Discussion
Quinny said:
Perhaps they should be looking at their memory card, bags and other accesories prices
They're a total rip off.
They're a total rip off.
Yup. I went to buy a camera from them a couple of months ago and they were extortionate. I found a better camera in a local family shop for much, much less and got a great deal on it.
Just because they're a nationwide chain does not mean that they pass on their economies of scale savings to the customer.
Hence why they're in deep cacky poo.
Not at all surprising. Yes there has been price deflation, but not all retailers have made a pig's ear of it.
Their own brand stuff is rubbish, the branded stuff is so expensive I don't even bother to use them to check a price, and most of the staff are not interested and not knowledgeable. I expect the last point in Currys and Dixons, but Jessops is supposed to be a specialist FFS. Only the odd person actually knew what they were talking about.
And they have been poor at coping with the internet business...people would go in their shops to try the kit, then go and buy from a decent priced online retailer.
And as for them conducting a strategic review....well gosh I wonder what they will do....get a firm in like Cap Gemini who will use their 'expertise' to review the business and each function (and who Jessops can them attribute the bad messages) and say that 10-15% of head office will be made redundant, and store staffing will be 'optimised' (ie. FTE reduced by 10%), along with improvements in the supply chain blah blah blah.
"This is what external benchmarking and research say we need to do to become Britain's number 1 photographic retailer again."
Mark my words, this is the kind of thing they'll be saying.
A shocking way to do business, and they deserve to be in the position they are in.
Rant over.
LB
Their own brand stuff is rubbish, the branded stuff is so expensive I don't even bother to use them to check a price, and most of the staff are not interested and not knowledgeable. I expect the last point in Currys and Dixons, but Jessops is supposed to be a specialist FFS. Only the odd person actually knew what they were talking about.
And they have been poor at coping with the internet business...people would go in their shops to try the kit, then go and buy from a decent priced online retailer.
And as for them conducting a strategic review....well gosh I wonder what they will do....get a firm in like Cap Gemini who will use their 'expertise' to review the business and each function (and who Jessops can them attribute the bad messages) and say that 10-15% of head office will be made redundant, and store staffing will be 'optimised' (ie. FTE reduced by 10%), along with improvements in the supply chain blah blah blah.
"This is what external benchmarking and research say we need to do to become Britain's number 1 photographic retailer again."
Mark my words, this is the kind of thing they'll be saying.
A shocking way to do business, and they deserve to be in the position they are in.
Rant over.
LB
Fair play though, not all Jessops staff are totally clueless. In the branch near my parents' house, they're pretty good - if they don't know something, they'll check with someone who does. And these seem to have a stockroom that contains every piece of obscure camera equipment known to man. 
But by contrast, the branch nearest to here isn't great. I went in the other day to buy a compact camera for my MIL. I know nowt about these things, so I asked the guy for some pointers. He just picked the stuff in my approximate price range, and couldn't answer a few straightforward questions. But then again, they do stock some massive lenses (Canon
) which keeps SBaby amused because he likes to plan which ones he's going to buy me when he's big. 
I see why they can't compete with the likes of 7DayShop and DigitalRev. But what's the answer? Presumably to cut their overheads. And their margins, maybe.
But personally, if I could get decent service locally, I'd buy from them because I'd rather see and handle a product, and get expert advice on it, instead of getting on the phone to WE and hoping that what I get is what I need. But Jessops aren't offering that. They're offering staff who can tell you the price of their cameras, but very little else. Which is sod all use really.
But by contrast, the branch nearest to here isn't great. I went in the other day to buy a compact camera for my MIL. I know nowt about these things, so I asked the guy for some pointers. He just picked the stuff in my approximate price range, and couldn't answer a few straightforward questions. But then again, they do stock some massive lenses (Canon
) which keeps SBaby amused because he likes to plan which ones he's going to buy me when he's big. I see why they can't compete with the likes of 7DayShop and DigitalRev. But what's the answer? Presumably to cut their overheads. And their margins, maybe.
But personally, if I could get decent service locally, I'd buy from them because I'd rather see and handle a product, and get expert advice on it, instead of getting on the phone to WE and hoping that what I get is what I need. But Jessops aren't offering that. They're offering staff who can tell you the price of their cameras, but very little else. Which is sod all use really.
luca brazzi said:
...lots of perfectly true stuff...
I still find it a real pity that chains such as Jessops can get things so wrong. In my 'first life' of being involved in the hobby of photography, their shops were well stocked, well priced and had good knowledgeable staff in them. I was, and still am, happy to pay slightly more if that is the case.
However, very little of that is now true with Jessops. Staff aren't (from recent experience) particuarly good, prices are horrendous for the 'repeat customer' type goods (eg accessories, memory cards etc). Prices for cameras vary - a year and a half ago they were the cheapest place on or offline that I could get my 20D.
