Jessops

[Charlotte]

Looks like there's life in the old dog yet:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/mar/27/dragons-den-jessops-peter-jones

[clarion]

Well, I hope he can make a go of it and make it a more attractive option.

[andyoxon]

Good news - so 30 stores is roughly 1/6 of the original number.

[rogerzilla]

The right number was always fewer than 100.  Over-expansion in the face of mail order - which has always been huge for big ticket camera gear, even pre-Internet - was really what finished them.  As well as a mixed quality of staff and really dire own-brand products.

I wish them well, though; anything is better than Currys Digital.

[Charlotte]

I wish them well, though; anything is better than Currys Digital.

Quite.  If Peter Jones gets it right, he can have a showroom store in major UK cities and not have to worry about their turnover because he's cleaning up online.

Hopefully they'll ditch the own brand shite and not gouge people on memory prices, too.

[andyoxon]

What does he have to do to combat the competition of smart phone cameras?

[Jaded]

Have depth of field.

[rogerzilla]

What does he have to do to combat the competition of smart phone cameras?

Nothing.  I don't think a smartphone camera will ever compete with an SLR.  It's about sensor size, interchangeable lenses and having something that is designed as a tool for taking photos rather than Internet browsing and texting (most smartphones are an ergonomic fail for making phone calls on, these days).

Try and fit an iPhone onto a tripod, or even brace it against your face in a strong breeze.

[andyoxon]

Yes, I know the benefits of a decent compact/dSLM/dSLR...       Perhaps there's hope...  http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-news/538903/digital-cameras-fend-off-smartphone-threat-update

‘Although smartphones are having an impact on the digital camera market, the main impact is clearly on traditional "point-and-shoot" camera sales,' said a spokesman for GfK.

‘Despite the total market decreasing by 3% in volume sales from 2006-2011, feature-rich cameras are still drawing large amounts of consumer interest.

‘Changeable-lens cameras have only seen one year of decline in the past six years, compared with five years of double-digit year-on-year growth.'