Camera retailer Jessops enters administration (From York Press)

Sad, but ambe they could have changed into a customer friendly communications technology hub, selling both cameras, mobile phones ,perhaps even smart TV's etc.. This, with a strong customer service help component (which was Jessops forte), and primarily concentrating on more mature customers who need more help might have kept them alive.

Correction "ambe" should be maybe.

the annoying thing is that they now wont honour their gift vouchers yet they were still selling them online earlier this afternoon.time something was done to make companies liable for the refund of these things.

Soon we will be down to Coffee shops, Phone shops, charity shops and clothes shops in York - and can we have more Costa signs up please the cardboard cup addicts need one on every street !!
Jessops were very useful for trying out cameras and lenses for those of us who use SLR

This, with a strong customer service help component (which was Jessops forte)

You must be joking. I went in there last summer to ask if they could process a roll of E6 reversal film. The response of the lady behind the counter was to ask me what E6 reversal film was. On a previous occasion, I asked if they had anything slower and finer grained than Tri-X. Again, the sales assistant did not know what I was talking about. And the last time I did actually get a film processed by Jessops (about a year ago), it hadn't been washed after fixing properly and came back with stains and blotches all over the negative.

Admittedly there aren't that many people who still choose to use film left, but you would expect a specialist photographic retailer to want to serve that market. The impression I get is that they were only interested in selling diigtal compacts and accessories at a staggering markup to people who either wanted the convenience of a high street location or simply didn't know that what they were after could be had for half the price online. Sadly, it seems that there aren't enough of them out there to keep Jessops in business.

Guy Fawkes wrote:

This, with a strong customer service help component (which was Jessops forte)

You must be joking. I went in there last summer to ask if they could process a roll of E6 reversal film. The response of the lady behind the counter was to ask me what E6 reversal film was. On a previous occasion, I asked if they had anything slower and finer grained than Tri-X. Again, the sales assistant did not know what I was talking about. And the last time I did actually get a film processed by Jessops (about a year ago), it hadn't been washed after fixing properly and came back with stains and blotches all over the negative.

Admittedly there aren't that many people who still choose to use film left, but you would expect a specialist photographic retailer to want to serve that market. The impression I get is that they were only interested in selling diigtal compacts and accessories at a staggering markup to people who either wanted the convenience of a high street location or simply didn't know that what they were after could be had for half the price online. Sadly, it seems that there aren't enough of them out there to keep Jessops in business.

I was in W H Smiths, the person in front of me asked which pencil was softest, H or B the sales staff looked at each other then one replied yes HB is softest, I put them right.

notmyrealname wrote:
Soon we will be down to Coffee shops, Phone shops, charity shops and clothes shops in York - and can we have more Costa signs up please the cardboard cup addicts need one on every street !!
Jessops were very useful for trying out cameras and lenses for those of us who use SLR

I've used various SLRs for years and as much as I liked the 'Jessops Experience', the prices just weren't competitive in terms of what is on offer via the net.

Sad, particularly for the existing staff, but it is clear that the web is changing the nature of retail and city-centres will need to adapt, as they have had to do time and again over the centuries.

baldiebiker says...

W H Smiths,

They'll be on the list sometime!

Won't be a High Street but Jessops haven't really changed with the times.

Whose betting it will go for £1!

notmyrealname wrote:
Soon we will be down to Coffee shops, Phone shops, charity shops and clothes shops in York - and can we have more Costa signs up please the cardboard cup addicts need one on every street !!
Jessops were very useful for trying out cameras and lenses for those of us who use SLR

That's the problem - and most of us are probably guilty at some time or other. Shops are great for trying something out. People then go online and buy the same goods much cheaper.

The way I see it is...my opinion only...we want to hang on to high street stores but we like and want to shop in a quicker cheaper way, ...Internet/ out of town shopping..those of us at a certain age are all caught between what is proverbially the devil and the deep blue sea!
Ultimately we will lose many high street stores.

And of course in this present climate, the staff will go, overnight, from been hard working strivers to workshy skivers.

Thank you Cameron, Osbourne and all your ignorant supporters.

