Will you miss Jessops?

Yes I heard that from my mate earlier today but we cannot really see the connection with HMV other than DIGITAL ! !  And what are the chances of HMV being next after all a lot of what they do can all be bought over the internet

My boss reckons that shops as we know them could be in the extreme minority within a few years. They will become internet pick up points and lets face it you can 'call and reserve' at all the big stores already so he may not be too far from the truth. A very sad state of affairs indeed.

I think you are right in your predictions, Dave. 

I prefer to be able to visit a shop and physically look at the goods before purchase. However, with shop ticket prices often being up to 25% or more higher than on the internet, I cannot justify throwing away what little spare cash I have. I am therefore one of the many who have contributed to the downfall of Jessops. Similarly, the price of CDs at HMV (even with their 25% sale) is still much higher than on the internet.

I think as I said somewhere else, I can see our high streets soon being made up mainly of  Betting Shops, Dodgy Phone Shops, Pound Shops, Charity Shops, Fast Food Outlets, Pay-day Loan Shops  etc. It is significant that of the major stores, the cut-price outlets such as Primark are seeing off the high-street dinosaurs such as Marks & Spencer. Unfortunately for us photographers, there is no photo equivalent of Primark. 

A very sad state indeed. As I said previously there is now only one 'proper' photographic shop in Hull, but the don't stock cameras. They only buy them in if someone wnats one. Apparently they cannot afford to order them just to sit on shelves.....and then they sell at way above the prices that the likes of Park Cameras, WEX and Wilkinsons can sellthe same item for.....

My mate who was the manager of the local Jacobs until they went last year told me that they lost on most SLR camera bodies that they sold, for instance Canon 550D with basic 18-55 they lost £15. They relied on people buying an additional lens, a coupe of SD cards and maybe a bag and flashgun.....say no more.....

 But as you say Edward unfortunately we do not have a 'cheap' alternative in this hobby

An odd situation with the 5D MK 2 existed for a time about 2 years ago when it was cheaper in England than it was in the US. Anyone in the US who wanted one could have had a cheap holiday to come here with the savings made buying it here. If they were able to claim the VAT back being for export ( not sure if they could have?), that would have reduced the price 13.2% more.

I wonder if any Americans had spotted this odd anomoly that had ocurred with Canon's pricing for a few months with this camera?

Morrisons are apparently bidding for some of the Jessops shop locations, presumably to turn them into mini-supermarkets. Knowing Morrisons recent poor performance, will these shops do any better than Jessops did?

Morrisons buys clutch of Jessops Shops