Sony has made the grade!! Check out Jessops UK,Oxford Street

[plevyadophy]

Today, I went into the Jessops UK flagship store in Oxford Street, London for the first time since they completed the new interior layout/design.

I was SHOCKED.


Firstly, the layout looks really nice, spacious, stylish and all the cams for sale are tethered on display panels allowing potential buyers to touchy feely themselves without having to queue up at the counter and say "please Sir, can you help me".

But the real shocker was the plum position given over to three camera manufacturers for dedicated display centres. The position is so plum that it hits you right in the face as you walk in the store because it is immediately facing the entrance.

And guess who the three big boys are?

Yep, Nikon, Sony, Canon.


Olympus, also have a dedicated display area but it's not in a prime location and not as big.

So the largest retailer in the country is now taking Sony seriously.


Wow! Sony have done remarkably well considering that they have managed to achieve this level of respect (although not yet matching market share) within just four camera models: a100, a300/350, a700, a900.

Over the past 8 months or so, it has been quite revealing to read journalists in a variety of photog publications mention Sony alongside Canon and Nikon when discussing gear for professionals.

I guess, it was the a900 that really hammered home the idea that Sony are to be taken seriously. But all the same it is quite an acheivement in such a short space of time given that not long ago, say a year or 18 months or so, many people, including professional writers, were making sarcastic comments along the lines of "they're just good at making Walkmans" and "they should stick to Playstations (which they can't even get right)" bla bla.

So Sony have ARRIVED!!


Now that Sony have become part of the establishment, it remains to be seen whether Sony users will develop the same kind of pomposity as is WAY too often found amongst those users of white lenses whose brethren can be seen in abundance at many a sporting event.

Regards,

[David Kilpatrick]

More remarkable is not that Sony has reached this profile, but that Jessop - with a bag of cash from refinancing their massive loan burden - have rolled out a proper photo store in an attempt to rescue the Jessop brand.

I remember once they had one - in Leicester...

David

[stroberaver]

Cool - I'm going to London next week (for pleasure, not business, so will have camera in hand) and will be sure to pop in and check it out.

It's hard to believe, given that my local Jessops (Newcastle) is best described as a joke, understaffed with stressed, hurried assistants, precious little stock or display cabinets, and ever decreasing numbers of shelving units. the last time I walked past, the window display was empty. Completely. Looking forward to seeing the Oxford Street version.

[plevyadophy]

More remarkable is not that Sony has reached this profile, but that Jessop - with a bag of cash from refinancing their massive loan burden - have rolled out a proper photo store in an attempt to rescue the Jessop brand.

I remember once they had one - in Leicester...

David

Yeah, in my excitement I forgot to articulate myself properly. Yeah, that is the majaor surprise: the plush refurb when they were in effect bust. I do believe that this refurb will make a BIG difference to foot fall in that store. Are they doing this kinda rebranding/refurb all over the country do you know?

And your comment about Leicester. Are you saying that they don't have a Jessops in Leicester?!! Disgraceful if so. Or are taking the "p" out of Jessops in that they don't have a PROPER cam store in Leicester?

If the latter then I think they ought to do a refurb up there too. I know tha's a bit sentimental (due to Leicester being the home of Jessops) but sometimes sentimentality is needed in business.

Have you been to the new Oxford Street branch? I think it's absolutely wonderful and with the classroom downstairs (a bit like what Calumet does) makes the place feel like the old store of years ago did (when they used to do second-hand items); that is to say, like home for photographers. It seems now to have a soul, rather than just being a stack em high sell em cheap (and they weren't even that cheap) market stall.

Regards,

[plevyadophy]

Cool - I'm going to London next week (for pleasure, not business, so will have camera in hand) and will be sure to pop in and check it out.

It's hard to believe, given that my local Jessops (Newcastle) is best described as a joke, understaffed with stressed, hurried assistants, precious little stock or display cabinets, and ever decreasing numbers of shelving units. the last time I walked past, the window display was empty. Completely. Looking forward to seeing the Oxford Street version.

