Used this company quite a bit in the past, great for second hand lenses before Ebay came on to the scene. Such a shame, they've been going since 1935.
I won't say that Jessops were ther architects of the shift in camera equipment sales that has caused their demise but I have to say they were the primary reason we stopped selling cameras. In the late nineties they got incredibly aggressive with regard to camera sales, undercutting any price, both high street retail and mail order. They were even suspected of 'reserving' stock with people such as Nikon, insisting that they keep 'X' amount of stock in the warehouse, just in case they should need them, but not actually buying them. Such was their buying power Nikon would comply and not release stock to other dealers. We lost more than one contract because we couldn't supply within the time frame despite there being plenty of product in the warehouse. Jessops would then pick up the contract and have the stock released. Argos were the same. We've been beaten down to below cost price before just to ensure we don't get the sale, and not only us but many independent dealers. And before you doubt it remember that we still deal with the likes of Nikon, Canon, Fuji and until they too succumbed, Polaroid and our account managers kept us in the loop on the matter more than, perhaps, they needed to. We realised it was a no win situation and got out of the camera market and into an area they could not compete with us directly and are thriving in it, thanks to all concerned. That all said, its terrible to see such a cornerstone of our industry fail. Ironic that its been their own tactics waged upon them by online companies, but sad to see all the same. There's a lot of families won't sleep well tonight and for them I feel sorry, truly. But I won't shed many tears for Jessops.
I think they will trade online, but the stores will shut, shame. I also think the worst is yet to come, after speaking to local businesses and traders, they all say 2012 was the worst year ever, and they haven't had any repeat contracts for 2013 yet... we have remained steady, but after speaking to clients, they definitely don't have the disposable income that they had 1 , 2, 3 years ago...it will be a knock on effect for us too. There seems to be growth in the building trade according to mates, people are improving and extending instead of moving, and taking advantage of the lower property prices, but on the whole, it looks very grim for at least another 5 years I would say. It's going to take years to recover, if ever, I feel. Shame, but this place went to the dogs a while ago, and if the government invested and took care of the people in this country to start with, rather than giving it away to the immigrants and serial benefit claimers, bankers and politicians et al, then we wouldn't be in this mess, not to mention the war in Africa....what a waste of money and lives that is..... Pensions are worth fek all, you're taxed to the hilt on everything, in retirement and death, it costs a fortune to live in a home when you are old, even after paying in the circle all your life, and are forced to sell your house to pay for it when probably the person in the room next to you pays nowt because they have never worked...... It really boils my piss. Sorry. My advice, if your young, get out while you can, at least it's sunny and warm on the continent. Zeitgeist guys.
I meant afghan... Bloody iPhone. sort out the problems here first, there some dire consequences not doing so... stop trying to fight ghosts and wasting valuable lives abroad, it will save a fortune and save a soldiers life. There's many a mate I've lost over the years, and their families are devastated on what they think is a lost cause.... The way things have deteriorated in the last 10 years here, really is a debacle, everyone is suffering. We are all working harder, longer, and yet life costs us more... And it's nothing to do with the honest workers, it's the greedy bastards around us, the lazy and incompetant that have had many a hand in making the financial side of the UK beyond redemption. To be told that we are lucky to have a job is a fookin joke..I mean, WTF??? I feel really sorry for the next generation, our kids etc.. There's nothing for them here, they have grown up in a world full of selfishness, over the top political correctness, and see their peers winging it for maximum gain for the littlest outlay..not good. University means nothing anymore, costs a fortune to boot, and they will have little to no prospects... Cheap labour rules guys, companies save a fortune employing the Polish or East European. Again, not good, but their hand is forced. UK BusinessES pay a fortune in corporation tax, get raped for every penny, while big conglomerates like Starbucks and Amazon pay next to nothing, although they argue they are massive employers. So are the NHS, but they are forced to take massive cuts, and also redundancy...who ever though a nurse would be made redundant??? It's all wrong, it's all corrupt and it's worse than ever... How the hell is it going to get better??????
