Camera shops - dead and buried?

I think that even though e-shops are gaining ground, some small shops might stay if they switch to a hybrid model in time.
By a hybrid model I mean heaving a small store (think candy shop) or an office where people can come to pick up their goods or ask for advice if they either dislike asking things over the Internet or for some other reason. Majority of sales would go through their e-shop.
I know three open source shopping solutions e-shops on a tight budget could use.

There IS a big problem with too many e-shops being on-line already, though.
They push prices down like Diego says, they can only have very little profit.
Some do it in a different way - they rent a solution from a big distributor, perhaps add a few things of their own and start advertising. However, it seems that many have recently realised that they have to keep 3-8% to keep them in existence, which isn't necessarily a bad things.
E-shops are taking over the small stores, though. The big ones should be safe for a while.
 
It's not just electronics though. I purchased a new Berghaus all weather jacket last week and while I'd been looking to buy one for MONTHS I was baulking at paying +£200 for the one I liked. So having found the exact Jacket I wanted online (and in stock) for £132 less than Blacks in the high street, where do you think I bought it from?

Oh and get this.... ordered at 8:30pm on Thursday, delivered at 10am Friday!

Pxl8 hits the nail on the head though, if trade supply isn't fairly priced then how the hell can retail?
 
Is it our fault if a business goes broke because the shop stopped doing well? Or is it their fault because they did not recognize the changing market in time and failed to adapt?

I don't think shops will become a thing of the past but there will be a lot less of them and the ones that will do best will have good online shops and the small number of stores that are left will have knowledgeable staff - otherwise whats the point of them.

My experience of shops has been a pretty poor one, most, including small local ones just don't seem that bothered about helping the customer. Lacking knowledge in the products they're selling and unhelpful if they have something out of stock.

I went into London Camera Exchange (Bath) when looking to buy the Sigma 70-200 f2.8. Not the most expensive item in the world but still a fair bit and a good sale as I had already made up my mind. The store only Canon fit in stock, fair enough, it's a small store and wouldn't be able to hold much stock. But this is where the customer service should of come in. I asked when they would have it in. Reply, don't know. I asked if they could find out. "sorry, this lens doesn't come in often." I'm back in two weeks could you have it by then, I can leave a deposit. "No, we're not able to do this." FINE. I'm heading to Bristol now can you see if they have it in stock? "Here is the number." - Why they couldn't ring for me I don't know, it wouldn't of taken long and would of ensured a sale?
 
The problem is that you can't easily compare a high street retailer and an online store. They're two different business models.

Unfortunately the retail method requires lots of costs - staffing for each store, rates for each store, insurance for each store, stock for each store, lots of extra transport costs for getting the stock to each store.

A central warehousing requires less of everything, a skeletal staff of mainly picking and packing people, limited staff training, and the customer hardly comes into contact with a real person.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top