Harman announce price rise

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,996
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
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

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,972
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
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
 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,972
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
logan2z said:
Nothing on their Twitter or Instagram feeds either...
Click to expand...
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
 

faberryman

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Messages
6,048
Location
Wherever
Format
Multi Format
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

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,996
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
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

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,945
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
faberryman said:
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?
Click to expand...

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

Colin Corneau

Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
2,366
Location
Winnipeg MB Canada
Format
35mm RF
michael_r said:
Virtually every entity on earth is using the pandemic as an excuse for permanent price “adjustments”.
Click to expand...

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

warden

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
3,048
Location
Philadelphia
Format
Medium Format
pentaxuser said:
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
Click to expand...

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.
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2021-07-14 at 9.15.08 PM.png
    687.2 KB · Views: 65
  • Screen Shot 2021-07-14 at 9.33.41 PM.png
    664.3 KB · Views: 63

Vaughn

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
10,083
Location
Humboldt Co.
Format
Large Format
Colin Corneau said:
Yes, it's almost as if a worldwide disaster could have negative economic effects!
Click to expand...
Was that a pun...
In the end, Ilford's price increases just make our photographs worth more, right?
 

Dismayed

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
438
Location
Boston
Format
Med. Format RF
michael_r said:
Inflation is a measure of price increases.

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

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

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
16,533
Location
La-la-land
Format
Multi Format
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

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
10,083
Location
Humboldt Co.
Format
Large Format
BrianShaw said:
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.
Click to expand...
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

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
16,533
Location
La-la-land
Format
Multi Format
… 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

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
10,083
Location
Humboldt Co.
Format
Large Format
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.

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
3,209
Location
MiltON.ONtario
Format
Digital
Vaughn said:
The lumber price increase was largely opportunistic, I believe. A local wood retailer (in the business for many decades) seemed to think so.
Click to expand...

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

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,972
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
BrianShaw said:
Harman; Didn’t we know that already? No matter, I still prefer and use several Ilford products.
Click to expand...
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

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Messages
99
Location
USA
Format
Medium Format
pentaxuser said:
was a ref to what may be a new strategy of how it announces price changes.

pentaxuser
Click to expand...

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

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
1,409
Location
North Carolina
Format
35mm
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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…