Direct 2 Dealer : Question for Simon Galley

[RobC]

Simon,

Can a small independant 1 hour lab/ digital print shop sign up for "direct 2 dealer" even if they don't usually stock ilford papers and chemicals?

I'm asking because I was going to have a word with my local 1 hour lab who use fuji colour kit, and suggest they might be able to help me by participating in the D2D scheme.

Thanks

 

[pentaxuser]

I appreciate this Q is aimed rightly at Simon but if it helps I can say that my local small mini-lab has participated and is a "dealer" athough it only stocks Ilford film as a regular product. Everything else would have to be ordered via the D2D system which is very quick if a little pricey if only ordering small quantities but has the advantage of personal pick-up from the dealer.

pentaxuser

 

[RobC]

well my local 1 hour lab sells a very small amount of ilford film but I don't know where he gets it from. Sounds similar to yours. It may be he just hasn't registered to a D2D dealer.
Anyhow, if I can go in and tell him he's not bound to make minimum orders of anything and can only profit from it(albeit in a small way), then he is more likely to play ball which is why I asked.
We'll see what Simon says.

p.s. And my local dealer is 400 yards away as opposed to 20 miles for the next nearest participating dealer.

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Rob,

A D2D dealer must hold an account with HARMAN technology Limited, they probably would not do so just for
one customer and we do have minimum purchase levels I am afraid ( we have too ) so it seems like a bit of a none starter I am afraid.

Many people buy ILFORD film to resell from photo wholesalers to the trade, so they do not buy it direct, thats why they will have our film on the shelves.

Sorry I cannot be more positive.

Regards

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited:

 

[Matt5791]

The lab I use in Birmingham has quite a thriving trade in B&W hand printing and processing - They use Ilford paper themselves and also sell film - I keep telling them to contact Ilford and see if it is viable to set up re-seller account.

www.palmlabs.co.uk

Matt

 

[RobC]

Dear Rob,

A D2D dealer must hold an account with HARMAN technology Limited, they probably would not do so just for
one customer and we do have minimum purchase levels I am afraid ( we have too ) so it seems like a bit of a none starter I am afraid.

Many people buy ILFORD film to resell from photo wholesalers to the trade, so they do not buy it direct, thats why they will have our film on the shelves.

Sorry I cannot be more positive.

Regards

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited:

Thanks for clarifying that Simon.
I think they could make some sales of B+W paper / chemicals as the local photo club have a few members still donig B+W and I'm pretty sure there are others in the area, but if they are selling over the counter then D2D might kill that.
Oh well, its the web or 40mile round trip...

 

[pentaxuser]

Rob I take it that the 40 mile round trip may be to the nearest branch of Jessops who operate an order on line and collect from store system? The nearest seems to be listed as Plymouth or Truro? at 16-17 miles away. While it may be less convenient and more time consuming than 400 yds to the local store, the actual cost in terms of travelling is on a par with the Ilford delivery charge. Factoring in Jessops' prices might make it cheaper. Depends what you need of course but Jessops stock a very large range of Ilford stuff and its buying leverage compared to one customer( you) means that it can undercut the D2D Ilford price by quite a margin in some cases.

Just a thought

pentaxuser

 

[RobC]

Well actually its the London Camera Exchange in plymouth. Jessops are there too but the people in LCE are photographers and not pimply retail assistants. Plymouth has quite a large Art & Design college running photography courses in conjunction with Plymouth Uni so there is some demand for B+W film and paper there. Unfortunately the mileages given by most computer systems between post codes are calculated for the benefit of bees and not people in cars on devon lanes. At least a round trip of 40 miles and a real bugger to park in Plymouth these days. Paignton may be a tiny bit closer but if you have ever been there then you will see why plymouth is a better option and its not the prettiest city in the UK by a country mile. But it does have lots of great photo opportunities on route.

 

[Steve Roberts]

Well actually its the London Camera Exchange in plymouth. Jessops are there too but the people in LCE are photographers and not pimply retail assistants. Plymouth has quite a large Art & Design college running photography courses in conjunction with Plymouth Uni so there is some demand for B+W film and paper there.

The manager of Cornwall St's Jessops, Ron Meatyard, recently retired after a lifetime in the Plymouth photographic retail trade. Ron worked for Tom Molland Ltd from the 1960s before moving to Frampton's a couple of shops up the road, then back to Mollands before they were taken over by Jessops. The LCE's Dave Hall can't be too far behind, as I remember buying things from him in the early 1970s. As you say, the LCE's staff are very knowledgeable about real photography.

The University of Plymouth and Plymouth College of Art and Design don't actually have as much to do with one another as people think. This stems from UoP's acquisition of Exeter College of Art and its subsequent move to the Plymouth campus in direct competition with PCAD a few years ago. That has never gone down too well at PCAD. When I have occasionally bought materials through the University as an employee, they have come not from Plymouth sources but from Focal Point in Exeter, which I've always presumed goes back to the days when our Uni of Plymouth photography staff were based there.

Steve

 

[RobC]

Well the last time I tried Jessops in plymouth I was confronted with youths who barely new what a camera was and the place was full of epsons and pretty much all digi apart from some very basic darkroom kit and a bit of film. I don't go there any more and don't intend to again.
Jessops in Exeter was much better but I haven't been there in quite a while. And Focal point is better again but it's a long way (time wise) to get to. At least an hour and even they don't stock much chemistry and paper these days. Yes they will get it but you have to wait for them to make an order from Kodak or Ilford which can be weeks.
Like I said, its D2D via LCE or Web.