Jessops Set To Go Into Administration

[Paul Jones]

9th January 2013

Jessops Set To Go Into Administration

Photography retailer Jessops is on the verge of calling in administrators, according to Sky sources.

Sky sources have confirmed that an application for administration was filed this morning at the High Court.

Confirmation of the firm entering administration is expected in the next few hours, putting the jobs of around 2,000 staff at risk.

The demise of the decades-old chain would be the first high street casualty of 2013, and comes soon after consumer electricals chain Comet hit the wall, sparking more than 6,000 job losses.

Retail Week said administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers were expected to be appointed after the firm suffered ongoing funding problems.

Jessops has struggled amid the digital photo revolution and the retail shift to online trading and camera phones.

http://news.sky.com/story/1035613/jesso ... nistration

[John]

You just beat me to it!

Will Jessops be sorely missed, or have we already passed them by? I can't remember buying a camera from Jessops for a very long time.

[PhilipHowe]

I bought a compact from them when they were shutting the store at Middlebrook, but that's it I'm afraid.

[Paul Jones]

More news - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20958659

[Paul Jones]

I bought my first camera from Jessops, but haven't bought much from them since.

The last camera I bought was from Calumet, Manchester.

I personally like having the ability to pick a camera up and 'try it out' in-store and that's not something that you have when buying online. Though it must be very difficult for a high street store to compete on price with the Internet.

[Stu B]

So the money promised from Canon to prop them up never materialised...Shame. Though as I have never purchased anything from them. It wont affect me in the slightest. Though I am sorry to see them go. Like Paul I like to feel my camera before purchase. So its nice to have a high st presense. But I dont need to feel batteries, tripods, sd cards, bags and many other accessories they charged inflated prices for...

[Janice Freeman]

Not good news! I am waiting for them to ring me re 2 cameras they were getting from their Bristol store which I wanted to look at! Probably won't happen now. I originally rang Mathers of Bolton, but they were extremely rude on the phone so I will most definately not be going to them!

Janice

[DaveSouthern]

It`s a sad day to learn that Jessops have gone in to administration with the loss of all those jobs.
The last time I purchase a camera body and lenses was when they used to do part exchange all those years ago and when they stopped I started to go elsewhere, probably along with many others, and I said at the time this is the wrong decision to make.
The very last purchase I made was a camera bag 5 years ago.

Let hope that they do find a buyer and save all those precious jobs.

Dave

[PhilipHowe]

They were also selling gift cards over Christmas. Now, I feel that the senior management team would have known this was close, yet they continued to sell those gift cards suggesting dishonesty in my book.

I feel sorry for the staff, who have lost their jobs, and also for the customers that bought gift cards and will not see a return.

[Paul Jones]

They were also selling gift cards over Christmas.

Latest news...

"Troubled high street photography retailer Jessops has gone into administration and will no longer accept gift vouchers or returned goods, it has been confirmed."

http://news.sky.com/story/1035613/jesso ... t-vouchers

[Mike]

The gift cards were also a problem when Comet went bust. I am shocked that they are able to take money and not provide anything other than a promise in return. I personally won't be buying any gift cards ever again!

[Mike]

Jessops to close as off the end of today! Jessops failed to reach an agreement to continue trading with their funders (mainly HSBC) and suppliers. 1370 people loose their job and more will go at head office once all the remaining stock has been collected from stores. That was amazingly quick.

[John]

Clearly no-one wanted to lose any more money.

[Mike]

I bet the pinpoint where it started to go wrong was when they decided to borrow lots of money to hoover up their competitors. Debt is a burden and businesses (and government!) don't always appear to appreciate how serious it can become. . . .

[Paul Jones]

I've just added a new Blog post to my website about Jessops and my start in photography...

'Remembrance of Things Past'
Jessops closure brings back memories
http://www.pauljones.org/?page_id=55