Camera delivery dates and supply chains
Discussion
Can anybody tell me how camera supply chains from manufacturer to retailer works please?
What’s raised my curiosity is that I ordered the new Sony A7iii from jessops a couple weeks ago. I know it is over subscribed and don’t mind waiting for delivery, although I’d really like to know when delivery will occur rather than some open ended waffle.
However, what surprises me is that jessops tell me they don’t know when they will get new stock in or how many will be delivered to them by Sony.
In this day and age of computerised ordering, manufacturing, just in time etc etc how is it a company like Sony can not tell a large retailer how many items will be delivered and when that delivery will take place?
Surely Sony knows how many cameras it can make in any given time frame, the logistics of delivery and time frames, plus current demand from retailers?
Is it really beyond their ability to tell suppliers when they can expect a parcel of equipment and how many cameras willl be in it?
I’d say it was Jessops being lazy in their approach to customer service but other outlets can’t be more specific than “middle of the month and we don’t know if we will get enough to satisfy current preorders?”
Is this a camera thing or am I expecting too much from modern manufacturing and supply?
What’s raised my curiosity is that I ordered the new Sony A7iii from jessops a couple weeks ago. I know it is over subscribed and don’t mind waiting for delivery, although I’d really like to know when delivery will occur rather than some open ended waffle.
However, what surprises me is that jessops tell me they don’t know when they will get new stock in or how many will be delivered to them by Sony.
In this day and age of computerised ordering, manufacturing, just in time etc etc how is it a company like Sony can not tell a large retailer how many items will be delivered and when that delivery will take place?
Surely Sony knows how many cameras it can make in any given time frame, the logistics of delivery and time frames, plus current demand from retailers?
Is it really beyond their ability to tell suppliers when they can expect a parcel of equipment and how many cameras willl be in it?
I’d say it was Jessops being lazy in their approach to customer service but other outlets can’t be more specific than “middle of the month and we don’t know if we will get enough to satisfy current preorders?”
Is this a camera thing or am I expecting too much from modern manufacturing and supply?
I used HDEW and they were great. I was going to suggest you cancel with Jessops and use HDEW instead, but they don't do Sony it seems: https://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/dslr-cameras-298-c.a...
Simpo Two said:
I used HDEW and they were great. I was going to suggest you cancel with Jessops and use HDEW instead, but they don't do Sony it seems: https://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/dslr-cameras-298-c.a...
Thanks Aimpo, I’ve used them in the last too for most of my other gear but as you say they don’t do Sony. It’s not so much my own particular delivery date it’s just that I can’t understand how these days the likes of Sony and Jessops can’t get their heads together to be able to give customers even an idea of when they’ll get their camera!
SS9 said:
I feel your pain. If it helps, Amazon have it listed as being available from the 11th April, so presumably Sony are pushing them out gradually. Friend at work picked one up a couple of weeks ago from Wex!
That does help thanks.I wonder if amazon are able to give dates as they are a much bigger beast than the likes of jessops etc? Or are they just making it up?
steveatesh said:
Can anybody tell me how camera supply chains from manufacturer to retailer works please?
New models and model upgrades for the higher-spec cameras that are generally sold in lower volume are trickled into the market initially. This is for two reasons; 1) to expose any fault or other issue when used in a real-world scenario that can then be fixed prior to the next phase of wider release and 2) to determine the true size of the market so the companies can adjust production precisely. A friend (who works at a Jessops) has said that for the higher-price items, the companies also deliberately withhold stock at the beginning of it's launch phase to make it more 'rare' and thus more 'desirable' thus able to maintain a higher price point (the idea being to suggest there is higher demand for the product than there actually is). Dealers don't sell that many of these types of cameras and the last thing the manufacturers want is the need to offer them at a marked-down cost to shift stock as this de-values the premium perception attached to the item.
(Caveat...info from a third party!)
StevieBee said:
New models and model upgrades for the higher-spec cameras that are generally sold in lower volume are trickled into the market initially. This is for two reasons; 1) to expose any fault or other issue when used in a real-world scenario that can then be fixed prior to the next phase of wider release and 2) to determine the true size of the market so the companies can adjust production precisely.
A friend (who works at a Jessops) has said that for the higher-price items, the companies also deliberately withhold stock at the beginning of it's launch phase to make it more 'rare' and thus more 'desirable' thus able to maintain a higher price point (the idea being to suggest there is higher demand for the product than there actually is). Dealers don't sell that many of these types of cameras and the last thing the manufacturers want is the need to offer them at a marked-down cost to shift stock as this de-values the premium perception attached to the item.
(Caveat...info from a third party!)
Thanks, the trickle down approach would make sense but I wonder why they can’t just tell retailers when their trickle down number of cameras will arrive? A friend (who works at a Jessops) has said that for the higher-price items, the companies also deliberately withhold stock at the beginning of it's launch phase to make it more 'rare' and thus more 'desirable' thus able to maintain a higher price point (the idea being to suggest there is higher demand for the product than there actually is). Dealers don't sell that many of these types of cameras and the last thing the manufacturers want is the need to offer them at a marked-down cost to shift stock as this de-values the premium perception attached to the item.
(Caveat...info from a third party!)
I can also understand jessops etc adopting that approach but I wonder if that would require a cartel approach for all retailers to so it?
Interesting thoughts though thanks!
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