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B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)



 
 
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  #21  
Old May 27th 07, 04:38 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Paul J Gans
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Posts: 719
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems David Nebenzahl wrote:
Lobby Dosser spake thus:


Paul J Gans wrote:

I have no idea what shopping will look like in 2015, but I'm
quite sure it won't look anything like it does today.


I can remember 20 or so years ago reading about what shopping would look
like Today. Seemingly we were going to go online and design precisely the
product we wanted - a 2.735 meter long couch, for example - and it would be
delivered the next day.

I still need that couch.


Just as I'm still waiting for that backyard nuclear power plant ...


Yeah, but you can't buy that at your local mom and pop
shop either...

--
--- Paul J. Gans
  #22  
Old May 27th 07, 04:41 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Paul J Gans
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Posts: 719
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:
B&H gives you what you want. Mom & Pop's Photo Shop gives you
what you need.


You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need.


M. Jagger/K. Richards


All true. But in the end, mom and pop are going away.
We don't have to like it, but we didn't spend enough
with them to keep them going.


--
--- Paul J. Gans
  #23  
Old May 27th 07, 04:53 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Paul J Gans
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Posts: 719
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems Mark B. wrote:

"Matt Clara" wrote in message
...
Yes, Castle Photo of Lansing, in business for over 25 years, is closing
its doors.


According to B&H's website, they've been in operation for more than 30
years. Castle Photo apparently didn't do something right.


Once upon a time I had a number of local camera stores within
walking distance.

One was Adorama. Another was B&H (then on 17th Street). And
the third was Cambridge Camera, well known to folks who bought
from magazine ads as a group of slightly marginal ethics.

Yes, I live in New York.

I bought in person from all three. Cambridge had some
knowlegeable folks working in their storefront and I was
never ripped off or badly treated. Nevertheless, their
storefront is now gone.

Adorama has a small, crowded storefront and though the
sales staff was nice, they were often too busy to deal
with my touchy-feely desires. But they saw the handwriting
on the wall and have a splendid web operation.

B&H was then a couple of blocks away from Adorama. They
too had a small storefront and very nice clerks. But
even then they took the time to cater to each customer.
That meant that I often had to wait a while for a clerk,
but it was worth it.

All the while, they grew their web business. In particular
they have paid special attention to their web customers.
Many of you have noted that Henry Posner of B&H is a sometimes
poster in these groups. He used to be even more active
a while back.

Judging from these three (and a few other smaller stores
that never really had a chance) what was and is needed for
survival is both good walk-in karma *and* a strong, reliable
web operation.

B&H's current store is huge. It is certainly the largest
camera store in the US and is perhaps the largest in the
world. It is packed most of the time. And it is packed
by not just natives like me who can walk to it, but it is
packed by folks from around the world. They are all
treated well. Certainly I'm treated well and they don't
know me by sight at all.

I think that both the walk-in and web aspects help B&H.
They've been very clever, but mostly they have been doing
honest business for a number of years.

They will likely be around for many more.

--
---- Paul J. Gans

  #24  
Old May 27th 07, 04:54 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Paul J Gans
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Posts: 719
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Mark B. wrote:
"Matt Clara" wrote in message
...
Yes, Castle Photo of Lansing, in business for over 25 years, is closing
its doors.


According to B&H's website, they've been in operation for more than 30
years. Castle Photo apparently didn't do something right.


I've been buying from B&H for more than 30 years. You didn't think
"mail order" started with the Internet, did you?


Thirty years ago New York was awash in photo stores. My
favorite then was 47th Street Photo, which, oddly, was actually]
on 47th Street...

--
--- Paul J. Gans
  #25  
Old May 27th 07, 05:49 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
G.T.
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Posts: 692
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with myhelp, unfortunately)

Happy Traveler wrote:
With the states pushing online retailers to collect their sales tax (and
some large retailers already complying), the equation is changing back in
favor of the locals. I priced several carbon fiber tripods and ballheads
yesterday in a local store, then compared to B&H. In most cases the
difference was between zero and $10. And then there is shipping: the
expense, the delay and the hassle if you are not at home when the brown
truck arrives.


Well, the solution to that is to shop places that don't use UPS. UPS
sucks and is the most inflexible of all the delivery services. With
FedEx everywhere I've lived I've been able to pick my package up at a
FedEx or Kinkos the very same day I've missed deliveries. And the
farthest a FedEx/Kinkos has been from me is 3/4 mile, UPS is far too
centralized and the UPS depot is 15 miles through heavy traffic, and
their hours are much poor.

