Any chance of following suit in bringing FP4+ down to match pricing of HP5+ for 120, too?
I love FP4+, and would never shoot another film again if the 120 prices were dropped, too! When I have to duck into a camera shop instead of buying online, I frequently end up with HP5+ or Acros to get more film for the $$$.
Yeah, the camera shop I run into every now and then charges full retail for Ilford products. so $5.85 for HP5+, $6.90 for FP4+... I'm assuming that's full retail since it's the highest I've seen. For Fuji and Kodak, they only sell rolls pulled out of pro-packs, and base it off those retail prices. Last time it was $5.29 per roll of Acros or Ektar, and $6ish for Portra, which doesn't hurt too bad.
They must charge premiums on stuff they don't sell or something, though, or maybe it's what they sell a lot of-- $10+ a roll of E-6 120... and about $20 after tax for a roll of 135-36 E-6...
it costs them more wholesale than B&H charges for retail... I don't know how true this is
Perhaps they should buy from B&H.
My local place sells ilford films for about $8.50 to $13 a piece... It's just stupid expensive so I never buy it there... Their kodak isn't much cheaper or anything, but when I asked if they could match of come close to the B&H price they told me that it costs them more wholesale than B&H charges for retail... I don't know how true this is but it seems outrageous.
Yep, sounds familiar. One of my local labs said the Australian Fuji Wholesaler charged them something like $15-20/roll of Velvia, so he had to sell them for $25 to make any money off them.
Then he started sourcing it directly (he didn't say, but could be direct from Japan or even B+H) for closer to $5-10 a roll and he can sell them retail for $15, cheaper than the Fuji wholesaler charged him (that was a year ago, before the few price hikes since).
Of course the only way he can get away with this is because he's a photo lab. He's not a shop that would be risking thousands worth of fuji digicam margins to save a bit on film.
Back to Ilford, I've checked cheapshotsau, and their FP4 is $1 cheaper in 5x120, and $1 more in 4x5x25s, then $5 cheaper in 135x100' cans, and $5 more in 4x5x100s (compared to HP5). Much of a muchness, really.
Still, that's all 50% more than B+H, but I only buy from B+H when I've got a huge order of something else and it's worth the $70 shipping, then I throw in a few rolls of film (not often).
A couple of years ago I saw some information/opinion that indicated that between them, B & H and Adorama sold more film than all of the retailers in Canada combined (population 30+ million).
Their prices are artificially low.
Perhaps the larger volume allows B&H, Adorama, others, a greater level of efficiency. Buying in greater volume certainly lowers the inbound shipping & handling cost vs smaller resellers. The Free Market certainly can be an advantage to the consumer and I would not want it any other way.
The flip side is it becomes less attractive (profitable) to smaller retailers and then consumers complain because they want it now and want it for cheap yet, may no longer be available other than mail order.
Who among us has not first shopped a local store, to look and handle a product, then searched mail order or now a days, on line, for a cheaper price.
Age old problem in the free market system.
Right now at B&H I see:
HP5 36 exp. - $4.75
FP4 36 exp. - $5.99
These prices are unchanged since the original post. This leads me to ask, what then was the purpose of the original post?
Right now at B&H I see:
HP5 36 exp. - $4.75
FP4 36 exp. - $5.99
These prices are unchanged since the original post. This leads me to ask, what then was the purpose of the original post?
It may only take effect when B&H actually makes a new order, you have to understand, this is a massive store, with Massive stock, and they may only by once or twice a year and store at all, so the changes will probably take effect once their current stock is depleted and they make a new purchase...
Any retailer, wholesaler, factors in the turnover. You make more money, even with less margin, if you turn over your product faster. Factor in all the cost, shelf space, handling, cost of funds, insurance, etc. Then factor in use by dates, market trends, the total risk factor, you want to resell, not own the inventory. B&H certainly is very good at this.
Yes, but it's not even been a month since this post... Give it time guys... Sheesh!
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