Another sad aspect of the modern world is that we've taken the 'competitive edge' to extremes. Firms like Jessops provided quality service, as opposed to knock 'em out at the cheapest price and be as efficient as possible.
Don't believe - you try phoning BT, or Virgin or whoever you internet provider is next time your broadband goes down. Even education is the same; targets, performance management, quotas - all the bottoms-on-seats stuff you see everywhere now. 'No I can't answer your call properly sir, or spend extra time giving you the help you need madam, it will jigger my target.

We get what we deserve. The world we live in today isn't designed to give us human welfare or contentment, it is designed for maximum shareholder profit. And that is being political - its the same whether Labour or the Tories are a fudged Coalition are in power. And its pretty unstoppable.

Sorry - last sentence should read; that ISN'T being political - its the same whoever is in power.

"hard working strivers to workshy skivers".

Not workshy skivers - there are no jobs, hundreds of applicants per job.

When you have a benefit system that means you are actually better off on benefits, that's the problem but cutting benefits in a recession isn't a good idea. Exactly how are you supposed to get a job when there are none?

Firms like Jessops provided quality service, as opposed to knock 'em out at the cheapest price and be as efficient as possible.

I'm sorry, but that has never been my experience with Jessops. They charged quality service prices, but delivered supermarket quality service. Every time I went in there it was clear that I, a self-taught, amateur and not very good photographer, knew more the products and services they sold than the people in the shop, who were allegedly professionals who earned their living selling photographic gear. Given the prices they charged and the specialist nature of their business, they should have been able to employ people with a higher and more focused (forgive the pun!) skill set than your average minimum wage shop worker.

I am willing to pay high street prices for a correspondingly higher level of service. For example, I'd always go to Barnitts rather than B & Q for DIY and electrical bits, because you get what you pay the higher prices for: people who know the stuff they're selling inside out and use that knowledge to make sure that you leave the shop as a satisfied customer. For example, I replaced the wiring to a phone extension after the cat bit through it recently. When I went to Barnitts and asked what size of cable clip I needed for telephone wire, the guy knew instantly that phone wire needs 4mm clips. I have never found that equivalent level of expertise from the staff in Jessops, and suspect that this is partly what did them in.

This is the result of several different drivers... the big one being the Internet - the majority of people will go on ebay and amazon to see what they can get there. Problem being you can't see the thing, get a feel for it, or see the quality of the pictures it takes - whereas in shops (except Argos) the stock is on the shelves and there for people to familiarise themselves with it. The price of items/service is the other big one, and is the driving force behind people using the internet stores instead - with people generally forgetting that where prices are lacking so too is some other form of the retain experience. Then you have corporate pressures - I have been working for a major high street store, and when I got the job everybody basically said "oh with their name on your CV their reputation will get you noticed" essentially saying the public holds them in good light; but on the staff side things are much different *(Heating/Air conditioning must be switched off when the store closes to the public, so the staff can freeze; if you are caught out by a trading standards person sending an underage person to buy alcohol and you've sold it to them, the company redirects the fine to you; if you're working stock and a customer has an accident with the container of stock you're working and has an injury, the compensation claim is redirected to you and not the company; 6 hours of work only merits a 15 minute break and not the legal minimum of 30 minutes, the time of the break counting from the second you get on the stairs so if your locker is on the top floor by time you've got up there and allowing time for the return journey you have barely 5 minutes break; when working stock you're expected to get new stock out of the stockroom or big fridge yourself and be no more than 10 minutes, but you're not told about the stock being moved off into some other room or having a couple tonnes of other stock piled in front of it, and then you're hauled over the coals for taking ages)* - and all this is simply to minimise any cost outlay which doesn't drive in more customers; whilst I don't know the exact working of Jessops I can well expect they're policies are similar, with a minimm number of staff doing multiple roles working the longest possible on minimum wage. This reduces the service quality to the customer as staff are rushed off their feet and don't have time for the customer. Likewise the management may see training as a basic provision that just uses resources, and so this is minimised. Ideally there'd be staff specially trained and available at all times in, for example, just SLR cameras, with another specially trained for digital camera over 5MP.... etc....

