Boots to close 2/3 of their photolabs

Not surprised.

I used to work as minilab manager for a branch of Foto Processing in the early 90's and it was a going concern then.

Got out before digital thank god.
 
Interesting that they're closing just as there's a resurgence in film usage and Boots themselves have started stocking 120 film again.
 
RaglanSurf said:
Interesting that they're closing just as there's a resurgence in film usage and Boots themselves have started stocking 120 film again.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that. If I were the sales director at Boots I'd be thinking about trying to capitalise on (and drive) the resurgence of film by taking out a few adverts to publicise the fact that Boots shops sell film and offer an in-store developing and printing service. Mind you, Boots aren't alone in this, when was the last time you saw an advert for film in Amateur Photographer magazine, or any other photography magazine come to that? Talk about slow to react!

I think film photography could become a lot more popular if a few companies got behind it and promoted it, especially those camera equipment dealers that still have some high-street shops left. After all, back in the days when film was the only choice, buying it provided regular footfall into the local camera shop, and whilst in there we'd be tempted to buy all sorts of other goodies to support our habit! I seem to remember at times it was a bit like going into Aunty Wainwright's shop in Last of the Summer Wine... you'd often come out with more than you went in for and a good few ££s lighter! :whistle:
 
Last edited:
Think there is one in the Sutton Boots. Can see why they are doing it after the conversation I had with the Sutton Snappy Snaps franchisee late last year. He is down to only firing up his C41 machine twice a week through lack of demand. Might be enough demand to prompt the return of some emulsions but can't see the high street minilabs benefitting hugely. At least Boots said they will still offer a send away service if you are happy to wait that long?
 
From one conversation with an ASDA staff member in Edinburgh, what keeps them alive is digital printing and single use cameras from weddings!
 
Asha said:
Interesting?? or a bit stupid??
Click to expand...

One thing you have to remember. Hi street rents are very expensive and are based on square footage. Photolabs will take up quite a bit of that space and, despite any resurgence in the use of film, it's unlikely that most photolabs will contribute much in the way of profits. Boots will have looked very carefully into this and will have realised that this space can be utilised in a far more profitable way.
 
I think stores can sometimes overlook the aspect that if something attracts a new and different set of customers into a shop, that would not otherwise normally shop there, and they buy some other items whilst in there, then that's additional sales and profit directly derived from the feature that drove that?
 
Last edited:
Mr Badger said:
I think stores can sometimes overlook the aspect that if something attracts a new and different set of customers into a shop, that would not otherwise normally shop there, and they buy some other items whilst in there, then that's additional sales and profit?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they will have looked at all these aspects before coming to a decision like this. It will have been a long and involved process.
 
fabs said:
One thing you have to remember. Hi street rents are very expensive and are based on square footage. Photolabs will take up quite a bit of that space and, despite any resurgence in the use of film, it's unlikely that most photolabs will contribute much in the way of profits. Boots will have looked very carefully into this and will have realised that this space can be utilised in a far more profitable way.
Click to expand...



Fair enough,I fully understand that, however there is profit then there is greed!

And let's not forget that some of that saving that they hope to make by laying off several hundred people will indeed go towards their unemployment benefit! through taxes etc, the rest from every other tax payer

Makes sense........ to too many people!
 
Just to add, this thread is rapidly becoming more suited to Out Of Focus

We don't generally have debates in here, or if we do they're generally cool ones ( as against heated):D
 
Asha said:
Fair enough,I fully understand that, however there is profit then there is greed!
Click to expand...

Maybe but, at the end of the day, that's why these companies exist

Asha said:
Just to add, this thread is rapidly becoming more suited to Out Of Focus

We don't generally have debates in here, or if we do they're generally cool ones ( as against heated):D
Click to expand...

This isn't heated, is it?
 
Mr Badger said:
I think film photography could become a lot more popular if a few companies got behind it and promoted it, especially those camera equipment dealers that still have some high-street shops left. After all, back in the days when film was the only choice, buying it provided regular footfall into the local camera shop, and whilst in there we'd be tempted to buy all sorts of other goodies to support our habit! I seem to remember at times it was a bit like going into Aunty Wainwright's shop in Last of the Summer Wine... you'd often come out with more than you went in for and a good few ££s lighter! :whistle:
Click to expand...

Some years ago (I suspect) I read somewhere that the take up of digital was faster in the UK than other places because Jessops - the "go to" high street photography shops of the time - promoted it heavily. What they might have overlooked was that once people stopped coming in for film and processing, they weren't going to have them coming in regularly, and wouldn't have the opportunity to sell them anything. Jessops duly went out of business...

Mr Badger said:
I think stores can sometimes overlook the aspect that if something attracts a new and different set of customers into a shop, that would not otherwise normally shop there, and they buy some other items whilst in there, then that's additional sales and profit directly derived from the feature that drove that?
Click to expand...

fabs said:
I'm pretty sure they will have looked at all these aspects before coming to a decision like this. It will have been a long and involved process.
Click to expand...

