For UK Members - Possible Bad News for Jessops

Steve Smith · May 28, 2009

Saw this on another forum:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/713fcf30-4a93-11de-87c2-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Steve.

Andy K · May 28, 2009

Sadly I cannot say this is a surprise.

Matt5791 · May 28, 2009

Exactly, no suprise. There is no way Jessops will be able to survive debts of £60M with the collossal overhead of 211 shops all selling gear for virtually no margin - Selling cameras and earning a tenner out of the deal is only a recipy for disaster.

My advise would be to immediately close virtually all those stores, concentrate on online and say 5 - 10 decent sized stores in London, Birmingham, Manchester etc etc. I wouldnt be suprised if they have to do this inorder to agree the debt restructuring.

It is very fruustrating because in the end Jessops is a very well known name, and if they followed the same sort of strategy as Warehouse Express I think they could do very well.

If they are reading this please contact me through my website for my management consultant services....

Ian Grant · May 28, 2009

I noticed an improvement in the local Jessops when I was in the UK, but they lost their way unfortunately. If you want 10 rolls of a film they can't supply them, sure they'll tell you were to get more rols from 6-9 other stores but at one time they'd get them for you in 24 hours. 6 months ago I wanted negative storage sheets they quoted 28 days delivery.

Stores can't afford to turn away and lose custom to competitors and unless they return to that level of service they provided under the Chairmanship of Tim Brookes they won't make a good comeback.

Ian

Stan160 · May 28, 2009

Ian Grant said:
I noticed an improvement in the local Jessops when I was in the UK, but they lost their way unfortunately. If you want 10 rolls of a film they can't supply them, sure they'll tell you were to get more rols from 6-9 other stores but at one time they'd get them for you in 24 hours. 6 months ago I wanted negative storage sheets they quoted 28 days delivery.

They have a fairly wide range of products on their web site, some can be ordered online and sent to a store of the purchasers choosing for pick up the next working day, with no delivery charge.

This combination of centralized ordering and stock control and what is still a large number of high street shops is something none of Jessops competitors can offer, but they throw away their advantage by excluding a significant proportion of products from the next day service, only offering 28 days.

Ian

Tom Kershaw · May 28, 2009

Matt5791 said:
It is very fruustrating because in the end Jessops is a very well known name, and if they followed the same sort of strategy as Warehouse Express I think they could do very well.

Matt,

If Jessops have 211 stores and Warehouse Express have one showroom, following Warehouse Express's model would involve a dramatic contraction of Jessops current position as a prominent high street retailer. Although I've only visited Warehouse Express once for a camera bag, the service was good, not 'oh no, a customer'...

Tom.

addendum: Warehouse Express seem to have a good price on the Kodak E6 5 litre kit (£26.95)

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1022130

paul_c5x4 · May 28, 2009

If Jessops are indeed about to go to the wall, I'll visit the local store and stock up on FP4+ sheets (currently ~£16 a box).

Ian David · May 28, 2009

As far as film photographers are concerned, Jessops has been a waste of space, at least in London, for quite some time. They will go with my blessing...

Steve Smith · May 28, 2009

Up until a couple of months ago, they were the only shop I could actually go to and get film, paper, developer and fixer without getting on a boat and a train.

They barely have anything traditional in stock now though.

Steve.

Tom Kershaw · May 28, 2009

Steve Smith said:
Up until a couple of months ago, they were the only shop I could actually go to and get film, paper, developer and fixer without getting on a boat and a train.

They barely have anything traditional in stock now though.

Steve.

Steve,

Do they have very erratic stock control? I find it difficult to imagine a sudden drop-off in demand over such a sort time frame.

Tom.

Steve Smith · May 28, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
Do they have very erratic stock control? I find it difficult to imagine a sudden drop-off in demand over such a sort time frame.

I don't think so. They used to be consistantly fairly good. Not outstanding but better than the reports I heard of other Jessops stores. Good enough that I could rely on them having the basics such as paper, film Ilford DD-X and Ilford rapid fixer.

When I went in and couldn't find any fixer a while ago, someone went out the back and brought two bottles in.

I think this person had some interest in traditional stuff and re-ordered when it ran out. When I bought some film last year, he told me that film sales were increasing a little bit.

However, I have not seen him in there recently so I think he has gone - and probably taken that store's interest in traditional photography with him.

I think it's a case of no one else there being interested so it doesn't get ordered. The only chemical they have at the moment is a bottle of Kodak selenium toner. There are also half a dozen packets of paper on the shelf. I will probably buy them (especially if they have a closing down sale!) but I don't expect them to be replaced.

Steve.

Tom Kershaw · May 28, 2009

Do you think there is a reasonable market for analogue photography materials on the Isle of Wight? I suppose if people see materials in a store, they may start thinking about investigating an old camera in the loft, or buy a second hand model.

Tom.

tim_walls · May 28, 2009

Matt5791 said:
It is very fruustrating because in the end Jessops is a very well known name, and if they followed the same sort of strategy as Warehouse Express I think they could do very well.

What is Warehouse Express's strategy exactly? "Lie about stock, sit on funds for as long as possible while ignoring the phone, and hope the customer eventually gives up?"

As role-models go, I struggle to imagine a worse one.