I am a bit of a cynic and detest all the psycho babble imported from the USA. However, it is quite REMARKABLE the feeling one gets as a shopper going into the new store; and if you care about photography the place, especially after going downstairs and seeing the lecture roon, really does feel like home and as if this store really does care for the medium of photography.

Also, one can sense the pride and job satisfaction amongst the staff. As I said just now in responding to DK, I really think the refurb is gonna work wonders for the store. Whoever did the refurb deserves every penny they charged.

I felt really good coming out of the store after receivng my DOUBLE shock; namely the nice new store layout and the fact that Sony have now taken pride of place amongst the two big boys.

Let us know what your feelings are after you visit the store (perhaps, I am too easily impressed )

Regards,

[bakubo]

I am a bit of a cynic and detest all the psycho babble imported from the USA.

What is the point of adding this unrelated, pointless, gratuitous, bigoted comment?

[Greg Beetham]

I am a bit of a cynic and detest all the psycho babble imported from the USA.,

Yes, I also would like to know, what psycho babble? I don't follow.
Greg

[Javelin]

I hope more stores here roll out displays like that here. I know their profile has increased quite a bit here but one outfit is still strangely anti Sony like they were with Minolta. and they are really the only chain photography store. jessops should open some branches here. they'd have a field day with the "the only price is the MSRP price" outfits we have.

but maybe "psychobabble" is stopped at the border and the competitive retailers can't get in ?

[KevinBarrett]

I am a bit of a cynic and detest all the psycho babble imported from the USA.

Add one more American that's curious about this remark. I do babble, and I work on a psych ward, but I rarely combine the two.

[caporip]

I am a bit of a cynic and detest all the psycho babble imported from the USA.

Add one more American that's curious about this remark. I do babble, and I work on a psych ward, but I rarely combine the two.

I think he's referring to the psychology used in in store layouts/design/ambience to get sales...

[plevyadophy]

Add one more American that's curious about this remark. I do babble, and I work on a psych ward, but I rarely combine the two.

I think he's referring to the psychology used in in store layouts/design/ambience to get sales...

BINGO!! Correct

And also referring to the psychology involved in motivation of staff and giving them pride etc.

The staff at that particular branch have never struck me as an overly grumpy lot, but they do now seem to have more oomph! about them. Certainly, to my mind anyway, the store makeover has made a diference.

But as I was saying in my original post, the real cool thing is how Sony have jumped to the top of the tree, in terms of status, in such a short space of time.

What I would be interested to know is how Sony are received in the U.S.A. by pro photogs, pro writers, High Street chains, pro gear hire stores. Does anyone here have an impression on this?

For now I am using Quantum (the flash/lighting company) as my guage (probably not a good/reliable gauge? ) as to how Sony are being taken.

The reason I mention Quantum is that they sell niche gear (with prices to match!) aimed at a pro market. They have Nikon, Canon and Olympus dedicated flash adaptors but nothing for Sony. When I queried this with the importer here, his response was that Olympus is a legacy thing as they were once top dogs (or thereabouts) and now Canon and Nikon are top dogs whilst pros don't too much care for Sony.

Sony seem to have penetrated the market in the UK in terms of respect, it would be interesting to know how they are received in the U.S. and whether Quantum willl bother to acknowledge the existence of Sony.

Regards,

[harvey]

I really hope that Jessops can survive the competition of the internet. I have been a customer for more than 22 years from the days when they had an big single-sheet pricelist that needed a magnifying glass to read. It was no trouble for them to get lenses into a store for you to look at and my local store in Edinburgh had (and still has) some good staff. This store was rebranded and enlarged in the last year I think.

But Jessops have some very small outlets with minimal display and photo processing.

I'm not sure what the equivalent to Jessops would be in the USA - maybe Wolf Camera.

By the way I think it is New Oxford Street.

[plevyadophy]

I really hope that Jessops can survive the competition of the internet. I have been a customer for more than 22 years from the days when they had an big single-sheet pricelist that needed a magnifying glass to read. It was no trouble for them to get lenses into a store for you to look at and my local store in Edinburgh had (and still has) some good staff. This store was rebranded and enlarged in the last year I think.

But Jessops have some very small outlets with minimal display and photo processing.

I'm not sure what the equivalent to Jessops would be in the USA - maybe Wolf Camera.

By the way I think it is New Oxford Street.

I too hope they, and Calumet and Jacobs and Cameraworld, can survive the internet thing. Really, I think it would be appalling if shops closed down because of internet competition because some things just don't lend themselves to being sold on the internet very well as they need the touchy feely experience. Cameras, clothing and bags are things I think that one has to have a touchy feely of before one can decide if it's for them. I know from personal experience how I have read about something, thought it was cool and then had a touchy feely and ended up hating it; also had the reverse, see it online and hate it then see it in the flesh and instantly fall in love and buy e.g. my latest Targus leather case purchase.

The re-branding you speak of at Edinburgh is it the all black shop front with the catch-line "Your pictures, our passion" and the bright light-coloured enterior with cameras on tethered displays and tills on a kinda lecturn thingy?

As for NEW Oxford Street, yes you are correct; I realised my error after posting.

Regards,

[stroberaver]

Lol, well all I can say is that you and I must have very different expectations of what a store should offer.

I stopped by this Saturday just gone, and my initial hopes of entering a wonderland of photo gear were fairly quickly dismissed. Yes, they have shiny new cabinets. Which are locked. And behind the tills.

Locked cabinets I can understand. Keeping stealable things behind the tills, I can understand. But putting all the gear in a locked display cabinet that you can't get closer than six feet to? No thanks.

They didn't even have much in stock for Sony. Just the usual A200, A300, A350, A700, A900 and associatied kits, and a few lenses. Couldn't see any grips, accessories, no white (or silver) lenses, nothing more glamorous than a 70-300G or a 100 macro.

After a few minutes I realised that the usual Jessops shopping experience was on offer here too. I only wanted to ask if they had the Sony hand grip in stock, or a replacement hard screen protector for my A700 which is looking rather scuffed these days. Endless queuing ensues as a variety of non-serving staff wander around aimlessly, and the majority of those who were serving customers were, erm, of foreign origin with a distinctly limited grasp of the english language. For the guy that served my sister enquiring about a Nikon lens, his lack of language skills was only surpassed by his lack of knowledge about, well, anything. Even tried to sell her a separate screw-in lens hood despite the lens she was looking at having one in the box.

So I did the same as I do in Newcastle. Walk out muttering under my breath, and cross the road to go to Jacobs directly opposite. In there they didn't have any fancy displays, and they didn't have any accessories I wanted, but they did have the standard ACE dealer cabinet, fully stocked including a 70-200/2.8, and despite being busier than Jessops, I got served in a fraction of the time by someone that could answer my question quickly and friendly.

[David Kilpatrick]

And Jessop shares just collapsed from 6p to 2p (with a brief low of 1.5p probably making some fat cats more fat cash) yesterday as they struggled with £60m of debt and a load of useless employees and rented outlets.

What a different company to Alan Jessop's original. Back in 1979, Alan hired me and my business partner Steve to install the first Agfa C66 print processor and write the manual and do the ads - they were the sole distributors. We used to work weekly with them, going to Leicester to do equipment pictures and lens tests for magazines - we had a studio set up in Jessops whenever we needed it. Around 1981 they got me to test lots of different films, to choose the films which would be Jessop own brand (I selected EFKE, former Adox, b/w and it sold very well). All the staff there were serious enthusiasts, many had ARPS and a couple had FRPS. The HQ of Practical Photography was 30 miles south of them and we were about the same north, Practical also used to drop in regularly and get Jessops to help with tests and stuff the same way I did - and get mentions.

Today I doubt there's a member of staff left on friendly working terms with photo press writers day by day, or anyone I would remember - or who would remember me, or how things were.

David