Online or Instore?

Daryl

Daryl

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Daryl
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A lot of talk about high street names going under and many thinking that everyone will shop with there PC.

With Photography lit surely the wisest thing is to go see and try out, feel the equipment first.

Peripherals and cleaning kits etc sure purchase online but do most here go to a store/dealer to get hands on before buying?
 
I didn't. I bought online. I decided what camera I wanted and after you've already bought the first one then subsequent ones you can decide without picking up to a greater degree.

Reading lots of reviews gives you a good idea of how they behave and what problems they have or silly usablity things. The dpreview ones are good for this.

I've not bought a camera in a shop since I got one from Jessops donkeys ago. I just buy online. Bought my last one from jessops ironically.

Most stuff I buy online. It's only occasionally items don't live up to what the description says or is disappointing in a way I hadn't anticipated.

Shopping on t'internet is so much easier. No parking space to find. No rain. No old biddies dawdling. No litter. No beggars. No baked on chewing gum to walk over. Local town centres are unpleasant to visit.

The vast majority of things I buy don't involve visiting a shop. Exceptions are carpets as you need to feel those to judge quality. Kitchens/Bathrooms I'd probably want to pull out drawers to make sure they're any good. Luckily there is a wickes 5 minutes away that isn't in a horrible town centre so I can try them out there.

I think most people are becoming like this now.
 
For big purchases like camera body, lenses etc, I prefer to buy in a shop, rather than online. I have a Calumet 10 mins away with parking right outside the door so that's where I go.
 
I was in a supermarket yesterday and saw a usb stick that was perfect for a project, checked mymemory and found the same stick but twice the capacity for less money so the internet won. A couple of days ago I decided to update my pvr, the price difference between online and high st. was only £10 so I bought it locally. The answer is I buy wherever I get the best deal and a perfect example of that is opticians. Iwent to get my eyes tested to VisionExpress, big glitzy place in the shopping center, at least ten staff floating around and the price for glasses in the hundreds. I need glasses but why should I pay a massive premium to cover the wages of all those staff and the rates/costs for the premises?
 
I get the best deal and a perfect example of that is opticians. Iwent to get my eyes tested to VisionExpress, big glitzy place in the shopping center, at least ten staff floating around and the price for glasses in the hundreds. I need glasses but why should I pay a massive premium to cover the wages of all those staff and the rates/costs for the premises?
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...and on the same vein... why should photographers moan and bitch about clients/Joe public comparing ASDA/TESCO Prints with costly photographer prices...

The back ground argument is the same thing. Can't have it both ways.

I have large hands and I need to feel bodies and grip.. not into lightweight small camera bodies. So many are getting small now. Almost kids size.
 
Most High Street shops I've visited to check kit didn't have it in stock - low end maybe fine but anything that costs is considered money tied up doing nothing.
Wanted to buy an iPad yesterday and checked all local outlets (excluding Apple) and could only find one available to pickup in my spec in the whole city!
 
It's an ever decreasing circle (& getting faster) that for every single £ not spent locally, or even in the UK, impinges on all of us in the long term. Use it or lose it!

Loss of revenue = loss of shops & choice = loss of jobs = less income/taxes paid to central govt (all of us)= more unemployment = more taxes we have to pay to compensate.

I know we all like a bargain, or at least competitive prices, but we can't just think, `oh it's only me buying this one item cheap online from Asia`, we're all to blame if we don't support local/UK businesses.
 
I'm very lucky to have two local indy shops that are very well stocked, competitive on price, helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Sadly, one has stopped stocking Canon equipment due to small or no profit margin.

As a shopkeeper/ business man myself, I will always support local business if possible, because its these people that will in turn, spend their money in my shop, and not the guy in China selling grey imports.
 
srichards said:
I didn't. I bought online. I decided what camera I wanted and after you've already bought the first one then subsequent ones you can decide without picking up to a greater degree.

Reading lots of reviews gives you a good idea of how they behave and what problems they have or silly usablity things. The dpreview ones are good for this.

I've not bought a camera in a shop since I got one from Jessops donkeys ago. I just buy online. Bought my last one from jessops ironically.

