v5 man

iTrader: (4)

I got bought £35 worth of Jessops gift vouchers for Christmas, they now won't be accepted!!!!!!!!!!!
Did they really not know a month ago that this was coming? I think it's on a par with fraud, selling gift vouchers dressed up as Christmas presents, then making them worthless 2 weeks after the event!!!

Lydia72

I think as a nation we just gradually became saturated with shops and now we're seeing survival of the fittest.

Back when I was a kid we didn't have anything like the retail choice we have now but also shopping wasn't seen as a hobby. Most men wouldn't have chosen to spend their weekends at a retail park, but then it became the default place to go on a Sunday.

Now people either can't afford it or they're realising that cluttering up the house with yet more random stuff isn't the key to happiness. Be nice to think it was the latter, more probably the former.

MGJohn

Real wisdom. How refreshing.

Many moons ago, someone once sang...

Had no idea what he was on about at the time. I do now.

ScoobyWon't

I thought that when they rebranded as John Lewis, things would change, but the Vic Centre department store is still excellent.

Luan Pra bang

Local councils love shopping centres and and retail parks as they charge a fortune in rates. Mine in particular seem desperate to remove all small local business from the city and only let the big chains flourish, for that reason alone I really do not care when the big chains go under as perhaps it leaves a chance for a family run or small business to keep trading.

JTaylor

Materialism will be just shy of a strawberry season in the grand scheme.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Fair enough, you don't get that on the internet.
But in general, highstreet shops simply cannot complete on price with that on the internet.

And more often than not, internet ordering will work out quite fine.

Ant

Thing is you don't need a hands on approach to buying things now. just a quick google search brings up all the reviews you could wish for on nearly everything, this is why amazon works well!

urban

iTrader: (1)

This is true and works well for all but the older non savvy IT generation.

Ant

Who cares about them? They'll be dead soon

urban

iTrader: (1)

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Just been on Jessops website: no real offers, the camera I'm interested in is 16% dearer than at some other retailers.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Trouble is Ant if you are a pro or semi pro photographer you do need to hold a camera in your hands before you buy it as how it feels in your hands matters a lot when getting that all importntn shot and no amount of online reviews can tell you that information.

Admittedly most pros will go to a camera show or a specialist independent, but I cringe when I wonder how we are all really going to manage when there is nothing but the Internet left for the purchase of some items.

How many people honestly by a TV online without popping along to Currys, John lewis or until lately Comet to have a look at it first?

jonc

I didn't for my TV, sure I looked at a few in the shops but in any case it's difficult to get a true representation of the how the picture would be when it's fitted in your home. I went by magazines and internet reviews which were pretty good. Not seeing at item in the flesh is no longer a show stopper. It was the same with my camera and my tablet. I would say for future most of my consumer electricals will be bought like this. One area where I don't envisage doing this is for clothing where no amount of internet reviews would tell me how shoes or an item of clothing will fit, feel or look.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Plus they're cranked up to 'shop mode' for display purposes anyway.

TelBoy

I reckon we'll be left with clothes shops, charity shops, card shops and hairdressers. And McDonalds.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

A camera shop goes bust because it didn't adapt to market conditions. Shock horror.
It's not as if camera phones have only just cropped up either.

Graz

Maybe it's a bad thing maybe not but surely this is more driven by trends rather than the state of the economy. On-line shopping is the here and now, unfortunately the likes of Jessops who have the overheads of a store front just can't compete. Doesn't mean there is less stuff getting sold just the methods of selling it are different.

My old dear wanted a new camera for Christmas, quick bit of Googling, looking on Amazon, decided that a fairly basic Panasonic Lumix was probably the best option for a point and shoot for her. Checked prices, Amazon were cheapest, ordered along with memory card etc. and delivered to my work next day. Sod faffing about going into town for that, even an out of town retail park or supermarket seems like hassle especially around Christmas time.

Luan Pra bang

All that tax dodging makes Amazon a cheap place to shop for those without a social conscience.

urban

iTrader: (1)

No card shops - Supermarkets seem to be taking that business over.
I've noticed loads of Clinton Cards shops closing down.

Ant

I know what you mean I can't use my canon without the battery grip as it doesn't feel right. But I can't say I've been to a store to check the feel of it as I've just gone with it may have been lucky with my first dslr 350d.

But that's just me

Ant

Reason Clinton cards are in the **** is that nobody wanted to spend £4 on a card anymore.

Mrs ant goes to card factory where most are99p

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

Nail on head. People are going to Jessops, looking at the Camera getting all the info from the staff and seeing it in the flesh. They are then going home and ordering it on line and saving a load of cash in the process.

People in these prudent times will always buy the cheapest. This is why the high street retailers are failing, they are not price competitive with online only retailers.

TelBoy

Exactly. Even here in the City where people are less concerned with what they spend on small items like cards, there came a point (about a week after the collapse of Lehmans) when people just said enough is enough. And companies like MoonPig were all too happy to fill the void. Sign of the times.

Matteeboy

Really? I hate the whole "look at it in the shop, buy it on-line" thing. I value a bit of face to face advice and if I find something I like, I buy it from there. Then I can return it easily and know what I'm getting. I buy on-line only when something is hard to get hold of or just too small to bother making a trip to the shops for.

We buy groceries on-line but all veg is local and delivered, same for meat, fish and wine (local wine merchant - clearly it's not actually made locally!). I hate this whole "save 2p at any expense" BS. It's killing our country and is flaming selfish.

If you really need to save money, don't buy that two grand sofa, that 50" TV or go on two expensive holidays a year.

TelBoy

Agree with what you say, Matt, up to a point. Up to the point where i ask if there's any room on the price. And if there isn't, i walk out 99% of the time. Physical shops need to get smarter. Not sure what the answer is, but hoping that a bit of face to face advice will make people sign the dotted line at a higher price is redundant for the majority of people now.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

PC World has it right... you can reserve stuff online, then pick it up an hour later in store at the online price.

That's how to make the most of a brick & mortar presence - offer those customers who would otherwise have bought online from someone else the best of both worlds.

Graz

We'd all be doing it if we could get away with it. They are just exploiting loopholes and not doing anything illegal. It's up to the government to stop them if they want too. In the mean time if it means I can buy stuff cheaper (and consequently pay less VAT on it) then **** 'em. I already give nearly half of what I earn to HMRC

urban

iTrader: (1)

Totally right, I ordered 12 pc on Tuesday for training - they must have thought their luck was in.
Sent two cars from the office to go pick them up an hour later

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Don't blame Amazon, blame the f**king governments, they created the system!