Latest Jessops News!

[MARK AMIES]

I think people need to consider the huge gaping hole that wil be left if Jessops were to succumb.

It's all very well saying you wil get cheap goods, but such was Jessops imapct on the High Street, that if not there, one wonders who would fill the vacuumn?

Who else will you go to on the High Street? Yes, it's a big hurrrah for the independants, but apart from them? Yes , the internet traders, etc.

Where are you going for the playing with cameras, etc?

It will be a disaster if Jessops went.

 

[48thEagle]

I think people need to consider the huge gaping hole that wil be left if Jessops were to succumb.

It's all very well saying you wil get cheap goods, but such was Jessops imapct on the High Street, that if not there, one wonders who would fill the vacuumn?

Who else will you go to on the High Street? Yes, it's a big hurrrah for the independants, but apart from them? Yes , the internet traders, etc.

Where are you going for the playing with cameras, etc?

It will be a disaster if Jessops went.

I can see a lot of sense in that.

Who would want to try and fill the void if Jessops went?

 

[Chappers]

Who would fill the vacuum? PC World..

Don't laugh. Dixons years ago were a photographic company not an electronics retailer, but that's history. Go into any decent PC World and they'll have a range of cameras that will rival that of Jessops.

Popped into the one in Preston today to pick up a hard drive, lots of compacts, but a range of Canon, Nikon, and Olympus DSLR's.

Also lets not forget the independent such as Jacobs, London Camera Exchange, and up here in the North West ,Wilkinsons.

 

[RJL2005]

They had two stores in Basingstoke for years, I never quite understood why. No other company felt the need to have two locations in one small town centre. Commercial suicide.

We can beat that in Cardiff at one stage we had three Jessops, all in the town centre!

I echo concerns for the workforce though, its not a good time to be told your job is at risk or worse. Just happened to me and its a head f***:shake:

 

[MARK AMIES]

I think it is a case of who could? When a store gropu that exploded in its growth like Jessops did, you have to fathom out in these difficult times who would.

Are we leaving it to PC world? They are advertising quite heavily with cameras right now, in fcat two days in a row in the Sun newspaper.

 

[MARK AMIES]

Ah yes - there is one saviour - Jacobs! sorry Jacobs, forgot you, how could I?

 

[jolsterj]

Because part time workers don't have to get paid lunchbreaks, or holiday pay, or sickpay - that's why Sainsbury's work that way - saves them a fortune compared with employing full time staff.

I work part time

I am legally entitled to paid luch breaks and holiday pay [i get 6 weeks] and sick pay..


Dont know where you get your info from. Cause its WRONG!!!

 

[packham]

Why do you put a link on every Jessops? Looking at the destination address it doesn't seem to be Jessops' site.

 

[mid_gen]

It's an affiliate marketing link I'd imagine....makes the TP admins a few pennies if someone clicks through to Jessops website and makes a purchase....

 

[Marcel]

I actually don't think TP have ever made anything from it :shrug:

 

[danbroad]

Actually, I visited a PC world over the weekend and got to pick up and play with the latest SLR's from Canon [50D], Nikon[D60], Sony[A300] and Olympus[E420]. All without any sales pitch or even watching eyes.

I normally shy away from the place [in Stoke, we have Overclockers, the best computer shop in the world for components] but actually came away impressed. I bought my D80 from Jessops, but had to fight tooth and nail to get them to get me the competing Canon from the cupboard.

Whichever shop takes up the reigns [and we all feel in our heart of hearts Jessops won't last 2009 in anything like its present structure], this demo-camera model is definitely the way to go forward. Hands-on, get folks interested. I know the flagship Londinium store has this, but this is exception rather than rule.

BTW, Crewe Jessops [which used to be Crewe cameras] looks almost ready to shut down. Which saddens me greatly, but the shop appears very poorly stocked.

 

[Craft]

I work part time

I am legally entitled to paid luch breaks and holiday pay [i get 6 weeks] and sick pay..


Dont know where you get your info from. Cause its WRONG!!!

Depends on the hours..

so you have a full time employee that does 9:00-5:30
they have two 15 minute breaks and an hour for lunch.. so you pay them 7.5 hours per day, although they only actually work for 6.

two part time employees doing 3 hours each work for the same amount of time, but you pay 1.5 hours less overall. Ok its only 1.5 hours in this case but when multiplied by thousands (e.g. tesco) it saves them a packet.

 

[TG.]

They had two stores in Basingstoke for years, I never quite understood why. No other company felt the need to have two locations in one small town centre. Commercial suicide.