Guy Fawkes wrote:

Firms like Jessops provided quality service, as opposed to knock 'em out at the cheapest price and be as efficient as possible.

I'm sorry, but that has never been my experience with Jessops. They charged quality service prices, but delivered supermarket quality service. Every time I went in there it was clear that I, a self-taught, amateur and not very good photographer, knew more the products and services they sold than the people in the shop, who were allegedly professionals who earned their living selling photographic gear. Given the prices they charged and the specialist nature of their business, they should have been able to employ people with a higher and more focused (forgive the pun!) skill set than your average minimum wage shop worker.

I am willing to pay high street prices for a correspondingly higher level of service. For example, I'd always go to Barnitts rather than B & Q for DIY and electrical bits, because you get what you pay the higher prices for: people who know the stuff they're selling inside out and use that knowledge to make sure that you leave the shop as a satisfied customer. For example, I replaced the wiring to a phone extension after the cat bit through it recently. When I went to Barnitts and asked what size of cable clip I needed for telephone wire, the guy knew instantly that phone wire needs 4mm clips. I have never found that equivalent level of expertise from the staff in Jessops, and suspect that this is partly what did them in.

Agree to disagree - opposite way round for me. I'm a decent photographer and absolutely hopeless at DIY. I found Jessops always helpful and knowledgeable and Barnitts made me feel like the complete novice I truly am!

I predict a continuing rise in the number of high street cycle shops, as fuel prices continue to escalate.........

I must admit I hardly ever go into town any more and prefer to shop on Amazon. The main reason being that there aren't the independant shops around that there were many years ago. It's boring and the same as anywhere else. I did use those independant shops but obviously not enough people did and they closed. I feel sorry for people losing their jobs but as far as wanting a high street I'm happy for it to be taken over by leisure facilities. Perhaps if they lowered rates etc it would mean more independant shops and then I would start going into town again.

Unfortunately with cheap on line shopping and a recession customers are now looking for value for their money. In order for High Street Shops to survive they are going to have to start thinking about adding value to their products, things like seminars on how to use your new equipment would certainly tempt people into paying a little more.... I recently bought a telescope and would have paid more if we were shown how to get the best from it. Again diversifying in line with current trends..... Business Rates are also crippling as well travel costs and car parking fees that keep potential customers away from the City.... :(

Unfortunate that Jessops has gone, however it was predictable due their pricing and high high street overheads.

There will be other high street casualties yet to come before this depression is over some of them more suprising!

I will keep my thought of which companies they will be to myself.



‘pedalling paul says... 8:48am Thu 10 Jan 13
I predict a continuing rise in the number of high street cycle shops, as fuel prices continue to escalate.........’


Do you really!

Actually fuel has gone down slightly over the last few weeks.

However Paul never let facts get in the way of cycling propaganda!
Can you do me a favour?

If you are so sure of yourself set yourself up in business as a cycle shop and we shall see how many loyal customers you get due to your past, present and inevitable future inane ramblings on here.

I suspect you would go bankrupt very quickly!

Jessop's prices are stupid !!!!!
Asda everytime, I know they don't offer as many specialist services, but great service, friendly staff, cheaper prices.

pedalling paul wrote:
I predict a continuing rise in the number of high street cycle shops, as fuel prices continue to escalate.........

I despair.

notmyrealname wrote:
Soon we will be down to Coffee shops, Phone shops, charity shops and clothes shops in York - and can we have more Costa signs up please the cardboard cup addicts need one on every street !!
Jessops were very useful for trying out cameras and lenses for those of us who use SLR

I do love Costa coffee but you're right with everything.

MrsHoney wrote:
I must admit I hardly ever go into town any more and prefer to shop on Amazon. The main reason being that there aren't the independant shops around that there were many years ago. It's boring and the same as anywhere else. I did use those independant shops but obviously not enough people did and they closed. I feel sorry for people losing their jobs but as far as wanting a high street I'm happy for it to be taken over by leisure facilities. Perhaps if they lowered rates etc it would mean more independant shops and then I would start going into town again.

True.

Even AndyD wrote:
Another sad aspect of the modern world is that we've taken the 'competitive edge' to extremes. Firms like Jessops provided quality service, as opposed to knock 'em out at the cheapest price and be as efficient as possible. Don't believe - you try phoning BT, or Virgin or whoever you internet provider is next time your broadband goes down. Even education is the same; targets, performance management, quotas - all the bottoms-on-seats stuff you see everywhere now. 'No I can't answer your call properly sir, or spend extra time giving you the help you need madam, it will jigger my target. We get what we deserve. The world we live in today isn't designed to give us human welfare or contentment, it is designed for maximum shareholder profit. And that is being political - its the same whether Labour or the Tories are a fudged Coalition are in power. And its pretty unstoppable.

In a nutshell this.

Guy Fawkes wrote:

This, with a strong customer service help component (which was Jessops forte)

You must be joking. I went in there last summer to ask if they could process a roll of E6 reversal film. The response of the lady behind the counter was to ask me what E6 reversal film was. On a previous occasion, I asked if they had anything slower and finer grained than Tri-X. Again, the sales assistant did not know what I was talking about. And the last time I did actually get a film processed by Jessops (about a year ago), it hadn't been washed after fixing properly and came back with stains and blotches all over the negative.

Admittedly there aren't that many people who still choose to use film left, but you would expect a specialist photographic retailer to want to serve that market. The impression I get is that they were only interested in selling diigtal compacts and accessories at a staggering markup to people who either wanted the convenience of a high street location or simply didn't know that what they were after could be had for half the price online. Sadly, it seems that there aren't enough of them out there to keep Jessops in business.

"a strong customer service help component (which was Jessops forte)"

I apologise if I was wrong , my memory reverted to about ten years ago when I last used them.The current York Store has little to attract either in stock or prices.
I am sure however that their is a potential retail business opportunity for a store that concentrated on customer need/help rather than a quick sale.

"I predict a continuing rise in the number of high street cycle shops, as fuel prices continue to escalate........."

Well Pedelling Paul I think I might agree with you there! Sir Wiggins and all! Let's see The Tour de Britain in Yorkshire next year... all out on their bikes!

Glad I used my vouchers I got for Xmas! - That said, the tripod head I bought for £77 from the Jessops phone number was marked up at a £100 in the shop! - Surely they would have had better results had they just matched their own website prices?

Candy Cupcake wrote:
Unfortunately with cheap on line shopping and a recession customers are now looking for value for their money. In order for High Street Shops to survive they are going to have to start thinking about adding value to their products, things like seminars on how to use your new equipment would certainly tempt people into paying a little more.... I recently bought a telescope and would have paid more if we were shown how to get the best from it. Again diversifying in line with current trends..... Business Rates are also crippling as well travel costs and car parking fees that keep potential customers away from the City.... :(

Thank goodness there is at least someone who appreciates the need for service. Website shopping is fine for keen prices, but good help and advice is more necessary in an age of continual change. We are not all technical experts , and as one gets older the pace of change speeds up.Take for example the multiplicity of smart phone outlets, all competing madly on price .The quality of staff and help is poor when your needs are different to the majority social network addicts etc.

MrsHoney wrote:
I must admit I hardly ever go into town any more and prefer to shop on Amazon. The main reason being that there aren't the independant shops around that there were many years ago. It's boring and the same as anywhere else. I did use those independant shops but obviously not enough people did and they closed. I feel sorry for people losing their jobs but as far as wanting a high street I'm happy for it to be taken over by leisure facilities. Perhaps if they lowered rates etc it would mean more independant shops and then I would start going into town again.

Very true. When it comes to something simple such as buying smart shoes (not trainers) there is very little choice now, especially in York.... you've got Barrats, Stead and Simpsons, Clarks, Pavers, and that's about it as most other shops are owned by either Barrats or Clarks.
But it's happening to everything, the bigger companies buy out the smaller ones and then the choice dissappears.

I hope someone saved the Jessops sign for the film museam in Bradford.