For UK Members - Possible Bad News for Jessops

[railwayman3]

I've also noticed Boot's commitment. Often a good range available - not the cheapest, but then it is a convenience.

Matt

Yes, I've noticed that...also K64 available off the shelf at the larger stores.
And their 3-films-for-the-price-of-2 offer (which has been running for some time) does make the films quite competitive with mail order if you need more than one.
I tend to buy at least some of my basic film requirements there, in the hope that every little purchase might just encourage them to see that there is an ongoing local demand.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

That's true for many towns in the UK and unfortunately highlights the inherent problems Jessops are facing, they've forgotten to cater properly for film users.

Ian

Couldn't agree more, Ian.

Unfortunately, 'film' products have moved back across the line from being commodities - which all photographic outlet staff understood and could advise you on - to being niche products requiring specialist knowledge.

Jessops is, as far as film is concerned, a lost cause (IMO). I won't be darkening their doorstep for any film materials. Come to think of it, as my local pro shop (from where I buy my film / film equipment) can obtain whatever I need for my digital photography as well, I'll give him exclusivity that business, too.

I know that camera mags have always published some gear comparisons but I also think that they have caused a lot of the problems. I'd wager a fair amount that well over half of the people who go into Jessops (and the like) to buy a digital camera already know exactly which one they want and how much it'll cost - hence the reason that these shops can afford to recruit the great unwashed and the disaffected.

 

[Matt5791]

Jessops is, as far as film is concerned, a lost cause (IMO). I won't be darkening their doorstep for any film materials. Come to think of it, as my local pro shop (from where I buy my film / film equipment) can obtain whatever I need for my digital photography as well, I'll give him exclusivity that business, too.

That is a very good point - there are a lot of people who actively shoot both, and one of the mistakes I think Jessops has made is that they assume you are EITHER film OR digital, but not both. The result is, as you say, they loose on the digital kit too to such customers.

Matt

 

[Paul Jenkin]

The other thing I meant to mention, but forgot, is that Jessops took a decision to deal only in new equipment.

If you want to trade or upgrade, whether your old gear is film or digital, they are not interested. They actively sold off tons of extremely good s/hand equipment a few years ago. How many customer transactions did that strategy kill? It's got to be thousands and it's got to have impacted their turnover and their profit.

These days, most trades and upgrades are digital to digital. I've bought and traded Nikon D70 to D200 to D300. I still have my D300 and have acquired a D700. Had Jessops been in the market, they could have made money on the new item and some on selling the trade-in. It's basic economics - they just seem hell-bent on cutting off access to markets who want to buy kit off them. How many of us would buy their old film gear, if they had any? Me for one!

 

[Matt5791]

Good point - it was a crazy decision. What I guess happened is that the new guys in at the top, who had come from the likes of Dixons, said, well, nobody part exchanges a washing machine or microwave - which of course takes no account of the nature of the camera product which people rarely change because they are worn out, as is the case with white goods - even a beat up ex-photojournalist's camera still has some value.

Matt

 

[benjiboy]

I think on further reflection perhaps the days of the big multiple photographic retailer with 200 + shops with all those premises to pay rent on, and staff to pay are over, and the world has moved on.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

You may have a point.

However, outside of a few specialist retailers, buying new pro-spec film cameras is a virtual impossibility. The digital market is also saturated and, aside from upgrades from crop sensor to full-frame and DSLRs that offer HD video shooting as well as 'still' photography, there's little to attract new customers.

Few people actually print photos these days (due to convenience of sharing via the internet) so Jessops has painted itself into a corner from all possible angles. I genuinely feel for the staff because, as inexperienced as many of them are, their management is ultimately responsible for setting the company's strategic direction.

Had they downsized a bit a few years ago and retained a loyal film customer base by continuing to trade in s/hand gear, they might have fared better. Who knows?

 

[perkeleellinen]

Hmm, they seem to have pinned themselves down into a very specific market: prosumer DSLRs. They're squeezed at the low end by camera phones that are competing with P&S cameras and seem to have abandoned the high end; I never see those huge pro DSLRs that are as big as your face, no studio lighting, no medium / large format, no tripods, no 2nd hand, no 'cult' cameras (Holgas etc).

I think this puts them in a very vulnerable position as I'm sure there's a finite number of people who want entry level DSLRs. Bar that, it seems like they stock just camera pouches, memory cards and batteries.

 

[benjiboy]

I can't see how camera shops in general can survive, I think a lot of people go to their local camera store, handle the camera have them demonstrate it, then buy it from the cheapest online retailer they can find.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Ben,

There has always been that. The salesperson spend an hour with a customer who then drives across town to save $5. The way to combat that is to have good customer service and provide good customer support. In the past, with film that would work; with digisnappers nothing brings the customers back but a new model with a better bell or whistle.