It's still a good idea to have a feel of the thing before handing over the cash and in the instance of a certain 3rd party lens manufacturer, it's a good idea to try the actual item you're about to buy before shelling out!

Most stuff I buy online. It's only occasionally items don't live up to what the description says or is disappointing in a way I hadn't anticipated.

Shopping on t'internet is so much easier. No parking space to find. No rain. No old biddies dawdling. No litter. No beggars. No baked on chewing gum to walk over. Local town centres are unpleasant to visit.

except when you need to park outside the pick up depot when the PO have called while you were out...

The vast majority of things I buy don't involve visiting a shop. Exceptions are carpets as you need to feel those to judge quality. Kitchens/Bathrooms I'd probably want to pull out drawers to make sure they're any good. Luckily there is a wickes 5 minutes away that isn't in a horrible town centre so I can try them out there.

Just had a new stairs, landing and bathroom carpet fitted and didn't go near a carpet shop, the fitting company brought a selection of sample "books" around and left them with us for several days for us to choose the manufacturer, colour and quality. With kitchens, you're far better visiting a customer who's had theirs fitted for a while to see how the units last in real life, without being fettled on a daily basis and having the standard fixings beefed up with decent ones when the drawer fronts drop off!

I think most people are becoming like this now.
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gramps said:
Most High Street shops I've visited to check kit didn't have it in stock - low end maybe fine but anything that costs is considered money tied up doing nothing.
Wanted to buy an iPad yesterday and checked all local outlets (excluding Apple) and could only find one available to pickup in my spec in the whole city!
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As it happens, the other store I visited after Jessops this morning was the Apple store. I had popped into HMV (bang opposite the apple store) to see what they were charging for an iPod Classic - they had it at £189.99, £10 cheaper than the Apple store. Despite the Exeter HMV store being out of stock of the thing, the Apple store price matched HMV (and actually undercut them by 99p).

The Greek said:
I'm very lucky to have two local indy shops that are very well stocked, competitive on price, helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Sadly, one has stopped stocking Canon equipment due to small or no profit margin.

As a shopkeeper/ business man myself, I will always support local business if possible, because its these people that will in turn, spend their money in my shop, and not the guy in China selling grey imports.
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We're very lucky here in Exeter to have 2 decent camera shops (as well as Jessops...) and a dealer who specialises in older kit just out of the city centre (who is rarely open). One of them doesn't stock Canon SLRs since Canon's close ties with Jessops meant that they (Jessops) could offer far better prices on Canon kit than independent stores could. Conversely, Jessops couldn't stock some brands, possibly because they were on "stop" with the UK distributors so had to pay on delivery (or maybe order) for those products. I hope for Canon owners' sakes that Jessops' collapse doesn't take Canon UK down as well...
 
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ukpbz said:
Sounds likes opportunity here


Open a store for demo only. Charge a nominal fee to try and feel an item. Affiliate with the top online suppliers and bobs you uncle

Maybe?
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Charge a reasonable fee and make it refundable against a confirmed order, perhaps?
 
I much prefer going into a shop having a good look and play, then walking out with it there and then. I hate having to wait in for stuff to be delivered, and not knowing when I will get it.

If its massively cheaper I may order online, but if it's only a few quid difference then not worth the aggro.
 
There is no doubt that non commodity retail, is moving online.
If something is part of a weekly shop that is only "Less" true, but it is still moving in that direction.

When I was a boy my mother did most of her shop on the phone, or dropped in a list. It was delivered later that day. Home delivery was normal.

The supermarkets are trying to make it so again. It is more efficient in terms of stock control and turnover of dated supplies.

Retail shops are an expensive and inefficient way of distributing goods. At best it is double stocking, adds a second layer of mark up, creates shopsoiled goods and old stock problems that add to overheads. and has high costs for space and labour
The only advantage is for those few customers who still want to handle the goods in real time. Or get free technical advice.

Every thing else is easier on line.
 
