Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
The end is nigh: BBC News - Jessops camera chain in administration
Jessops falls into administration
- Thread starter Rob MacKillop
- Start date
Craig Sperring
Well-Known Member
well... that's what you get I guess for selling everything at the most expensive price!
Allan Batchelor
Well-Known Member
could be some bargains soon 
Ahmad Bhai
Well-Known Member
That's a lot of jobs. Them employees how will they feed their families, the benefit system cant cope.
Adam Lewis
Well-Known Member
Thought the same as you Allan, already been looking at stuff so I know what to snap up should prices fall enough 
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
The vultures are circling...
Brian Moore
Moderator
From what I've read on some posts regarding their service perhaps there won't be many tears shed over Jessops' demise. But I agree with you, Ahmad; there will certainly be innocent victims.
Pete Askew
Admin
A sad end but, sadly, self-inflicted. It was only a matter of time and, although sad for the employees, it won't have come as a surprise.
Pat Reehal
Well-Known Member
I have lost count of the number of times I have left a Jessops saying 'never again' and now I will 'never again'.
I feel desperately sorry for the only excellent Jessops employee I have ever met, Phil in Shrewsbury.
But to all the others, who have continued talking amongst themselves, called me 'squire or 'mate and displayed a complete lack of knowledge on their products I feel nothing. Jessops did not deserve to succeed. A sad reflection of today's crap management, illiterate and disinterested employees and a company that omitted competitive pricing and customer service from the business plan. Sadly inevitable.
I feel desperately sorry for the only excellent Jessops employee I have ever met, Phil in Shrewsbury.
But to all the others, who have continued talking amongst themselves, called me 'squire or 'mate and displayed a complete lack of knowledge on their products I feel nothing. Jessops did not deserve to succeed. A sad reflection of today's crap management, illiterate and disinterested employees and a company that omitted competitive pricing and customer service from the business plan. Sadly inevitable.
Davie Hudson
Well-Known Member
i think we as a group expected too much from Jessops, it's a high street shop... nothing more. I wouldn't walk into tesco to buy a laptop and expect specialist info and I never expected to get it from jessops either. That was Jessops problem, they couldn't live up to the expectation, but never tried to
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
I kind of agree, Davie, but Jessops was a specialist camera shop, whereas Tesco is clearly not. Maybe Jessops only seemed like a specialist shop, putting a face on. They were, if anything, convenient. In Edinburgh we had Jessops and Jacobs within ten feet of each other. Jacobs went to the wall last year, and Jessops will follow. Boots have stopped developing, but they have machines you can insert a USB stick into. So, we are left with Cameratics, which is definitely an old-school specialist shop, but very expensive.
I use online retailers now, but I would prefer to use local shops. Often, though, the service is awful, and the prices uncompetitive. I won't miss Jessops.
I use online retailers now, but I would prefer to use local shops. Often, though, the service is awful, and the prices uncompetitive. I won't miss Jessops.
Hamish Gill
Tech Support (and Marketing)
I'm with Pat 100%
It is a specialist camera shop Davie... Expectations should be high from any specialist outfit!
there big mistake as I understand it was dropping all the staff training back in 2008ish (maybe a bit earlier? -from memory - this is hearsay btw so don't quote me) ... Back then there were two branches in Worcester, the small one (that closed last time the **** hit the fan for jessops) was staffed entirely by highly trained long standing staff. Service was good if not very good. It closed and instead of keeping the higher paid well trained staff they kept on the lower paid less trained ones. At the same time they dropped all the in house camera training programs.
that is as I say, just how I remember it/remember being told by staff at the time, but it does correlate with my experience.
i worked in camera retail at the time and we used to curse jessops... It was arround then that time that the we as a shop could go and buy a Nikon d40 from jessops for a penny less than we could from Nikon direct. They took the profit right out of high street prices and tried to compete with the Internet. High paid staff and zero profit on cameras really hit them hard ... They nearly went into admin but were saved by the bank (and some deal with canon if I remember correctly - hearsay again). So they closed branches, lost the more expensive trained staff and put the prices up on their products ... That folks is what the kids would call a "Fail"
if anyone knows any better or I have said anything that isn't true above I'm happy to be corrected ... It's just as I remember it from speaking to ex jessops staff and the rumours we heard in the trade at the time
- - - Updated - - -
If anyone wants a decent camera shop they should try London camera exchange ... Specifically the Worcester branch ... I know fr a fact they they are doing well at the moment and this is because Garath the store manager has probably been the best thing for that place since I've been shopping there! All the right kit, good quality staff, good competitive but not silly pricing ... Can't recomend the place enough!
It is a specialist camera shop Davie... Expectations should be high from any specialist outfit!
there big mistake as I understand it was dropping all the staff training back in 2008ish (maybe a bit earlier? -from memory - this is hearsay btw so don't quote me) ... Back then there were two branches in Worcester, the small one (that closed last time the **** hit the fan for jessops) was staffed entirely by highly trained long standing staff. Service was good if not very good. It closed and instead of keeping the higher paid well trained staff they kept on the lower paid less trained ones. At the same time they dropped all the in house camera training programs.
that is as I say, just how I remember it/remember being told by staff at the time, but it does correlate with my experience.
i worked in camera retail at the time and we used to curse jessops... It was arround then that time that the we as a shop could go and buy a Nikon d40 from jessops for a penny less than we could from Nikon direct. They took the profit right out of high street prices and tried to compete with the Internet. High paid staff and zero profit on cameras really hit them hard ... They nearly went into admin but were saved by the bank (and some deal with canon if I remember correctly - hearsay again). So they closed branches, lost the more expensive trained staff and put the prices up on their products ... That folks is what the kids would call a "Fail"
if anyone knows any better or I have said anything that isn't true above I'm happy to be corrected ... It's just as I remember it from speaking to ex jessops staff and the rumours we heard in the trade at the time
- - - Updated - - -
If anyone wants a decent camera shop they should try London camera exchange ... Specifically the Worcester branch ... I know fr a fact they they are doing well at the moment and this is because Garath the store manager has probably been the best thing for that place since I've been shopping there! All the right kit, good quality staff, good competitive but not silly pricing ... Can't recomend the place enough!