Greg

--
The ticket******* Tax Tracker:
http://www.ticketmastersucks.org/tracker.html

Dethink to survive - Mclusky
  #26  
Old May 27th 07, 05:51 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Lobby Dosser
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Posts: 112
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

Paul J Gans wrote:

bought in person from all three. Cambridge had some
knowlegeable folks working in their storefront and I was
never ripped off or badly treated. Nevertheless, their
storefront is now gone.


And their web presence is, well, Pathetic.
  #27  
Old May 27th 07, 05:58 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Ken Hart
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Posts: 154
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)


"=(8)" wrote in message
...
Thats the problem with local shops they don't feel that they have to
compete with the places on the internet. A local store here closed up
after nearly 50 years because they didn't feel they had to compete. They
sold everything at suggested retail, all sales were final even if a
product was defective they wanted you to deal with the maker, etc. I told
them that they can do that and stay in business and they couldn't now they
are gone.

We have one more store here a Shutterbugs they charge suggested retail for
nearly everything, they too didn't have a return policy until I e-mailed
them and told them that without a return policy I would have to continue
to shop online so they now have a 15 day return policy though the stress
that it isn't to be used to buy something, test it out and then return it
if you don't like it. It is incase there is something wrong with the item
(defective).

It floors me how many local stores simply don't get it. I will always shop
online when I can get a better deal. They need to understand this or they
go bye bye plain and simple. I have no sympothy for businesses this
stupid. This is a global world now when it comes to shopping we don't have
to put up with high priced local stores with poor customer policies,
support and before sale support. Screw'em is what I say if they can't keep
up or are too worried about the extra couple of bucks.



Most small stores do not get the price breaks from the manufacturer that the
big online sellers get. That's why their prices are typically higher. It's
not because they don't care, or "get it".

Every business has a certain amount of fixed costs to cover: It costs XX
dollars to turn on the lights, have phones, pay property taxes, etc. If a
store sells one $500 camera a day, the profit from that camera has to cover
the fixed costs. If the store sells 10 $500 cameras a day, each camera's
profit only has to cover 1/10 of the fixed costs. It does not take ten times
as many employees to sell ten cameras as it takes to sell one. The big
online sellers have a larger customer base and can afford a smaller profit
on each sale.





  #28  
Old May 27th 07, 06:10 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
ASAAR
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Posts: 6,057
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

On Sun, 27 May 2007 03:54:39 +0000 (UTC), Paul J Gans wrote:

Thirty years ago New York was awash in photo stores. My
favorite then was 47th Street Photo, which, oddly, was actually]
on 47th Street...


I bought a lot of stuff there, but oddly, no camera gear. If
there was ever a time when their business was primarily
photographic, it must have been long before I discovered them, which
IIRC was some time in the 1980's.

  #29  
Old May 27th 07, 06:16 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Ken Hart
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Posts: 154
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)


"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
David Nebenzahl wrote:

snip
o spending money in your own community, instead of enriching someone
else out of town


TOTALLY IRRELAVANT! I don't believe in passing out subsidies nor do I
feel
I have an obligation to enrich a local merchant. The merchant need be
very
competitive if they want loyalty and a chance at survival.

Spending money in my local community does the following:
-- provides employment for other local people who would otherwise have to
drive miles to work elsewhere.
-- provides a tax base to pay for essential services such as police, water,
sewer, etc
-- allows local merchants to support organizations that enrich the local
community (churches, civic groups, scouts, etc)
-- brings more business to my local business.

Follow the logical conclusion: if all the local merchants in your area close
down, what will your community be like? Deserted buildings? Homes for vermin
(both four foooted and two footed)? No money for municipal services?

Whenever possible, I will buy from the hardware store down the street rather
than Home Depot ten miles (and a county) away.


  #30  
Old May 27th 07, 06:18 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.equipment.large-format,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Ken Hart
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Posts: 154
Default B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)


"Lobby Dosser" wrote in message
news:SC16i.121$J76.65@trndny03...
Paul J Gans wrote:

I have no idea what shopping will look like in 2015, but I'm
quite sure it won't look anything like it does today.


I can remember 20 or so years ago reading about what shopping would look
like Today. Seemingly we were going to go online and design precisely the
product we wanted - a 2.735 meter long couch, for example - and it would
be
delivered the next day.

I still need that couch.


UPS delivered it to my place by mistake. You really picked an ugly fabric!


 




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