I know most people have the internet now, but that means if you have no internet you can't shop :)
 
Nod said:
One of them doesn't stock Canon SLRs since Canon's close ties with Jessops meant that they (Jessops) could offer far better prices on Canon kit than independent stores could. Conversely, Jessops couldn't stock some brands, possibly because they were on "stop" with the UK distributors so had to pay on delivery (or maybe order) for those products. I hope for Canon owners' sakes that Jessops' collapse doesn't take Canon UK down as well...
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Another one, interesting. I wonder how many more independents have stopped stocking Canon in the last few years.

Hope Canon UK haven't shot themselves in the foot by showing favoritism to Jessops and sod the little independents.
 
jonbeeza said:
I know most people have the internet now, but that means if you have no internet you can't shop :)
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That is certainly true in a local sense.
There are very few local specialist shops of any sort any more.
Try buying wood turning tools or the like.
Even hardware findings.
Or a spinning wheel
There are now very few shops anywhere, that carry specialist craft supplies.
But every thing is easy to buy on line.


I bought a new 120mm case fan for my computer this week. They were not available in either of my local towns (I asked), driving there and back would have cost more than the item and postage did.
 
Judging by reviews on amazon.com and also comments on forums, a lot of people in the US seem to use online ordering as a try before you buy service. Many people seem to return cameras for often trivial reasons or even buy and return several models before deciding which one to keep. Problem with that is retailers (honest ones at least) end up with a lot of customer returns which they then have to sell on at a reduced price. Either that or customers end up getting 'new' cameras which are actually customer returns.
 
My parents are getting more stuff online. I'm their goods mule!

Home shopping via a catalogue was quite a common thing. The internet is just a larger catalogue. Mail order didn't really kill off brands in they way the internet has done.

I make a point of not generally using HK suppliers however attractive their pricing is. I know they're not paying taxes and import duties as honestly as UK suppliers have to.

When money is tight people are going to go with the unethical as if it's a straight choice between doing without and buying from somewhere slightly iffy and having what they want/need.

This is why people still shop in Asda even though they're owned by Walmart. This is why they don't think about how farmers are being pushed into penury for their cheap supermarket food. Not everyone can afford ethics all the time.

The playing field needs levelling between the shop retailers and the online retailers somehow but I can't see a satisfactory way of actually doing it apart from removing business rates so all have similar overheads.

Plus if you allow prices to rise because you've made the cost of doing business via the internet more expensive then that's a whole other heap of trouble.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
I bought a new 120mm case fan for my computer this week. They were not available in either of my local towns (I asked), driving there and back would have cost more than the item and postage did.
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Yes have to agree with you there that would make sense, no point traveling for items if it's cheaper to post.
 
I would always try and buy online because of the additional protection of the Distance Selling Regulations. They are in place partly to allow for the fact that you can't try the goods out as you would in a shop and therefore (with some exceptions) you can send stuff back without reason within 7 days.

A lot of shops wouldn't let you return goods unless faulty and if they do may only give vouchers or credit note in lieu of cash refund.

Amazon said to me a while ago they just see returns as a necessary cost of doing business online and is partly why Amazon Warehouse exists to shift returned goods.
 
Spuff said:
I would always try and buy online because of the additional protection of the Distance Selling Regulations. They are in place partly to allow for the fact that you can't try the goods out as you would in a shop and therefore (with some exceptions) you can send stuff back without reason within 7 days.

A lot of shops wouldn't let you return goods unless faulty and if they do may only give vouchers or credit note in lieu of cash refund.
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I wonder if items ordered on line, and then picked up in store are covered, or is it considered an in store sale :thinking: Or maybe if paid online and picked up, versus paying when collecting makes a difference?
 
Daryl said:
Ok so online is growing... but Rarely do because hald the companies i see selling stuff are over seas and never heard of the name before. so i don;t trust them.. Seen and heard to many rip off stories to bother with it.
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Plenty of reviews/comments here in the forum though if you want opinions on a retailer before you buy plus there are also lots of good UK suppliers who sell online: SRS, Park Cameras; Wex; Castle Cameras; etc etc
 
The Greek said:
Another one, interesting. I wonder how many more independents have stopped stocking Canon in the last few years.