Pat Reehal
Well-Known Member
I don't quite see where you are coming from Davie as Jessops have always touted themselves as a Camera/Photographic retailer.
Yesterday I went into John Lewis in Chester to have a look at the Nikon 1 V1 as I have always been intrigued by them but choked on the launch price. Now they are being sold at a fraction of the original cost I thought I would go and have a shufti.
Night and day comparison with Jessops (except Shrewsbury). Immediate attention from an immaculately dressed young man in a suit and tie. Not 'mate or 'squire or a look of disgust at interrupting the sales 'associate' discussion on Eastenders but a genuine welcome and attentive, courteous and very professional service.
Not a specialist camera store at all but an excellent display of cameras, a salesman who knew his stuff and, most important for me, a feeling that I was being treated as a valued customer and not an inconvenience.
As for the Nikon I was astounded at the focus speed, the rapid fire shutter and the build quality.
"Do you have a card with you Sir? Do feel free to take as many shots as you like and have a good look at home before making your mind up." , offered the young man without any prompting.
Not 'squire or 'mate but quality service. Having had a look I think I just might give it a punt and whilst I know that John Lewis are not quite the cheapest initially, they will price match any genuine offer and I know that they are as good as their word on customer service.
Not so for a friend of mine who was given £200 worth of Jessops vouchers for Xmas which are not worth the paper they were printed on.
Yesterday I went into John Lewis in Chester to have a look at the Nikon 1 V1 as I have always been intrigued by them but choked on the launch price. Now they are being sold at a fraction of the original cost I thought I would go and have a shufti.
Night and day comparison with Jessops (except Shrewsbury). Immediate attention from an immaculately dressed young man in a suit and tie. Not 'mate or 'squire or a look of disgust at interrupting the sales 'associate' discussion on Eastenders but a genuine welcome and attentive, courteous and very professional service.
Not a specialist camera store at all but an excellent display of cameras, a salesman who knew his stuff and, most important for me, a feeling that I was being treated as a valued customer and not an inconvenience.
As for the Nikon I was astounded at the focus speed, the rapid fire shutter and the build quality.
"Do you have a card with you Sir? Do feel free to take as many shots as you like and have a good look at home before making your mind up." , offered the young man without any prompting.
Not 'squire or 'mate but quality service. Having had a look I think I just might give it a punt and whilst I know that John Lewis are not quite the cheapest initially, they will price match any genuine offer and I know that they are as good as their word on customer service.
Not so for a friend of mine who was given £200 worth of Jessops vouchers for Xmas which are not worth the paper they were printed on.
Andy Boardman
Trade Member: Bob Rigby Photographic
Hi all, no surprise to me at all, I forcasted this 18 months ago as that is how long it takes to wind such a big beast up.HSBC had enough of losing money so cheaper to get shut as they have their own problems comming up.
We are still here & it will be interesting to see if the likes of Canon/Nikon come crawling back to us indies as they need us more than we need them at present.
If I can help anyone on here at any time please feel free to contact me for help/advise etc or for equipment, I will always try my best to sort you out & we aint going bust ourselves !!
Regards Davie's post, Jessops DID consider them selves specialist dealers hence the huge expensive PRO SHOPS, but if you fill it with staff not up to the job or interested then you can expect what has happened.
We are still here & it will be interesting to see if the likes of Canon/Nikon come crawling back to us indies as they need us more than we need them at present.
If I can help anyone on here at any time please feel free to contact me for help/advise etc or for equipment, I will always try my best to sort you out & we aint going bust ourselves !!
Regards Davie's post, Jessops DID consider them selves specialist dealers hence the huge expensive PRO SHOPS, but if you fill it with staff not up to the job or interested then you can expect what has happened.
Adam Lewis
Well-Known Member
That's it, plug your shop lol
Sales watch: nothing as of yet in manchester. Will check again in a couple of hours (when I come back out of uni) lol.
lolSales watch: nothing as of yet in manchester. Will check again in a couple of hours (when I come back out of uni) lol.
Andy Boardman
Trade Member: Bob Rigby Photographic
That's it, plug your shop
Sales watch: nothing as of yet in manchester. Will check again in a couple of hours (when I come back out of uni) lol.
Adam, at least we are on here supporting photographers & I have never forced anything upon anyone, regards bargains , I do not think there will be much as Nikon,Canon, Pentax etc will be in the Jessops stores collecting back unpaid for stock & returning it back to their stores area.
Can not get anyone at Nikon /Canon on phone at present it will be total panic with them especially Canon LOL
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Andy is a Trade Member here, and is allowed to mention his shop. I for one don't mind at all. Independents are the heart and soul of the trade.
Davie Hudson
Well-Known Member
i never saw them as a specialist shop, from my own experience of going in the shop they were a high street retailer who sold camera stuff. i never felt as if i could get an info from them so i done all my own research then went in knowing what i wanted .... thats why i said i never saw them as specialist, just a shop that sold cameras
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
I agree with davie. They pretended to be a specialist shop, but were in reality "just a shop that sold cameras".
Pat Reehal
Well-Known Member
Insert 'badly' after 'sold cameras' Rob!
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