photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Bill Miller | all galleries >> Photo Diary >> 2013 > Sad Story
previous | next
110113_1000791 11th January

Sad Story

So the last camera chain in the UK shuts up shop today, having gone bankrupt.
It is sad for the staff, of course, and for anybody wanting to actually try a camera before you buy.
The store in Edinburgh was good, and the staff helpful. But it seems they couldn't compete with the big online retailers like Amazon.

Panasonic Lumix GH3
1/80s f/2.8 at 45.0mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Ric Yates15-Jan-2013 22:12
Guess I tend to use online or a specialist (Park Cameras is my favourite). Sad to see the high-street name go though.
Alan K12-Jan-2013 23:19
Unavoidable, unfortunately. I've had a few similar shots in my own PAD over the last couple of years. Chains like these are being hit in two directions at once. First, there are online retailers who sell on nothing but price. (Though that having been said distributorship agreements keep prices in this country several hundred dollars per unit higher than they would be if we could buy direct from Amazon, which we can't. DON'T get me started on that.) Second is that in the digital age consumables are negligible. In ye olde film days people would continue to pop in for film, chemicals if they're a self-developer, development if they aren't. That's all gone now, and selling the occasional body and lens doesn't keep up the cash flow needed to keep a B&M store with qualified staff open, especially when people use the skills and knowledge of those staff members to make a decision and then go and place an order with WeRCheep.com. The only places swimming against this tide are ones which use one or two B&M flagship stores almost as a marketing expense but do the bulk of their sales by internet; B&H comes to mind. These are some of the changes well worth documenting in a PAD.
globalgadabout12-Jan-2013 21:08
saw the story yesterday on this very BBC website..hard to believe that image merchants are losing out, perhaps to the preponderance of phone options..luckily the local independent camera shops are still hanging on, yet who knows for how long..
Tom LeRoy12-Jan-2013 15:40
Yes, a sad commentary. I really like the small camera shops with real people best. V
Guest 12-Jan-2013 02:04
Yup sad sign of the times. Best J
laine12-Jan-2013 01:18
Bad news...in the long term we will live to regret much about on-line buying something I'm yet to crossover to.
Sheila12-Jan-2013 01:05
Very bad news for the people who worked there.
Brian Collins Art11-Jan-2013 23:00
sad, I guess I am lucky to have two shops (same company) in Omaha. I support them. You captured the story well. V
bill friedlander11-Jan-2013 22:16
A sad story indeed! Fortunately there are several large camera shops here that are still doing well as far as I know.
Guest 11-Jan-2013 20:28
An unfortunate outcome of modern market forces, and happening all too often. Especially sad for those who have lost jobs, not to mention loss to the buying public of all their experience communicated face to face.
Johnny JAG11-Jan-2013 19:31
A shame indeed, undercut to death by on line competition with very little overheads.
Guest 11-Jan-2013 19:25
Interesting and sad...my local camera store was sold to a small chain and I make sure to buy through it rather than Amazon. It makes at last half of its profits through developing and printing.
John Reynolds LRPS11-Jan-2013 18:48
Agree, a shame.
Helen Betts11-Jan-2013 18:38
Sorry to hear that; even I had heard of Jessops. Good documenting of it, though.
Vickie BROWN11-Jan-2013 17:53
It is pity! The current economic downturn has put most syndicates to a rigorous test. V
Linda Alstead11-Jan-2013 17:43
Yes, it's a real shame. We were not surprised but very saddened.
SRW11-Jan-2013 17:24
I used the Bath shops quite a lot, in the past... -- and they were always friendly, and quite knowledgeable; and would let you try stuff before buying (or even not...). A big shame; and it will leave a big hole....
Ted Aanensen11-Jan-2013 17:19
unfortunately a re-occuring story, well documented V
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment