Dragon Peter Jones buys Jessops

soapfan_1973soapfan_1973 Posts: 3,624
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BREAKING NEWS.

Apparently Peter Jones from Dragons Den has bought Jessops and will be running it as an online business

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21285587
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  • djcityboydjcityboy Posts: 29
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    BREAKING NEWS.

    Apparently Peter Jones from Dragons Den has bought Jessops and will be running it as an online business

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21285587
    Great, now I'll buy HMV and turn it into an online only business.
  • CaldariCaldari Posts: 5,890
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    An online camera shop, that's not going to work. How the hell are you supposed to get a feel for the camera and check out the ergonomics before purchasing?
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    Caldari wrote: »
    An online camera shop, that's not going to work. How the hell are you supposed to get a feel for the camera and check out the ergonomics before purchasing?

    Maybe because in the mass market most people don't care about the ergonomics of a camera. They just buy to a price. The camera-geeks will keep going to specialists.

    The main reason Jessops was in trouble was because of online retailers so other businesses have been able to do it.
  • InspirationInspiration Posts: 62,694
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    Suppose there will always be shops like John Lewis who have camera departments but I guess they're not on the same scale as Jessops and perhaps more pricey too.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 904
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    Caldari wrote: »
    An online camera shop, that's not going to work. How the hell are you supposed to get a feel for the camera and check out the ergonomics before purchasing?

    Try Currys. Then come back home and buy online. Like the rest of us ;)
  • soapfan_1973soapfan_1973 Posts: 3,624
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    Caldari wrote: »
    An online camera shop, that's not going to work. How the hell are you supposed to get a feel for the camera and check out the ergonomics before purchasing?
    Like other posters have said we live in a world these days where most people prefer to shop online. They are not always concerned about the feel of a product as long as the price is ok and any comments or reviews written are positive. Unfortunately I think the days of try before you buy are long gone for many products which is why we are seeing the same type of physical stores folding.
  • kochspostulateskochspostulates Posts: 3,067
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    Like other posters have said we live in a world these days where most people prefer to shop online. They are not always concerned about the feel of a product as long as the price is ok and any comments or reviews written are positive. Unfortunately I think the days of try before you buy are long gone for many products which is why we are seeing the same type of physical stores folding.

    The reason that it collapsed was because people bought from Amazon. So being online dosen't matter?
  • fainéantfainéant Posts: 2,654
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    Long before Jessops expanded to almost every major High Street they had a very respected mail order operation selling on price through publications such as Amateur Photographer, well before the Internet. Taking it back to its main strengths seams like a very sensible thing to do.
  • CharnhamCharnham Posts: 61,152
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    LostFool wrote: »
    Maybe because in the mass market most people don't care about the ergonomics of a camera. They just buy to a price. The camera-geeks will keep going to specialists.

    The main reason Jessops was in trouble was because of online retailers so other businesses have b een able to do it.
    but Jessops will have to compete strongly in that market to survive. Meanwhile the people who will spend that bit extra on a good camera, wont be the type to spend the money without seeing and having a feel of the camera.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    Try Currys. Then come back home and buy online. Like the rest of us ;)

    That's nice. Then the assistant who has spent time serving you and making recommendations will get it in the neck from the bosses because he/she hasn't made their target.

    With people like you around, is it any wonder morale in retail is at an all time low? A shop worker can be as nice and as helpful as possible, but you're still going to throw it in their face... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    Charnham wrote: »
    but Jessops will have to compete strongly in that market to survive. Meanwhile the people who will spend that bit extra on a good camera, wont be the type to spend the money without seeing and having a feel of the camera.

    That's true. There's no guarantee that Jessops will survive online but at least they have a decent brand and Peter Jones must see it as a worthwhile investment. The article doesn't say how much he paid for the business but I bet it was at a clearance price.

    There is a market for professional and serious-amateur photographers but it's not big enough to sustain a nationwide chain of high street shops.

    Most people just want a cheap camera to take pictures on their holidays. They don't really care about advanced features or ergonomics.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 904
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    That's nice. Then the assistant who has spent time serving you and making recommendations will get it in the neck from the bosses because he/she hasn't made their target.

    With people like you around, is it any wonder morale in retail is at an all time low? A shop worker can be as nice and as helpful as possible, but you're still going to throw it in their face... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

    Who mentioned shop assistants? Have you ever been into a branch of Currys? Most of the products are on display, for, shock horror, people to have a look at.

    In any case, I spend my money where I feel I get the best value. I have absolutely no problem walking into a high street shop, looking and if possible picking a product up and using it and then returning home to buy it from the cheapest place I feel comfortable with.
  • flashgordon1952flashgordon1952 Posts: 3,799
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    what ahero and agreat thing to do ! well done mr jones there is a gong waiting for yu..
    Offocurse he has bought the compnay because its is a great name and yes its had problems but with his help and knowledge . jessops will continue well after mr jones has retired in some island paradise
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    Who mentioned shop assistants? Have you ever been into a branch of Currys? Most of the products are on display, for, shock horror, people to have a look at.

    In any case, I spend my money where I feel I get the best value. I have absolutely no problem walking into a high street shop, looking and if possible picking a product up and using it and then returning home to buy it from the cheapest place I feel comfortable with.

    Well, I had a job in retail travel, and would spend HOURS with people - who came in with no idea what they wanted - going through various options so that, with the information I and my colleagues spent ages giving them, they found the ideal holiday they wanted.

    Then they would say 'oh, we just need a couple of hours to think about it'... and when I was told to phone up 2 hours later and ask why they hadn't booked, they said 'oh, we found the same thing cheaper online'.

    I quit before I was sacked for not having made my targets. It was soul destroying, and I feel sorry for any retail worker who has to put up with being exploited like this. I imagine this happened to a lot of the poor people working in Jessops.

    It's not something I would do. I would research something online and buy there, but if I go into a shop for advice, I feel strongly that if I feel I'm given good advice, I return the favour by buying the recommended product there.
  • JonDoeJonDoe Posts: 31,598
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    what ahero and agreat thing to do ! well done mr jones there is a gong waiting for yu..

    Has he saved anyone's job or has he just bought a brand?
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    what ahero and agreat thing to do !

    He won't have done it out of the goodness of his heart or the desire to save anyone's job. It will be because he thinks there is money to be made from the business.
  • CharnhamCharnham Posts: 61,152
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    LostFool wrote: »
    That's true. There's no guarantee that Jessops will survive online but at least they have a decent brand and Peter Jones must see it as a worthwhile investment. The article doesn't say how much he paid for the business but I bet it was at a clearance price.

    There is a market for professional and serious-amateur photographers but it's not big enough to sustain a nationwide chain of high street shops.

    Most people just want a cheap camera to take pictures on their holidays. They don't really care about advanced features or ergonomics.
    I agree with your post, and certainly the bit about chain of high street stores, but the market for cheap point and click digital cameras is one that is very competitive, even the supermarkets have a foot in it.

    Meanwhile the market for professional cameras is much smaller, but higher value. The problem being that, that market will want the shop experince when buying that camera.

    Im not sure how they can square that circle, on either the high end cameras, or the cheaper cameras, both markets having there own issues.

    heck the future of HMV may even be in selling cheap to medium range cameras in store, alongside other products.

    If Game had, had a bad Christmas, I wonder if HMV, Jessop and Game, should poll their resources, to make up one large store.
  • Mrs TeapotMrs Teapot Posts: 124,896
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    JonDoe wrote: »
    Has he saved anyone's job or has he just bought a brand?

    Looks like the brand and remaining stock to me Jon, he is one of a few.
  • CharnhamCharnham Posts: 61,152
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    JonDoe wrote: »
    Has he saved anyone's job or has he just bought a brand?
    TBH at this point the jobs are gone anyways, the only way to save any jobs AT all, is to go back to square one, start over. To start at square 1, with some expectation you will save a few hundred jobs, is madness.

    If he can rebuild Jessops in a new image, then all credit to him, as the company rises from the ashes, he will offer more jobs, and employ people who are maybe more suited to the needs of the companys new form.
  • kochspostulateskochspostulates Posts: 3,067
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    All mobile phones these days have a camera and we all have a phone. Does anyone need to buy a separate camera any more?
  • CaldariCaldari Posts: 5,890
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    All mobile phones these days have a camera and we all have a phone. Does anyone need to buy a separate camera any more?

    How does one attach a mobile phone to the end of a telescope? How does one take photos of fast-moving objects, aircraft in my instance, with a shitty mobile phone camera? How does one attach any sort of lens to a mobile phone?
  • zx50zx50 Posts: 91,227
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    BREAKING NEWS.

    Apparently Peter Jones from Dragons Den has bought Jessops and will be running it as an online business

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21285587

    According to that article it's been sold to a number of buyers, including Peter Jones.
  • zx50zx50 Posts: 91,227
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    All mobile phones these days have a camera and we all have a phone. Does anyone need to buy a separate camera any more?

    Since when did mobile image resolutions reach 1,000+x?
  • Mrs TeapotMrs Teapot Posts: 124,896
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    All mobile phones these days have a camera and we all have a phone. Does anyone need to buy a separate camera any more?

    Not for every day Kochs but a lot of people have an avid interest in photography and will pay a lot of money for different lenses and all the other stuff. My daughter has a camera that cost a lot and I work with a colleague who publishes and sells photographs. She now tends to negotiate sales of past cameras and new lenses (not new) online with other people.

    I love photography, it can be a beautiful art......never had the expensive stuff though, I just snap what I love for my own pleasure.
  • CaldariCaldari Posts: 5,890
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    zx50 wrote: »
    Since when did mobile image resolutions reach 1,000+x?

    Cameraphones, as shit as they are, have been able to take images far larger that that for nigh on a decade now. Take a 3.4MP cameraphone, that'll take an image of about 2048x1500 or so.
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