Steve

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Ben,

The salesperson spend an hour with a customer who then drives across town to save $5.
Steve

With current fuel prices that drive across town might cost $5...

Tom.

 

[Sirius Glass]

With current fuel prices that drive across town might cost $5...

Tom.

It is often a longer drive, but people are so hell bent on saving money they will go to any cost to save a few dollars!

Steve

 

[Robusto]

I went into Jessops last week in Harrow , it was regarding my old Olympus OM10 as it had not been used for years . I took it in to see why i could not load the film and wind it on , the 1st shop assistant crapped himself as it was a film camera, the second and older fella took it looked at it for 30 seconds tried to wind it on , couldnt said it was broke and needed fixing an old lady in the shop seemed more intrested ,
The short story is that i also wanted them to have a look at some older cameras decided against it,
I came home went on the Olympus site found the manual for the OM10 and worked through it i then realized that the only problem with the camera was that the two small batteries were dead, I changed the batterie sand hey presto i was out the next day shooting with my old OM10

I decided that would be the last time i will go into a jessops , Fortunatley i found a nice little camera shop near my office in woodford essex , took in all my old cameras and between us we loaded all the old films into the cameras had a laugh and now he will be getting alot of my business

 

[perkeleellinen]

Just got a call from a friend who bought some rolls of Neopan 1600 for 40p per roll at Jessops in Leamington Spa. End of the line they told him, they won't be getting in any more, Fuji have stopped making it!

 

[Steve Smith]

With current fuel prices that drive across town might cost $5...

It's not so bad in the U.S. Their fuel is cheap compared to ours!


Steve.

 

[Ian Grant]

In the 70's/80's I used to use a superb photo store in Halesowen, West Midlands, UK. Brian who ran the store with his wife had worked at a high level for one of the major camera importers, and he really knew exactly what he was talking about. I remember him telling me how he spent nearly 2 hours taking a potential customer through a comprehensive camera system, the customer left to think, a week or two later he popped in to thank Brian for his advice - he'd bought cheaper elsewhere. He then had problems wanting advice and went back, Brian told him where to go.


Ian

 

[Martin Aislabie]

In the 70's/80's I used to use a superb photo store in Halesowen, West Midlands, UK.
Ian

Shutterbugs?

Martin

 

[Matt5791]

In the 70's/80's I used to use a superb photo store in Halesowen, West Midlands, UK. Brian who ran the store with his wife had worked at a high level for one of the major camera importers, and he really knew exactly what he was talking about. I remember him telling me how he spent nearly 2 hours taking a potential customer through a comprehensive camera system, the customer left to think, a week or two later he popped in to thank Brian for his advice - he'd bought cheaper elsewhere. He then had problems wanting advice and went back, Brian told him where to go.


Ian

There's still one in Halesowen - don't know if it is the same one or related - They also do repairs - the chap seems very clued up, but rather slow.

 

[Ian Grant]

Brian retired and the shop was taken over by an Indian who had a TV sop next door, he ran a computer shop MulyiVision which became quite a good large mail order company before running ito financial problems. The old shop was empty last time I past (April), doing a Google search shows the listed Shutterbugs is in the same block of shops.

It must be quite a new store, I didn't notice it, it would make sense to use the same name. Forrester, moved from Hockley to Halesowen & he's a camera repairer, perhaps it's him.

Ian

 

[jessthespringer]

I worked in a Jessops store for about 10 months, around 2 years ago, first experience of working in retail. I asked about the job as I was due to start a HND in Photography later that year, I thought it might have been a good place to learn some stuff. I did learn quite a bit, but most of it came from the customers. I asked some of them more questions than they asked me!

Anyway, there are quite a few negative comments about the attitude of the staff, I feel very much obliged to add my thoughts...

While there is absolutely no excuse for being rude to customers, I can totally understand the disinterested attitude, there is extremely low levels of staff training, practically none at all. The training usually comes in the form of a DVD, it has little to do with the product and everything to do with how to sell it, I still have nightmares of one I was forcibly made to watch about DSLR's, the guy presenting it was wearing reindeer antlers (christmas) and a jumper with a fat snowman on it, he managed to make the letters D S L R somehow sound like a word! There was a quick bit about selling the camera, then a really big bit about selling extras, cases, memory cards, card readers, Photo+ warranty (lots of importance based on that!) filters, etc...
Training for the lab (C41 Film & Digital file processing) comes from whoever you might be working with, so that could be someone aged 17 with one weeks experience, or from someone older and more experienced...
And, then there is the issue of pay, it's without doubt the worst paid job I've ever had, I think it was 5p less than minimum wage, the younger get paid even less... I think some of the guys there were on under £4-00 per hour, and, the wages were always wrong, every month our manager would literally spend hours on the phone trying to sort out why people were paid less than they should have been, or not paid at all...