I don't like the fact that the internet has destroyed a number of small shops on the high-street where it becomes almost impossible for them to compete. However for a big name like Jessops not to be able to combine the internet with the high-street presence is just poor management.
V6GTO said:
Jessops Official said:
Mr Langley also warned that the group now expected to post a full-year loss of £5m, as it expected second-half profits to come in at £3.5m.
How does that work? How can you have a 5M loss AND a 3.5M profit FFS!? Books...cooking...
? Martin.
My favourite was when we went to a local branch to get some films developed and we were supposed to get a free film for every one developed. At first we weren’t given any, so we asked and the assistant grumbled something and went off to get some and came back and dumped a small bag of 400ASA films on the counter. Toastgirl politely asked whether she could swap a couple over for 100 ASA films to which the assistant got up, turned her back on us and walked off with a rather loud ‘FFS! They’re only 
ing films!’. 
Needless to say, we haven’t gone back again.
ing films!’. Needless to say, we haven’t gone back again.
I've had pretty good experience with Jessops. Sure you get Saturday staff syndrome but they're a lot more helpful (and a hell of a lot cheaper) than my local camera shops.
They even did a straight swap, no questions asked for a manfrotto tripod I had owned for 8 months that was badly manufactured. Admittedly the one they handed over was damaged but they swapped that one as well...
They even did a straight swap, no questions asked for a manfrotto tripod I had owned for 8 months that was badly manufactured. Admittedly the one they handed over was damaged but they swapped that one as well...
I've had happy times with Jessops, both with buying and returns (through no fault of their own) and also found their internet prices on cameras not bad at all - on certain items they are only a little more expensive than some fly by night websites, worth paying for that highstreet presence in my mind. Just never ever buy memory from them.
I use them, its pretty much the only shop available to me without using the net (I use warehouseexpress for most stuff now).
Occasionally I get prints online and used to use their service, it used to be spot on, quick and reliable. Just before Christmas they changed over to HP's pixmania (I think thats it) and the service was thrown out of the window, run over by a stampeeding elephant, doused in petrol, set on fire the ashes were then sent by rocket into the sun.
Service has gradually gone down hill in store too. They do have some good staff but recently the uptake of staff has seen some "grunters". Be a shame to see them go completely as they used to be the place to go for kit.
Occasionally I get prints online and used to use their service, it used to be spot on, quick and reliable. Just before Christmas they changed over to HP's pixmania (I think thats it) and the service was thrown out of the window, run over by a stampeeding elephant, doused in petrol, set on fire the ashes were then sent by rocket into the sun.
Service has gradually gone down hill in store too. They do have some good staff but recently the uptake of staff has seen some "grunters". Be a shame to see them go completely as they used to be the place to go for kit.
Jessops (there are two here in cheltenham) are generally quite poor imo. Fine if you don't know what you want but if you have half a clue then its a bit like asking a halfords employee for advice...if you're lucky (!) they'll pick up the same product that you just did, read the same info on the same bit of packaging that you did, then proudly recite this as if its coming from their head 
Also, shortly after I ordered my 70-200 2.8 IS from HK i went in there and, as a customer was arguing with the manager about the overly high price of a compact, I burst out laughing and pointed at the 70-200 they had on the shelf, and blurted out that I'd just bought that and got change from a grand - the price on the ticket........£1,699!!!! I kid you not. two weeks later it was down to £1,250 iirc, but still....
London camera exchange here in 'nam aren't much better imo, very little stock and always get the feeling they'll try and flog you whatever they've got in stock rather than give sound advice. Hence why I'd ask on forums, make my mind up, then find the best price.
Also, shortly after I ordered my 70-200 2.8 IS from HK i went in there and, as a customer was arguing with the manager about the overly high price of a compact, I burst out laughing and pointed at the 70-200 they had on the shelf, and blurted out that I'd just bought that and got change from a grand - the price on the ticket........£1,699!!!! I kid you not. two weeks later it was down to £1,250 iirc, but still....
London camera exchange here in 'nam aren't much better imo, very little stock and always get the feeling they'll try and flog you whatever they've got in stock rather than give sound advice. Hence why I'd ask on forums, make my mind up, then find the best price.
It's interesting. There are two branches in the same town near to me. The older, more established branch is much better at providing advice and the staff have been there for years. The newer branch has a large staff turnover and decent assistance relies on getting the right person.
To be fair though, when I wanted a Sigma 24-70 F2.8 lens recently, they agreed to price-match an online competitor's price (this was the older shop). I said I was genuinely interested in the lens, but their price was too high. I printed out the online quote (cost + P&P) and they matched it exactly. They don't seem to advertise this though.
To be fair though, when I wanted a Sigma 24-70 F2.8 lens recently, they agreed to price-match an online competitor's price (this was the older shop). I said I was genuinely interested in the lens, but their price was too high. I printed out the online quote (cost + P&P) and they matched it exactly. They don't seem to advertise this though.
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