“We have found from day one that customers have got time on hands, which is good and bad,” Jason notes. “Where people would normally pop into our London store during their lunch break to pick up a bag, lens, or even a new camera, doing a bit of price checking beforehand on their phones, now they have all the time in the world to research their purchase. So price is king at moment.”
Needless to say, this throws up challenges for CameraWorld, which already discounts. “Sales are buoyant but our profit margins are quite low, although some suppliers are giving us extra help. Nobody is paying full price for anything, and if you can deliver that you have a sustainable business.” Jason points to particularly good deals on tripods and bags, and reckons there are some “real bargains to be had,” as the company seeks to free up warehouse space.
Meanwhile, market research has shown that macro photography is very popular at the moment. “Everyone’s at home, going for daily walks, the sun’s out, so they need help and advice. Extension tubes are very popular at the moment, as are macro lenses generally, and kit for vlogging. The Canon EOS M50, which its reversible screen, is great for vlogging, so it’s rightly popular.”
CameraWorld has also been working with Sony Canon and Sigma on online tutorials and activity. “Sam Pilling has immense knowledge of Sony products and he’ll be sharing some macro tips on our site soon. People can also engage with experts from Canon and Sigma. Our recent Facebook Live sessions on food photography have also been really popular with over 4000 visitors in early May, so there is lots happening.” See here for more.