They had two in Milton Keynes for some time, also two in Northampton literally five minutes walk apart, so i'm guessing they probably did the same in most towns and cities from whats been said here, like you say absolute commercial suicide, then a couple of years ago they opened a few new stores i think one was in Cardiff, only to start closing stores a few months after, makes you wonder whoever was running the show was thinking about,as for PC world i was in the MK one a couple of weeks ago, they had a Nikon D90 on display with no cap on the front don't think i would want that even as ex display

 

[jolsterj]

Depends on the hours..

so you have a full time employee that does 9:00-5:30
they have two 15 minute breaks and an hour for lunch.. so you pay them 7.5 hours per day, although they only actually work for 6.

two part time employees doing 3 hours each work for the same amount of time, but you pay 1.5 hours less overall. Ok its only 1.5 hours in this case but when multiplied by thousands (e.g. tesco) it saves them a packet.

I see what you are saying here.

but I am still entitled to holiday pay etc etc even if i am part time.

 

[admirable]

We'll need to see what develops.......

 

[Matt]

part time workers are entitled to 20 mins break in a 6 hour shift. there are other things they are allowed, but frankly i cant be bothered getting into an argument.

Its a sound business practice, it saves money, staff would be on shift at the busy times of day, and the stores should remain open and the remaining staff should keep their jobs, which in the current climate is a good thing, surely?

 

[hotchef23]

I said that jessops match prices locally within a 10 mile radius. I am not sure where you are from hotchef, or whether any of the retailers listed on camera price buster selling the lens you mentioned, fall within that criteria. But the retailer doing that offer needs to be within the 10 mile radius of the jessops store you are purchasing from, and excludes web orders.
You will find as far as profit making is concerned, the web only companies are actually making more money out of you as their overheads are lower in comparison to jessops. You don't need 5 or 6 staff to man phones or process internet orders, where as in a store with physical footflow, the store needs to be constantly manned.
I cannot respond to your last paragraph regarding the share holders as I cannot understand your gramma?!

as stated i am not including web shops in this argument high street based shops, thier prices against jessops,

 

[Marc]

I think people are confusing part time with temporary agency employees here. Part time staff have for a long time been entitled to the same as full time staff on a pro rata basis as far as breaks and holidays are concerned. The law changed recently to entitle temp workers to holiday benefits.

 

[Suvv]

part time workers are entitled to 20 mins break in a 6 hour shift.

Does it have to be paid though?

I used to work for Royal Mail, the day engineers work from 07:30 to 16:00 and get paid for 7.5 hrs. The lunch hour 12:30 to 13:30 is unpaid.

 

[KayJay]

I wonder if all the threads on TP have contributed to this. Seriously. There's practically one a day.

 

[Jelster]

They do and have always matched prices locally,the only criteria is as long as the item you want matching is in stock at the other shop, and it is within a 10 mile radius, then there is no problem matching prices.

This weekend I visited a "flagship" store in New Oxford Street as I wanted a new Tripod. Legs £139.95, Head £49.95 "what's the price for the pair then ?" I asked.

"As it comes" was the reply.

"But it's £40 cheaper over the road in Jacobs...." I commented, but to no avail, so Jacobs got my business, and as usual, Jessops didn't.

Obviously he didn't feel the need for business. (And I've been in sales for over 25 years.....)

Steve

 

[andrew748]

I really don't know why I haven't quit yet and gone to work in sainsburies.

£6.80 an hour, decent kitchen area and staff room, over time, no pressure to sell waste-of-money insurance, and employees treated with a moderate amount of respect by higher ups and customers!

that caught my eye, as one of the obvious fools that was taken in and bought the insurance.

er...

i think it was money well spent, i have 18 months left and have claimed 3 times.

a little more enthusiasm for your job and your products would help imo.
in my experience (35 jobs so far), all the big bosses are *****ers, i was one of them, i should know:bang:
it if stops being fun look for something else.
and when every i'm in my local very good jessops, it amazes me that they don't push memory cards and spare batteries to the new camera buyers.
i can't be the only camera owner that went click mad when i got my first digital.

Any way good luck to all you jessop's employees, i would hate to see you gone from the high street

 

[SimonTALM]

Because part time workers don't have to get paid lunchbreaks, or holiday pay, or sickpay - that's why Sainsbury's work that way - saves them a fortune compared with employing full time staff.

Not quite true, Part Time employees (and contractors) have the same legal rights as full time employees i.e.