I think our generation Ken has seen a massive decline here these past years... It's a benefit society amongst many. Everyone seems to be wanting more for nothing. Greed rules mate. I like my toys, and I work hard for them, I sell on eBay, do deals here and there to fund them, I simply couldn't afford it if I didn't, same goes for holidays. 2 weeks before Xmas, a client ( a regular) comes in.... They are holidaying in Florida with their 2 kids over Xmas...Yet they both don't work... Haven't done for 12 years..She said plainly they know how to work the system, they get a 4 bed house in a posh area paid for them, claim disability because they claim they have depression etc, have a new car every 3 years..... Oh my God. The majority of us are pulling our plums out to pay for these fekkers, fund the holiday and yet will prob be worse off in the future unless we have saved wisely or invested, and done without. Theres thousands of the fekkers like that. Christ, I have have suffered from major anxiety for at least 10 years, been on countless pills ( red wine theses days though) and although it can be hard sometimes, I run a business with the worry if its going to be here in 12 mths, but have the satisfaction I can sit back and admire some fruits of my labour... I think it's a self esteem. A lot seem to have a severe lack of it Ken, and morals... But if they continue to get paid for doing absolutely fuck all, then the crux of the problem doesn't really lay with them does it??? Lots of love, disgruntled from the UK.
You're preaching to the choir here mate. I'm a 52 year old married man with no children, no religious commitments, scrupulously hetero sexual, with no disabilities, learning difficulties, chronic illnesses, physical or mental, possessing no savings. The fact that I've scrimped and gone without in order to pay off the mortgage on my beloved home means that my credit score is low (no threat of eviction to hold over my head, you see), so my earning potential, and therefore worth, to the financial system of the country is zero. Add it all together and does it make me a valued contributor to the system with all the respect and kudos that should imply? No. It means I am the one that has least recourse or right to ask for anything back out of the system. The pension I paid for is gone before I can ask for it back and the national insurance I've forked over may, if I'm lucky, allow me to die in slightly more comfort if anyone can find me a virus free bed in whatever will be passing for an NHS hospital when the time comes. That is of course, if the administration heavy hospital service has any medical staff left over from treating the health tourists it seems we, the guilt ridden English appear to have accepted responsibility for, regardless of affiliation, allegiance or even disdain or hatred for the teet at which they suckle. Now that's a rant.
And a sodding good one.. The mental stabilisation is questionable though? I too have lost 20 yrs pension, gone for good mate... I'll make sure all my possessions are in my kids name, and I won't have a pot to piss in. I look forward to being well off when I'm infirm.....
There's nothing wrong with my mental stabilisation. I already to for is without any doubt of purple invetro sage wilderness consultation!
I seem to have the touch of death here. I bought a Tablet from Comet with a £30 cashback offer 2 weeks before they announced administration (goodbye cashback) and then was browsing on Jessops' website the other day when looking for my new camera. As for the rest I don't even know where to start. A lass I work with had a baby last year and she's now gone part time (and does pretty much f**k all when she is there). She accordingly gets paid peanuts but doesn't care because she's moved into a council house with the bairn and is claiming working tax credits (making sure that she's not married and doesn't live with the father so that she can get extra......oh and he lives in a separate council house too), child benefit, council tax benefit etc etc etc. She's just in the process of getting a brand new car and is always dressed in the latest threads etc. Meanwhile I'm entitled to absolutely sweet FA. I could go on mentioning other people I know but it'll just make me mad.
The other spin on this is the dudes who are perhaps really specialised in the field of photograph and may have spent a lifetime in the (game) Where the hell do they get a job ? I bet in the sixties/ seventies they would have been a close knit group who could perhaps get a new start perhaps the same day.For me I have used them a couple of times only but the guys always seemed to be helpful and the information seemed good. Just a shame and this is a bit like the Engineering base this country had this skill and advice will be lost forever and folks my have to just google everything to learn from.
