Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/11/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It is strange to hear that Jessops is suffering from low margins (must be too many locations in expensive places), because in general prices in the UK are higher than elsewhere; for example, the list price of the M8 is 2990 GBP, which today equals 4413 EUR. In the Netherlands and Germany, the price is 4200 EUR. Not a huge difference in this case, but still over 200 EUR, and difficult to justify since UK VAT is actually lower than Dutch VAT (17.5% vs. 19%). No wonder people in the UK shop online... The US price of $4800 is equivalent to 3665 EUR at today's exchange rate, but of course prices in the US are quoted without sales tax. If I add the NY sales tax to B&H's price and convert into EUR, then it works out to 3972 EUR, still a couple of hundred below the European price. I guess this reflects the more competitive US market. The cheapest way to buy an M8 appears to be that available to our Swiss LUGgers: they can order one from a shop, say, in the Netherlands, and pay the VAT-free price of 3529 EUR or so. Shipping would not be hugely expensive, although of course the Swiss authorities may want to collect their 7.6% VAT from you...although when I lived in Switzerland and was buying stuff in the EU, I sometimes found ways to forget that last bit ;-) Nathan Gerry Walden wrote: > The inference I get through trade contacts is that the Jessops group > are in financial problems. I understand that although turnover is high > their profit margins are very low, and that they are trying to arrange > a sell-off. I believe they have been hit badly by internet shopping. > > Gerry > >> > Peter Dzwig wrote: >> > >> >> For those who are interested, >> >> >> >> I was in Jessops Classics this afternoon and asked them if it was >> >> still true that they were closing. The answer was that they are - but >> >> they don't know when yet. I noticed that theor stock of Leica stuff >> >> had very substantially reduced. >> >> >> >> Peter Dzwig >> >> > -- Nathan Wajsman Almere, The Netherlands Opportunistic Image Acquisition General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com and http://www.greatpix.eu Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507 Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUY DANISH PRODUCTS!