• To have a minimum of a 20min break after 6 hours (which P/T staff probably won't need) but there is no requirement for this break to be paid,
• 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year (this is pro rata for P/T staff and can even be calculated on an hourly rate for casual employees)
• Sick pay covered by the Statutory Sick Pay.

Of course the contract of employment may well go above and beyond the minimum (to get good staff you need to) (check out - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/index.htm for more information)

I suspect that if there are any savings from increasing P/T staff they will come from reduced employer NI contributions if the hours worked by the P/T employees are under a certain limit but I'd need to check if that limit exists and what that limit would be.

There will be downsides financially from this, there will be a higher staff turnover (usual for P/T retail staff) so increased recruitment costs, high probability of less knowledgeable staff so a risk of a drop in customer satisfaction, increase in management stress dealing with these issues so high risk of an increase in sick pay, increase in payroll administration costs from more staff.

However, I think it does makes sense from the customer service POV. Most people are likely to go into Jessops at the weekend or at lunchtimes so if they can get more staff to cover those hours it will mean better service if they can ensure the staff knowledge levels are appropriate.

 

[danbroad]

Much as I like being here on TP, we're probably a savvy minority of photographic purchasers. DSLR sales are up, but for every TP member there's probably 5 who bought a DSLR without thinking of joining up here. [Although they should obviously be harangued...]

No, poor business models, a changing market, failure to predict consumer trends, underperforming management, overstocked property portfolios and the rise of the internet have contributed to the Jessops downfall. We're just watching it with interest from a forum on the sidelines.

My biggest worry goes to the staff who are losing livelihoods whilst their company goes to the wall. You have my sympathy and I hope that this cloud has a silver lining for you.

 

[foodpoison]

that caught my eye, as one of the obvious fools that was taken in and bought the insurance.

er...

i think it was money well spent, i have 18 months left and have claimed 3 times.

a little more enthusiasm for your job and your products would help imo.
in my experience (35 jobs so far), all the big bosses are *****ers, i was one of them, i should know:bang:
it if stops being fun look for something else.
and when every i'm in my local very good jessops, it amazes me that they don't push memory cards and spare batteries to the new camera buyers.
i can't be the only camera owner that went click mad when i got my first digital.

Any way good luck to all you jessop's employees, i would hate to see you gone from the high street

It depends.
For digital SLRS, it's a bargain if that's all your buying.

But on a £60 compact camera, £20 insurance is stupid.

The only reason I'm staying here is because I go to uni in a few months.

 

[happyfish]

far as i see, Jessops are in this mess as they've been overpricing everything for years - i mean MEGA overpriced compared to other shops,

I went out with my mate the other day to find him a canon 40D with 17-85mm lens,
jessops wanted £859 and would not budge as the said they were cheaper than Park cameras, (869) when asked if the could put some discount on a memory card they said no.
So we looked around a few other places, eventually went into currys for a browse thinking they would be more expensive, but it worked out they would do the deal for £779 but didnt have the lens in stock, got them to print the deal out for us, took it to jessops and no questions they beat the currys price by a tenner.
They nearly lost a sale that resulted in my mate buying other stuff as well
batteries, mem card, bag, insurance.

when if they had agreed to do a deal in the first place and take £20 off the original price they would of made more.

Thats the problem with business's in this country, no one wants to do a deal.

 

[andrew748]

It depends.
For digital SLRS, it's a bargain if that's all your buying.

But on a £60 compact camera, £20 insurance is stupid.

The only reason I'm staying here is because I go to uni in a few months.

ah thanks for the clarification

 

[foodpoison]

I went out with my mate the other day to find him a canon 40D with 17-85mm lens,
jessops wanted £859 and would not budge as the said they were cheaper than Park cameras, (869) when asked if the could put some discount on a memory card they said no.
So we looked around a few other places, eventually went into currys for a browse thinking they would be more expensive, but it worked out they would do the deal for £779 but didnt have the lens in stock, got them to print the deal out for us, took it to jessops and no questions they beat the currys price by a tenner.
They nearly lost a sale that resulted in my mate buying other stuff as well
batteries, mem card, bag, insurance.

when if they had agreed to do a deal in the first place and take £20 off the original price they would of made more.

Thats the problem with business's in this country, no one wants to do a deal.

I asked if Tesco would reduce the price of one of their bottles of coke by 10p to match Sainsbury's price, but they wouldn't. They didn't even care that I was buying a Sandwich at the same time :shrug:
I totally agree. No one wants to do a deal.

 

[Jelster]

I asked if Tesco would reduce the price of one of their bottles of coke by 10p to match Sainsbury's price, but they wouldn't. They didn't even care that I was buying a Sandwich at the same time :shrug:
I totally agree. No one wants to do a deal.

