Rob Studdert wrote:
If over-the-counter sales are languishing and the company wished to preserve
their business into the future, then they should close the doors and start
selling via mail order and become good at it.
Exactly.
There is next to no advantage buying from retail shops here, the vast majority
of counter staff know less about the products than any well informed customer.
Which is why I seldom walk into a retail shop. When I do, I almost never ask a question. For instance, I recently was looking at some light weight carbon fiber tripods. I spend 20 minutes or so doing it. I did not receive an offer of assistance. I did not purchase, but I got a feel for whether I liked the particular model or not. This was at the "premier" photography store in Seattle. I did buy film on the way out.
Ticketed pricing is ridiculously high compared to the on-line stores, the stock
lines maintained WRT Pentax kit are usually very poor. And to top it all off it
appears that in most cases knocking on the importers door will secure you
product at better than retail.
I'm all for competition but there is none, the retailers won't negotiate, they
all seem to rely upon the uninformed non-internet savvy customers to make their
money. My guess would be that one fat over-priced sale is as profitable as four
or more internet sales at a discount price.
My suspicions as well.
Tom C.
