Herr Barnack Posted March 3, 2017 Share #1 Posted March 3, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) This trend is disturbing - but it appears that there is no end in sight. Another troubling trend is the steady decline in sales of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Can Nikon, Canon Fuji, etc. survive? Will they eventually have to downsize significantly? Kodak refused to heed the writing on the wall and it cost them everything. Here's hoping Nikon, Canon and others will not try to deny reality and bulldoze ahead like Kodak did. Circumstances, markets and consumer buying habits change; corporations must also change in order to survive. https://petapixel.com/2017/03/02/another-big-camera-store-fails-many-closing/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 3, 2017 Posted March 3, 2017 Hi Herr Barnack, Take a look here Another Big Camera Store Fails: Why Are So Many Closing?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Jeff S Posted March 4, 2017 Share #2 Posted March 4, 2017 Topic and data covered well in the video linked at TOP... http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2017/03/the-lensvid-summary-for-2016-is-out.html Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted March 4, 2017 Share #3 Posted March 4, 2017 It isn't just camera stores, many stores are struggling and closing. The retail market is changing, physical stores are losing out to online alternatives. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 4, 2017 Share #4 Posted March 4, 2017 Indeed this has less to do with the photo market and much more to do with our shopping habits. How many times do we read - even on this forum - that people will visit a dealer, play with the gear, get all the advice and tips they need, then they go away and search the net for the best price and buy online to save a couple of %. Kodak were doing fine with film sales. Their demise was due to their inability to find a profitable place for themselves in the digital world, and they placed their bets on the wrong horses. If you don't want your own local camera store to disappear then the answer is quite simple, use it! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share #5 Posted March 4, 2017 I live near a small city/large town of 82,500 population that has a major university. At one time we had three camera stores; now we have none. To buy from an actual brick and mortar store requires a 60 mile drive north. Such is life in "modern times." Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted March 4, 2017 Share #6 Posted March 4, 2017 I live near a small city/large town of 82,500 population that has a major university. At one time we had three camera stores; now we have none. To buy from an actual brick and mortar store requires a 60 mile drive north. Such is life in "modern times." We are fortunate to have several still, one that has been around over 100 years that still does OK, and a local chain that has reduced from 10 to 5 stores over the last few years. One of their marketing emails recently discussed the fact that they get more people looking then leaving to buy online than people actually buying in store. I do my part as much as possible, but it takes more than just me. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted March 4, 2017 Share #7 Posted March 4, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Indeed this has less to do with the photo market and much more to do with our shopping habits Both factors are at work... camera sales, including mirrorless (excluding smartphones) are plunging. See my TOP link for disturbing trends. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Albertson Posted March 5, 2017 Share #8 Posted March 5, 2017 My local (Glazer's) re-located from downtown Seattle to the South Lake Union area in the early 90's, when property there was relatively cheap; the area was mostly light industrial and warehouses. Quite a few photographers had studios in the area, so it was handy for them. When SLU started to re-develop about ten years ago into blocks of tech office buildings surrounded by blocks of worker flats, I was concerned they would be forced out like everyone else, but they did a deal with a developer to incorporate a 2-story retail store into a new block of flats, and they seem to be doing all right. Ironically, a lot of their foot traffic these days seems to be (wait for it) Amazon employees! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david strachan Posted March 5, 2017 Share #9 Posted March 5, 2017 I prefer to buy local at "bricks n mortar", but there is often limited choice on certain items...certainly true for photographica. So I am forced to buy on the global market. We only buy wholly made foods "Made in Australia". Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Guthrie Posted March 8, 2017 Share #10 Posted March 8, 2017 I prefer to buy local at "bricks n mortar", but there is often limited choice on certain items...certainly true for photographica. So I am forced to buy on the global market. I try to buy from local stores, and it's the same for me. I have to buy certain items online. For whatever reason, probably their own shrinking staff capacity due to the changing market, the largest local specialist photo equipment store just doesn't respond when I enquire about the availability of items. Smaller stores just search online at eBay or others in front of me, which is what I could be doing at home, because then they're not providing any more insight than my own browsing and self-education could be doing. Amazon has delivered, in both senses of the word. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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