of the internet retailers that I use are also shops e.g. SRS Microsystems.

Many internet retailers that are also shops now offer an order online service with pick up at the nearest store.

I would have thought that Jessops could only survive by offering competitive prices coupled to knowledgeable service.

I was just on the Jessops web site and to my astonishment discovered that they now supply just about every piece of kit Pentax make! special order mind you and loads of it is for 2 discontinued cameras, the 6x7 and the 645.

Why would anyone buy a K10D body from Jessops for £30 more than a K10D + 18 - 55 lens :