Just curious how many users shop there local camera stores? How is
there pricing and the support and information?
Sure, I'll shop local for small items.
There are so many stereotypical problems with local shops. The big chains tend to have less-than-brilliant employees, the local chains (2-4 shops in town) tend to have attitude.
The one-location 20+ years-in-business shops usually have very experienced staff. I said "experienced" meaning they're probably knowledgeable and often opinionated, but not always right. One problem is that "junior employees" in such old-time shops seem to pick up that "know-it-all" opinionated nature of the long-term staff.
Anyway, local shops, preferably the one-location long-time-in-biz shops are good to go for accessories.
But they'll never understand the pricing issue. I realize they need to try for high margins. But they also need to discount, especially for the more knowledgeable segment of the market who could be repeat customers, and who have done some research and pricing on the net.
Most shops drive away such customers with their "we're knowledgeable and we've been here forever" attitude, as if that's supposed to justify their 6% below-list pricing. Add back sales tax and you're basically paying full retail.
Remember back in the early-mid-80's when there were computer shops everywhere? Now how many are there? Almost none, just specialty shops like clone-barns. Nearly everything is done national electronics chains or internet/mailorder.
As photography goes more and more digital in the coming 5+ years, I think that many of the remaining local shops will bite the dust. Only if they can adapt to the radically evolving marketplace and be more competitive on pricing will they be able to survive. I think most people realize that a local shop deserves a significantly higher margin than a web shop, but trying to sell a $1000 camera for $935, when that camera is on the net for $650 will never work. Only for the few customers that don't ever compare prices. I think a local shop could get away with $750-$775 in such an example. (They can be about 15% above web pricing (+ local sales tax), anything more is just too big a difference).
It's not that they're trying to match web pricing, it's just that they are accepting the importance of reasonable discounting in order to keep from losing a vast portion of the potential customer base, simply because everybody knows "that local shop sells everything at near full retail" ... so many people will never plan to buy anything expensive there.
It's a shame, if they adapt and compete, they can survive. Many won't. Just my $0.02 opinion, of course.
--David
D60, BG-ED3, 16-35L, 28-135 IS, 100-400L, 100/2.8 macro,
(3)550-EX, ST-E2, TC-80N3, 2x1GB MD
also Sigma 14, Canon 20, Canon EF2X-II
Past 18 months: 30,000 exposures (mostly D30) 