Ian Grant · May 28, 2009

I have to admit spending quite a bit of money in my local Jessops recently, and went in a few times over the last 3 weeks, they had customers every time ordering prints, buying cameras & accessories. They had RC paper and B&W chemistry on the shelf but are always let down by the poor stock levels of film, Boots had more but only 35mm.

When I started in B&W in the late 60's there were 3 photographic suppliers in the town, unfortunately there's now only Jessops, who took over a much better shop and dumbed it down. The store is good for processing and I do use them for colour snaps, and had some excellent prints done by them last Saturday -OK they were from Stoo Batchelors digital files from the APUG Cornwall meet but they've always done an excellent job with my Fuji Superia negs, the staff are experienced.

Tim Brookes, the then Chairman, regenerated Jessops around 6 or 7 years ago ready for privatisation, they prided themselves then that they could supply anything photographic at a competitive prices and would always price match, in addition anything they sold online or in their catalogue could be in your local Store within 24 hours. They'd also get you items not in the catalogue !!!

There was a point around 2002/3 maybe 4 where I was buying virtually everything I needed from Jessops, LF films, 120, B&W papers, shemistry, and then Tim left and the rot set in again.

Ian

Steve Smith · May 28, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
Do you think there is a reasonable market for analogue photography materials on the Isle of Wight?

To be honest, No.

But someone other than me was buying this stuff too judging by the way the stock went up and down.

Steve.

Steve Roberts · May 28, 2009

Called in to my local (Plymouth) Jessops about an hour ago as they were advertising "Massive Reductions", "Huge Bargains" or something similar. I couldn't comment on whether 98% of the stuff in the store was cheap or not as it was all something called "digital" (wonder what that is?) but the prices of their Ilford b/w paper left me open-mouthed - £36 for 100 sheets of 10" x 8" RC MGIV. (That's over seven shillings a sheet!)

Steve

bill spears · May 28, 2009

Steve Roberts said:
Called in to my local (Plymouth) Jessops about an hour ago as they were advertising "Massive Reductions", "Huge Bargains" or something similar. I couldn't comment on whether 98% of the stuff in the store was cheap or not as it was all something called "digital" (wonder what that is?) but the prices of their Ilford b/w paper left me open-mouthed - £36 for 100 sheets of 10" x 8" RC MGIV. (That's over seven shillings a sheet!)

Steve

I remember the Jessops at Plymouth when they were located in the Armada shopping centre and I was just getting into photography - couldn't keep myself away. Even though it's a 50 mile drive, it was worth it to stock up on Record Rapid and drool over all the secondhand med format in the window which I thought I'd never be able to afford !!

Is London Camera exchange still going there ? Guess they're all digi aswell.

Mick Fagan · May 29, 2009

Well the price for the same product here, is around the £60 mark!

I would love to purchase at that price.

Even allowing for freight and that kind of stuff, we, in this country, pay an abnormally high price for photographic consumables, unfortunately this is especially true of Ilford product

Mick.

Tom Kershaw · May 29, 2009

Mick Fagan said:
Well the price for the same product here, is around the £60 mark!

Mick.

Surely for MG fibre base?

Tom.

Mick Fagan · May 29, 2009

Tom, no!

Trust me when I say that it is cheaper for me to purchase Ilford product from the USA, and I do, especially films.

Apart from New Zealand, we are possibly the most expensive so called first world country, for Ilford product.

Mick.

Tom Kershaw · May 29, 2009

Would New Zealand be even more expensive then? Apart from transport costs, why do you think ILFORD products cost so much more in Australia? In the UK Kodak colour sheet film is far more expensive than the USA retail prices.

Tom.

Stan160 · May 29, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
Matt,
addendum: Warehouse Express seem to have a good price on the Kodak E6 5 litre kit (£26.95)

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1022130

That's half the price of anywhere else, and only £3.99 shipping! Very tempting to order a couple even if I don't need one right now.

Ian

railwayman3 · May 29, 2009

Stan160 said:
That's half the price of anywhere else, and only £3.99 shipping! Very tempting to order a couple even if I don't need one right now.

Ian

I'm very tempted, too!

Does anyone know the keeping properties of the kit, either unopened, or
with the concentrates part used?

Chris Nielsen · May 29, 2009

"Well the price for the same product here, is around the £60 mark!"

The cheapest place (online store) here in NZ wants the equivalent of £62, I am sure when I visit the Auckland photo shops tomorrow I'll find they're probably at least 20% more expensive

Steve Roberts · May 29, 2009

bill spears said:
I remember the Jessops at Plymouth when they were located in the Armada shopping centre and I was just getting into photography - couldn't keep myself away. Even though it's a 50 mile drive, it was worth it to stock up on Record Rapid and drool over all the secondhand med format in the window which I thought I'd never be able to afford !!

Is London Camera exchange still going there ? Guess they're all digi aswell.

The Armada Centre shop was opened as Plymouth's second Jessops, the first one in Cornwall Street having taken over the premises of Tom Molland Ltd some years earlier. The LCE in Frankfort Gate is still going, though mainly digi as you say. Manager is still Dave Hall (who seems to have been there since the year dot) and the other staff, though young, are very knowledgeable and helpful about proper photography, and interesting items from the good old days do still appear in the shop window from time to time. I normally buy my Ilford paper and chemicals from the LCE, which is usually considerably cheaper than Jessops.

Best wishes,
Steve

For UK Members - Possible Bad News for Jessops

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