The store I worked in (Newry) has a pretty good range of film and darkroom related stock, and staff that know about it too. Of course, some of the staff don't know anything about it, but they also struggle to explain the functions of a DSLR, because they haven't been trained.

I completely avoided anyone wanting to buy a Video Camera or printer, because I knew absolutely nothing about them. There were others I worked with that didn't want to go DSLR, let alone a 35mm, or a discussion on film.


Sorry for going on, it might be a bit of a pointless reply, but I always feel a little defensive for the staff...

Sinead

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sinead,

They put you in a bad situation with little or no training. Hearing your point of view helps complete the picture that is formed from all the previous posts on this thread.

Thank you.

Steve

 

[Ian Grant]

Sinead, over the years I've actually found most the staff in the two Jessops I often use very helpful & polite.

I actually bought a high-end DSLR in my local (UK) store two months ago, and the staff were knowledgeable, when it comes to films some aren't. At no point did they try & sell any extras, I think they knew better than try

You worked there, in a store, so you know that the problem isn't the staff it's the system & the management from Leicester, I've been there & dealt with them as a supplier, they've lost direction, at a very senior level..

My local store is quite well run, one member of staff worked for the original independent store (20+ years ago) that was taken over by a small chain, (and still good), and later bought by Jessops, he's definitely jaded by the Jessops experience and while still good has lost his spark though Others are extremely helpful, I needed a battery , which they didn't stock and it was an instant try here, showing me an AP advert for a good supplier.

Those outside the UK won't realise that Jessops think they dominate the market in the UK, they had a store in just about every major town and a few in each city, they bought up most competing chains. Then suddenly they dropped film cameras entirely and went 100% Digital way ahead of anyone else in any country. But that lost them customers, as the film users took their business elsewhere, and if they started using digital bought from the new supplier.

In towns with other stores the competition are usually far better than Jessops, because they are run by people with a passion or at least an understanding of what photographers want.

I know Jessops from 3 angles, supplier, customer and at a personal level meeting up with the former Chairman outside of Photography, and it's in dire straits unless it re-invents itself.

Ian

 

[Matt5791]

It must be quite a new store, I didn't notice it, it would make sense to use the same name. Forrester, moved from Hockley to Halesowen & he's a camera repairer, perhaps it's him.

Ian

Forrester - that's him - He has a small photo shop in the main pedestrianised shopping street.

He did a good job on a Nikon FA for me - I'd say he is very knowledgable, but slow.

 

[tim_walls]

Sorry for going on, it might be a bit of a pointless reply, but I always feel a little defensive for the staff...

I empathise entirely... I worked for Dixons when I was a lad, back in the day when slagging off Dixons staff appeared in pretty well every stand up comic's routine.


For the record, some of the people I worked with in Dixons were among the smartest people I ever met - including one guy who was very knowledgeable about cameras (we sold SLRs in those days, and we took an awful lot of trade away from the snotty, patronising, self satisfied twerps in the independent camera shop up the road; people who eulogise the independent camera stores seem to forget that many of them were deeply uninviting and customer hostile places. At least one of the ones in Leeds I can assure you still is to this day.)

On the flipside, some of the customers were among the most ignorant, arrogant and utterly unpleasant people I have ever met (emboldened by aforementioned comics' routines and the general belief that anyone who worked in Dixons was only good for walking over.)



I would recommend to anyone working in a service industry for at least part of their life so they can develop a good healthy loathing of the general public...

 

[Paul Jenkin]

I would recommend to anyone working in a service industry for at least part of their life so they can develop a good healthy loathing of the general public...

I tend to disagree Tim. I suspect that most employees in the "retail" industry develop a fairly strong dislike of many customers as an occupational hazard. This attitude is, almost certainly, down to a lack of training and poor pay / motivation. However, as their "attitude" is almost impossible to disguise completely, any tuned-in customers are likely to pick up on it and never go back to that store again.

I've been that peeved customer many times in my 48 years and, when you realise that there are always alternative markets, it's ever so easy to walk away and never return. The best shops have a policy of "if you like what we do, tell others, if you don't like what we do, tell us". Funnily enough, these places are the ones that tend to get it right most of the time anyway.

I actually work in the "service" sector and have done for the last 30 years. I've worked for insurance companies as an underwriter, product manager and now technical manager. The one thing that I will not put up with is anyone having a less-than-professional attitude when dealing with customers - even if the customer happens to be the biggest PITA who ever stood upright. They pay our wages and if we do something they don't like, that usually says more about us than them - unless and until we can prove otherwise.

For the record; I used to buy much of my gear from Dixons in the 70's and early 80's but they suffered a fate that Jessops are currently heading towards. The good news for Disons was that they weren't reliant one one product line. If Jessops could get their act together, they still have the largest photographic retail presence on the UK High Street and could dominate again. Regrettably, the Woolworths experience seems a more likely outcome right now.