I wonder how they can answer a question like that? Years ago, we used to regularly visit a department store in Bournemouth because it had an excellent book department. I'll admit we are book addicts... The book department presumably failed to meet targets and was closed; and we stopped going into the store. Unless the store could monitor who had visited primarily for one department, I don't see how the decision could have been made other than by first closing the department and then seeing if sales dropped by more than was anticipated.
 
I think the answer is that these things are very inexact, and driven as much by the latest fashion or the current market development consultants as anything else. As always, one of the two absolutely immutable laws applies, in this case the law of unintended consequences... :)
 
StephenM said:
I wonder how they can answer a question like that? Years ago, we used to regularly visit a department store in Bournemouth because it had an excellent book department. I'll admit we are book addicts... The book department presumably failed to meet targets and was closed; and we stopped going into the store. Unless the store could monitor who had visited primarily for one department, I don't see how the decision could have been made other than by first closing the department and then seeing if sales dropped by more than was anticipated.
Click to expand...

I can only speak from experience of working for any years in Finance roles, most of those in retail. Whilst there is no way to know for certain how many sales were made from people whose primary reason for the visit was for the book department, there would have been many metrics they could have used to extrapolate. If they were satisfied that the loss in profits caused by keeping the book department open was outweighing the theoretical additional sales in other departments, they would obviously come to the conclusion they did.
 
Mr Badger said:
I was thinking that. If I were the sales director at Boots I'd be thinking about trying to capitalise on (and drive) the resurgence of film by taking out a few adverts to publicise the fact that Boots shops sell film and offer an in-store developing and printing service. Mind you, Boots aren't alone in this, when was the last time you saw an advert for film in Amateur Photographer magazine, or any other photography magazine come to that? Talk about slow to react!

I think film photography could become a lot more popular if a few companies got behind it and promoted it, especially those camera equipment dealers that still have some high-street shops left. After all, back in the days when film was the only choice, buying it provided regular footfall into the local camera shop, and whilst in there we'd be tempted to buy all sorts of other goodies to support our habit! I seem to remember at times it was a bit like going into Aunty Wainwright's shop in Last of the Summer Wine... you'd often come out with more than you went in for and a good few ££s lighter! :whistle:
Click to expand...

..buying other products from Boots while you have your film or whatever done? well I've noticed most things are more expensive compared to other places. Photome have a good chance to promote film being in Asda as everyone has to buy food etc...erm well except Asha who grows his own rabbit food :D:exit:
 
Nothing to do with film, it's lack of business.................how many folk on here get their prints done at Boots?
 
admirable said:
Nothing to do with film, it's lack of business.................how many folk on here get their prints done at Boots?
Click to expand...

Well I did once only because my wife worked there and got a nice discount :D
 
admirable said:
Nothing to do with film, it's lack of business.................how many folk on here get their prints done at Boots?
Click to expand...

Probably very few if anyone on here.......most likely because of the cost, brought aboiut by the greedy profit margins demanded by sharehoders etc and so we re enter the viscous circle, of which man will never free himself of whilst ever he obsesses over money.
 
admirable said:
Nothing to do with film, it's lack of business.................how many folk on here get their prints done at Boots?
Click to expand...
To be perfectly honest, I didn't know they did in-store film developing, as I buy my toiletries and pharmacy provisions from the supermarket. However, if I'd known Boots offered that service, I might well have given them some custom, especially when I wanted a film done in a hurry.

Asha said:
Indeed Brian but profit margins are so poor that I may have to lay off my two helpers (cats) :D
Click to expand...
I'm not entirely sure they are actually digging in your veg plot to help you! :whistle:
 
Asha said:
Probably very few if anyone on here.......most likely because of the cost, brought aboiut by the greedy profit margins demanded by sharehoders etc and so we re enter the viscous circle, of which man will never free himself of whilst ever he obsesses over money.
Click to expand...


Boots are cheaper for a 10x8 print than Loxley!
 
I work in a boots store in wales, and am one of the few who can run the minilab. Thankfully I didn't fall under the axe but many others have. In wales at least, there will only be two stores containing labs, Cardiff and Swansea. Everywhere else will be stripped bare by the end of July, leaving only the digital kiosks with their DNP printers behind. The same processing options will exist for the most part but it will be longer service as it's sent away. (probably 9 days) The biggest problem is, they will have made all of the knowledgeable folk redundant and the core staff don't know how to use the facilities themselves, so help is not going to be on hand.

My finger points in the general direction of the USA and our illustrious new owners who took majority control in 2015. They say it's down to the change in habits of the core market who don't print pictures as often now and prefer to look at everything on screen and share via social media. After these changes occur, they won't see me printing any more of my work there as I cannot abide DNP prints, I want proper wet process on proper photo paper only.
 
admirable said:
Nothing to do with film, it's lack of business.................how many folk on here get their prints done at Boots?
Click to expand...

I have a Boots employee discount card courtesy of my daughter so the 22% discount comes in very handy. Strangely enough their online service is operated by Snapfish so the discount doesn't apply.

My local store doesn't have a lab, but hopefully the one in Cambridge will survive or even closer the Huntingdon branch
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top