Not quite the same is it...... Be a little realistic at least.

Steve

 

[happyfish]

I asked if Tesco would reduce the price of one of their bottles of coke by 10p to match Sainsbury's price, but they wouldn't. They didn't even care that I was buying a Sandwich at the same time
I totally agree. No one wants to do a deal.
foodpoison is online now Report Post Reply With Quote

some people may think that sound s stipid asking for a 10p price drop but if your 10p short its a big deal.
I used to live in portugal , were family business's have been running for years, and you wonder how they survive, I think its because they have loyal customers due to the fact that they realize that people want to barter and get the best deal.
I always asked for discount, and would get at least 10% if paying cash, often more if you were a regular.

 

[Matt]

jessops where the cheapest place when I bought my 50d, it was cheaper than jacobs, only grey imports are cheaper, for obvious reasons.

 

[foodpoison]

Not quite the same is it...... Be a little realistic at least.

Steve

Why?
say a bottle of coke is £1.06, 10p is roughly 10%.

You wouldn't see Tescos reducing prices on electronics, either.

Say if you bought a camera and a memory card and a pack of pasta.
Not a chance.

Also, you don't ring up warehouse express and say "i want this this and this, do me a deal" do you? (irrelevant of the fact that they may be cheaper)

I don't understand the whole bartering for brand new goods mentality. Not something I have ever or will ever participate in.

Bartering has its place in the second hand market and indeed a marketplace. Anywhere else, I don't think it is right. However that is my opinion and obviously everyone is entitled to their own.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

high probability of less knowledgeable staff so a risk of a drop in customer satisfaction,

C'mon, this is Jessops we're talking about, the chances of them finding less knowledgeable staff are negligible

I don't understand the whole bartering for brand new goods mentality. Not something I have ever or will ever participate in.

Bartering has its place in the second hand market and indeed a marketplace. Anywhere else, I don't think it is right. However that is my opinion and obviously everyone is entitled to their own.

You're a new-car salesman's wet dream

 

[foodpoison]

C'mon, this is Jessops we're talking about, the chances of them finding less knowledgeable staff are negligible

WOTCHIT!

 

[Flash In The Pan]

in my experience (35 jobs so far)

Run that one by me again.......35 jobs????





Your cv must be like War and Peace

or more probably just the war part

 

[Steve2]

I have bought my D90 in Jessops at the Bluewater store and also my 70-300 nikon as i wanted somewhere to take it back if it went wrong, I have to say the staff were good to me
lets hope they stay on the high street or i am stuffed on the insurance

On the subject of discounts i own a carpet shop and most customers want a deal of some kind nowadays which i am happy to negotiate with them

 

[Flash In The Pan]

post double

 

[foodpoison]

C'mon, this is Jessops we're talking about, the chances of them finding less knowledgeable staff are negligible




You're a new-car salesman's wet dream

I'd never buy a new car

 

[andrew748]

Why?
say a bottle of coke is £1.06, 10p is roughly 10%.

You wouldn't see Tescos reducing prices on electronics, either.

Say if you bought a camera and a memory card and a pack of pasta.
Not a chance.

Also, you don't ring up warehouse express and say "i want this this and this, do me a deal" do you? (irrelevant of the fact that they may be cheaper)

I don't understand the whole bartering for brand new goods mentality. Not something I have ever or will ever participate in.

Bartering has its place in the second hand market and indeed a marketplace. Anywhere else, I don't think it is right. However that is my opinion and obviously everyone is entitled to their own.

watchdog and other consumer based tv programs rightfully killed that mentality ages ago, i like a good humoured barter, it gives my salesmanship time to shine.

Run that one by me again.......35 jobs????





Your cv must be like War and Peace

or more probably just the war part

er.. i get bored very easily, on a plus point my current CV has been nominated for most original fiction at Waterstones

 

[happyfish]

I don't understand the whole bartering for brand new goods mentality. Not something I have ever or will ever participate in.

I asked if Tesco would reduce the price of one of their bottles of coke by 10p to match Sainsbury's price, but they wouldn't.

I think you do understand it, you are maybe uncomfortable with it.
I am uncomfortable with it myself, ( i think its an english thing) But it is a normal way of life in other countries.

After all, the items you purchase are all bartered for in the first place by the buyers for say jessops.

My Partner is a Buyer and she is very good at it, so I normally ask her to ask for me, but when you get a result that could mean a lot more money left in your pocket for other stuff, its a good feeling.