Jessops in Market Street, Watford, forced into administration

9:24am Thursday 10th January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Zoe Forsey, Reporter

Watford shop forced into administration Watford shop forced into administration

A photography shop in Watford has announced that it is unable to accept gift vouchers after the company was forced into administration yesterday (Wednesday).

Shoppers will not be able use vouchers or return goods to Jessops in Market Street.

The highstreet retailer appointed administrators yesterday after its core marketplace declined in 2012.

The future of the St Albans shop is uncertain as administrators said that store closures would be inevitable.

Joint administrator Rob Hunt said: "Over the last few days the directors, funders and key suppliers have been in discussions as regards additional consensual financial support for the business.

"However these discussions have not been successful. In light of these irreconcilable differences the directors decided to appoint administrators and we were appointed earlier today.

"Our most pressing task is to review the company's financial position and hold discussions with its principal stakeholders to see if the business can be preserved.

"Trading in the stores is hoped to continue today but is critically dependent on these ongoing discussions. However, in the current economic climate it is inevitable that there will be store closures."

Comments(17)

Razor Sharp says...
10:01am Thu 10 Jan 13

It's a shame, but Amazon offered by far more competitive prices on DSLR cameras and lenses. It was just a matter of time with cameras and related kit so widely available in John Lewis and other high street stores.

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Mohandas says...
10:02am Thu 10 Jan 13

The online niche specialists who are cheaper and often have more extensive ranges is altering our High Street offer and the planned new revamped market will have to up its game with the increasing use of ‘smart phone technology’. It’s very sad for those who have their gift vouchers or won prizes. Was there ever any room for sentimentality ( think Woolworth’s) in today’s world? South Sea Bubble Disaster comes to mind.

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TRT says...
10:02am Thu 10 Jan 13

It's a great loss. The news is highlighting camera sales as the main thrust of the business, and that competition from supermarkets and online retailers in that field is the cause of the downturn in trade, but it's the satellite services which supermarkets etc don't offer which will be missed. I mean things like accessories (tripods and tripod parts, filters, cleaning kits, batteries, lenses), film processing and printing (not just 35mmC41 which you can still get from Costco and the like, but 120, E6, B&W etc), camera repairs and servicing, advice on shooting, the law, insurance etc.

Sad day. At least we still have SRS.

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Mohandas says...
10:24am Thu 10 Jan 13

TRT you have a good point on support services which seems increasingly absent in retail outlets and as the pressure is on to sell, something has to go. Are the long queues for the 'returns dept' a symptom of miss selling and a retailer's fragile goodwill is now built on how quickly they handle complaints as opposed to getting the right product to the right customer first time.

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TRT says...
10:46am Thu 10 Jan 13

Bang on there, Mohandas. I used to work in electronics retail sales and prided myself on my product knowledge and passion for getting people something that they would use and enjoy. I would read the trade magazines and Which? and also try out everything for myself when it came into the shop. And I only worked part-time too! I must have spent half-as-much time again unpaid just messing around with the new gear.

The internet has made it so easy to find product information and reviews now... yet it lacks the personal touch. How can one feel how a camera sits in the hand when you shop on the internet? I've seen tiny, tiny women trying to use cameras the size of a shoe-box, obviously uncomfortable, and huge blokes trying to use micro cameras where in the very act of pressing the shutter button their finger hits another control or covers a sensor or flash.

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The Rover says...
11:13am Thu 10 Jan 13

A real shame.

When buying a camera it is always nice to have a play and take a few photos before making a decision, something you cannot do when purchasing online.

Unfortunately, with the online price being so low it is likely that people used Jessops as the showroom before buying from one of their online competitors at a much lower price. Looks like that previledge will not be around for too much longer.

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Watford Voice of reason says...
11:36am Thu 10 Jan 13

Sad to see, but perhaps the Jessops Directorate/Board should have seen the dangers of the changing marketplace long before it was too late.

Even although there were numerous outlets cheaper than Jessops, the stores were competing against their own brand's on-line business. I recently priced a couple of camera bodies with Jessops web site and when I went into the local store, the staff couldn't believe the price differential. Yet the only way for me to get the cheaper price was to buy on-line and have it delivered to the store for collection. Not perhaps the best way to drive in-store sales.

Having read reports of their shortcomings earlier in 2012, subsequently when I won some Jessops vouchers in a December photo competition, I spent them before Christmas, just to get rid of them, fearing this situation post Christmas.

Sad but the writing was very much on the wall!

