Harman announce price rise

[MattKing]

So much of the pre-existing markets was dependent on just in time, narrow margin production that it isn't the least bit surprising that major disruption has resulted in major cost and price increases.
Some things will stay high in price. Some things might eventually end up at the old price or cheaper.
Many things will not be available again - ever.
And there will be new things that come available too.

 

[pentaxuser]

As per my # 22, anyone found an official announcement on the Ilford site and if so can they point out where it is?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[BrianShaw]

As per my # 22, anyone found an official announcement on the Ilford site and if so can they point out where it is?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Nope

 

[logan2z]

Nope

Nothing on their Twitter or Instagram feeds either...

 

[BrianShaw]

Nothing on their Twitter or Instagram feeds either...

Might be one of those situations where a personal contact is a benefit.

 

[pentaxuser]

Nothing on their Twitter or Instagram feeds either...

There may be a normal explanation for this but it just seems strange that Ilford has appeared to use Emulsive exclusively so far to announce what might be an important and for many an unwelcome change to its prices when in the U.K. at least few consumers of film have seen anything like the kind of wages/salaries increase that comes anywhere near the prices changes.

Speculation now but if this is a deliberate strategy by Ilford for now and the future then I think we can all agree that Ilford is not the company we knew a few years ago. I'll say no more as it tends to inevitably draw comments directed at me as opposed to interest in why it was done this way


pentaxuser

 

[BrianShaw]

Ilford is not the company we knew a few years ago.

Harman; Didn’t we know that already? No matter, I still prefer and use several Ilford products.

 

[faberryman]

What percentage of new film enthusiasts are shooting black and white film, developing it themselves, and printing their images in a darkroom, i.e. are new customers for Ilford?

 

[MattKing]

There is clearly a strong, two way connection between Emulsive and the people at Harman who do outreach.
From that linked Emulsive page:

The distributors and the retail network probably got notice at the same time.
Harman doesn't really use their website to talk about prices.
And they are more likely to interact here with respect to technical questions, not marketing questions.

 

[Lachlan Young]

What percentage of new film enthusiasts are shooting black and white film, developing it themselves, and printing their images in a darkroom, i.e. are new customers for Ilford?

Very considerably more than the commentariat on here want to delude themselves into believing.

 

[warden]

What percentage of new film enthusiasts are shooting black and white film, developing it themselves, and printing their images in a darkroom, i.e. are new customers for Ilford?

104.7%

 

[Colin Corneau]

Virtually every entity on earth is using the pandemic as an excuse for permanent price “adjustments”.

Yes, it's almost as if a worldwide disaster could have negative economic effects!

 

[Auer]

It's like worrying about food in a country where food is actually for sale.

 

[removed account4]

One of the ways Ilford profits is use of Asian (bamboo) weeds rather than American/Canadian wood.

exactly !

 

[warden]

There may be a normal explanation for this but it just seems strange that Ilford has appeared to use Emulsive exclusively so far to announce what might be an important and for many an unwelcome change to its prices

It is an annoying site in my opinion, poorly designed with obnoxious popups and adverts, which is why I don't visit. I knew of the Ilford story from this site (Photrio) and was unsurprised to find direct quotes from Ilford without attribution on the Emulsive site. No surprises there, it's amateurish.

If Ilford wants to use Emulsive as a no-cost PR agency it's their choice.

 

[Vaughn]

Yes, it's almost as if a worldwide disaster could have negative economic effects!

Was that a pun...
In the end, Ilford's price increases just make our photographs worth more, right?

 

[Dismayed]

Inflation is a measure of price increases.

The pandemic is leading to a grand fleecing across the board. Totally foreseeable, nevertheless unstoppable.

The pandemic caused many supply disruptions, so prices increased. That’s how markets work. Lumber is a prime example. Huge price spikes, but now prices are falling rapidly as additional supply comes online.

 

[BrianShaw]

It’s not just supply chain disruption but business and profit disruption also. Those businesses that managed to survive did so with reduced income/ profit. It seems like making up for the loss is also part of the price increase incentive.

 

[Vaughn]

It’s not just supply chain disruption but business and profit disruption also. Those businesses that managed to survive did so with reduced income/ profit. It seems like making up for the loss is also part of the price increase incentive.

Profit margin in the restraunt business is not large...one local 'famous' place made by by reopening early with a 50% reduction in seating (large space, and other measures taken to satisfy the county health dept) with a 100% increase in price to cover the difference. And people were willing to pay the price...including me once, but it was my visiting sister's treat (a tradition).

 

[BrianShaw]

Profit margin in the restraunt business is not large...one local 'famous' place made by by reopening early with a 50% reduction in seating (large space, and other measures taken to satisfy the county health dept) with a 100% increase in price to cover the difference.

… and some people gleefully paid it; didn’t they.

price increases can be very weird. Our government water supplier urged us to conserve and paid incentives for water reduction, only to raise our rates because their revenue was reduced because of our conservation compliance. A very confusing message.

I get equally confused about pandemic-related price increases. Some make complete sense while others do not.

 

[Vaughn]

The lumber price increase was largely opportunistic, I believe. A local wood retailer (in the business for many decades) seemed to think so.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

The lumber price increase was largely opportunistic, I believe. A local wood retailer (in the business for many decades) seemed to think so.

Where I'm it was due to huge demand. Many where into renovations instead of travel, spending money elsewhere.

I checked BH prices on 100' rolls of BW. Few days ago. It was already higher than I checked it few months ago. Ilfords films went over 100 usd and Kentmere is 70+, which was price for Ilford couple if not less years ago.

I think they have to keep this constant and steep increases ibecause comparing to lumber, here is no increase for film demand, but very steady opposite. I see young ones using film, but it is few rolls per year. They are buying one roll, shoot it in one day and then edit scan, making video, bragging on social media about it for months.

 

[pentaxuser]

Harman; Didn’t we know that already? No matter, I still prefer and use several Ilford products.

Yes I should have made it clear that my reference to a "different Ilford" which by definition it is in terms of the new owners, Pemberstone, was a ref to what may be a new strategy of how it announces price changes. It was not a reference to the fact that it like any company has to raise prices periodically if costs rise

pentaxuser

 

[villagephotog]

was a ref to what may be a new strategy of how it announces price changes.

pentaxuser

Did Harman officially announce price increases to the general public before? In my experience, companies generally don't, most of the time. They send a note to their retailers to warn them, but don't make a general public statement to consumers. When I worked as a sales rep for a (large and famous) photographic brand many years ago, we never made public announcements about prices going up (or down, as occasionally happened). We just notified dealers so they could manage their stock and let the prices filter out through the system.

 

[Wallendo]

Kodak and Harman generally increase prices annually so this is not unexpected. If we are to believe that demand is currently exceeding supply, the market can bear these increases.

Fuji is more secretive, but gets more expensive every year.

Film has gone from a high-volume low-markup industry to more of a luxury lower volume higher markup business.

Fortunately for me, photography expenses represent a very small percentage of my income, but I do understand how these increases could adversely affect retirees and students.