Hope Canon UK haven't shot themselves in the foot by showing favoritism to Jessops and sod the little independents.
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That's what happened to HR Johnsons and Pilkington tiles back in the early 70's. That was about the time ceramic tiles took off in the uk and there was born 'the tile shop'. Hundreds of small businesses setting up all based from the tile trade as it was then. Small distributors supplying tiling firms and individual fixers with shops, a burgeoning home industry. Then B&Q etc came upon the scene and the two big British manufacturers bent over backwards for them. Screw the small trade that had evolved organically.
Well, that ****ed us all off overnight and we went abroad for our products now.
Their market share went from 52% down to under 30% in about two years.
Lord knows what it is now?
Lots of small customers beats a few huge ones every time in my opinion.
 
Steve T said:
Then B&Q etc came upon the scene and the two big British manufacturers bent over backwards for them. Screw the small trade that had evolved organically.
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Bit like the music and dvd industry is doing with HMV at the moment - I read that they are only still trading thanks to £40 million of stock they got in for the Christmas trading period which they don't have to pay for unless they sell it.

"to quote the CMU website “Incredibly favourable supplier terms from major music and DVD companies is currently helping HMV to continue operating”.
http://www.avalancherecords.co.uk/2013/01/01/avalanche-future-plans-and-hmvfopp/

No chance of your local independent record store getting such terms!
 
Allegedly, when Jessops last went pop, Canon UK stepped in to protect their investment - Jessops were so far up Canon UK that had they been allowed to vanish, Canon UK wouldn't have been too far behind.

At the time, people were moaning that Jessops weren't stocking Sigma lenses or any Pentax stuff, it was only available on customer order (and IIRC, payment on ordering) since lines of credit didn't exist.
 
advantage of online is often cheaper, advantage of in store is get it there and then....

take for example a paperback book. £6.99 in waterstones, £3.49 on amazon, or £3.86 at tesco's. Tesco get the business at 30 odd pence isn't worth worrying about...

If it's a "significant" amount of cash... and cheaper online, then online but from a reputable dealer/company....
 
Daryl said:
A lot of talk about high street names going under and many thinking that everyone will shop with there PC.

With Photography lit surely the wisest thing is to go see and try out, feel the equipment first.

Peripherals and cleaning kits etc sure purchase online but do most here go to a store/dealer to get hands on before buying?
Click to expand...

I try to go Focus every year and look at / handle new kit there. There are other exhibition events; LCE tend to run a few.
 
Daryl said:
...and on the same vein... why should photographers moan and bitch about clients/Joe public comparing ASDA/TESCO Prints with costly photographer prices...

The back ground argument is the same thing. Can't have it both ways.
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Totally agree.
 
Daryl said:
...and on the same vein... why should photographers moan and bitch about clients/Joe public comparing ASDA/TESCO Prints with costly photographer prices...

The back ground argument is the same thing. Can't have it both ways.
Click to expand...

thats a very good point !

i think at this present moment in time we are witnessing a massive shift in peoples shopping habits, who knows the jobs lost in Jessops etc may well be created in other areas i.e mail order fulfillment and courier/postal services?
 
If you know what you want, a box from a shop is no different to a box online. You actually have stronger legal protection on line using a card in the UK.
In that situation Price and delivery are king.
 
Asda and tesco prints may well cost less, but they do not own the rights. So the situation is not equal.
 
ukpbz said:
Sounds likes opportunity here


Open a store for demo only. Charge a nominal fee to try and feel an item. Affiliate with the top online suppliers and bobs you uncle

Maybe?
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Quite frankly, I don't think people are willing to pay a fee, even a nominal one, to try equipment. I think it would attract such negative publicity that it would be a total non-runner.
 
mortimerhill said:
Quite frankly, I don't think people are willing to pay a fee, even a nominal one, to try equipment. I think it would attract such negative publicity that it would be a total non-runner.
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Probably that is true now, but the situation will change where there are no more Retail photo-stores in local towns, Which is the situation already in many.
Even now most Photo stores do not carry competing ranges, so you can not do a hands on comparison.
I for one would not mind paying a reasonable fee to "hands on" competing models.
 
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