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drunkenduck says...
1:29pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Razor Sharp wrote:
It's a shame, but Amazon offered by far more competitive prices on DSLR cameras and lenses. It was just a matter of time with cameras and related kit so widely available in John Lewis and other high street stores.
That's incorrect from the start, Amazon prices can be more expensive then Jessops and/or other shops. Many people think it be cheaper online, when really many high street shops are trying to fight back with either lower prices or price matching.

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crazyfrog says...
4:13pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Amazon has the ability to offer lower prices as they are not paying the Taxes in this country that they really should and as a consequence help aid the closure of many other retail outlets

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theturpster says...
6:30pm Thu 10 Jan 13

crazyfrog wrote:
Amazon has the ability to offer lower prices as they are not paying the Taxes in this country that they really should and as a consequence help aid the closure of many other retail outlets
Nail on the head, if the going tax rate was paid, then the competitive pricing margin would be non existent. I never recommend Amazon for anything other than books and mobile phone covers. If someone asks me for technical support on anything bought from Amazon, I point them to the non existent Amazon support department.

We could save the High Street if we really wanted to, but the truth is society would gladly turn the UK into a drab grey ghost town on the promise of a pound saved.

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Razor Sharp says...
12:22am Fri 11 Jan 13

A lens is a lens, what technical expertise and support does one need? Buy the camera from John Lewis, the L Glass lenses from the market place in Amazon and spend the money saved on a good day out. No brainer.

Jessops just couldn't take the heat - too much competition and too tech savvy customers who don't really need support.

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TRT says...
12:35am Fri 11 Jan 13

A lens is not a lens. It's one of the most technical things one is likely to buy.

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garston tony says...
11:14am Fri 11 Jan 13

It is a shame to see shops close if for no other reason than the staff losing their jobs. Good luck to them all on that front.

But ultimately its us the consumer who has led to this. We quite rightly want to buy our goods at the best price and on the whole that is online for many items.

If you have a physical shop you have over heads that online retailers dont and you dont benefit from the same scale that online retailers can so you just cant compete

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Razor Sharp says...
5:32pm Fri 11 Jan 13

TRT wrote:
A lens is not a lens. It's one of the most technical things one is likely to buy.
A lens is less likely to have technical issues than a camera unit. These will usually occur after the warranty period or due to misuse. There is less to go wrong than with a DSLR. If one is dropping several hundred pounds on L Glass or a prime lens, it is unlikely that one will seek advice from a Jessops shop assistant about f stops, aperture settings, panorama or bokeh effects or 360 by 180 photography.

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theturpster says...
5:33pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Just wait until the internet gets fed up with the crap it has to put up, unplugs itself and decides to embark on a long well deserved break.

The panic from humans that will need to reskill in face to face communications and relationships will be immense.

Too much reliance on tech for day to day life. As someone who deals with PC's and Networks, I believe that this over reliance is killing society and creating a greater lack of sympathy, empathy and respect for each other. Some of the comments left on topics proves that.

I never use self service tills, i prefer a human on a till, talking to others is nice.

So my recommendation is to visit shops and interact with others :)

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TRT says...
5:43pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Your statement that "A lens is a lens" seems to indicate that you believe that one lens is pretty much indistinguishable from another, but I can assure you that an 18mm/f2-32 prime lens is very different from a 200-500mm/f4-22 zoom, which is again different from a 200-500mm/f2-32 zoom. Lenses are very likely to have technical issues. Many come with inbuilt image stabilisation, focussing motors, metering etc. and in my experience are much MORE likely to develop a fault than the camera body. There is also the question of compatibility between the lens and camera because of these refinements - if you purchase a lens which doesn't autofocus when fitted on your Nikon body because you missed the fact that an AF-D and an AF-I lens have different bits in them, what do you do? Pay the postage and restocking charges?

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Razor Sharp says...
11:35pm Sat 12 Jan 13

TRT wrote:
Your statement that "A lens is a lens" seems to indicate that you believe that one lens is pretty much indistinguishable from another, but I can assure you that an 18mm/f2-32 prime lens is very different from a 200-500mm/f4-22 zoom, which is again different from a 200-500mm/f2-32 zoom. Lenses are very likely to have technical issues. Many come with inbuilt image stabilisation, focussing motors, metering etc. and in my experience are much MORE likely to develop a fault than the camera body. There is also the question of compatibility between the lens and camera because of these refinements - if you purchase a lens which doesn't autofocus when fitted on your Nikon body because you missed the fact that an AF-D and an AF-I lens have different bits in them, what do you do? Pay the postage and restocking charges?
I was hoping that you would prove one of my points, which you have, that those who know their lenses don't need the likes of Jessops. Jessops failed in part because it sought to cater for both the consumer and professional markets at a time when competition for cameras and accessories was increasing and online sales of such equipment was expanding. It sought to ride the wave, which turned out to be a niche bubble.

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