Maplin Electronics

[PH]

who buys a camera these days when all smartphones have a decent one in for snaps?

People who want to take more than snaps
Phone cameras have pretty much destroyed the market for compact point and shoot cameras, but they don't compare to anything with a bigger sensor. Photography as a hobby is like any other, having the kit doesn't necessarily get you the results, but it's part of it.
I'm sure google can come up with the numbers sold, it'll be millions, I understand DSLR sales are declining and mirrorless camera sales are on the increase.

I always feel an obligation to link to my photos when talking cameras, even if it leads to someone thinking they could have done better with their phone (And I know people who could)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phbike/

but thats the largest part of the market?

Yes, by a long way, 80%+ at one time.
You asked who buys a camera? And the answer is nothing like as many people as used to, for the reason you gave. What's left is still enough to support a sizeable international industry, which can also support some UK retail outlets as well as some pretty big online ones and that doesn't look likely to change anytime soon.
Edit - as an aside and I'm guessing - although the compact market was 80%+ of the camera market, it would never have been anything like 80% of any camera shop's income, such cameras would have been more likely to have come from Argos or Tesco. The collapse of that market unlikely to have had much to do with Jessops going out of business.

[thirdcrank]

A lot of the problems for many companies involve debt. That's not just a matter of borrowing to survive when they spend more than they earn, but things like ambitious expansion, or borrowing big sums against the value of assets like freeholds. There is also creative accounting with regard to anticipated income or assets acquired as part of rapid expansion. Obviously, there are times when firms are stuck with an out-of-date product and don't innovate, but that doesn't explain everything.

[mercalia]

People who want to take more than snaps
Phone cameras have pretty much destroyed the market for compact point and shoot cameras, but they don't compare to anything with a bigger sensor. Photography as a hobby is like any other, having the kit doesn't necessarily get you the results, but it's part of it.
I'm sure google can come up with the numbers sold, it'll be millions, I understand DSLR sales are declining and mirrorless camera sales are on the increase.

I always feel an obligation to link to my photos when talking cameras, even if it leads to someone thinking they could have done better with their phone (And I know people who could)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phbike/

but thats the largest part of the market?

Yes, by a long way, 80%+ at one time.
You asked who buys a camera? And the answer is nothing like as many people as used to, for the reason you gave. What's left is still enough to support a sizeable international industry, which can also support some UK retail outlets as well as some pretty big online ones and that doesn't look likely to change anytime soon.
Edit - as an aside and I'm guessing - although the compact market was 80%+ of the camera market, it would never have been anything like 80% of any camera shop's income, such cameras would have been more likely to have come from Argos or Tesco. The collapse of that market unlikely to have had much to do with Jessops going out of business.

though not owning a smartphone I do still have a camera - just an old Kodak Easyshare 5mp thing that uses 2 AA batteries. Produces good detailed pictures and colour the famous KodaChrome. Got it for just £6 or so from Ebay. Unlike most point and shoot cameras it does have a zoomable viewfinder that I tend to use rather than the small screen on the back

[SA_SA_SA]

Oh dear.
but
The amount of actual electronic components (and kits) they sold has/had been steadily decreasing to almost comically small levels. Recently I still used them for soldering/veroboard/tripad supplies and the odd resistor/voltage regulator/diodes/relays but had to buy stuff elsewhere.

In more hobbyist days they used to have their own Electronics magazine (called......Electronics ). Only EPE magazine http://epemag.com/ remains in my towns newsagent (Elektor still exists it seems).

Even in the good old days it always annoyed me that their LED range lagged far behind the nice affordable brighter ones in Farnell from who buying involved unnecessary postage: this inconvenienced my Bicycle lamp construction... RapidElectronics https://www.rapidonline.com/ are an another online alternative and much much better value for the lead acid batteries mentioned above by thirdcrank.

Interestingly Belfast had 2 or 3 Maplins (depending on whether you count Newtownabbey as part of Belfast or a separate town....) .

[MikeF]

RapidElectronics https://www.rapidonline.com/ are an another online alternative and much much better value for the lead acid batteries mentioned above by thirdcrank.

.

That looks a useful supplier. Thanks

[thirdcrank]

Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, I cannot now find my ancient post alerting somebody that they could replace the battery in their Cateye Daylite with one from Maplin, or I'd edit that long-lost post accordingly. I hope they will accept the advice was given in good faith if they are still a forum member.

I suspect that by now, the number of riders still using gel cells is small, wherever they source their batteries. FWIW, if anybody wants any Cateye Daylites, either complete sets or spares such as bulbs and fuses, I've all sorts in my "too good to chuck away" pile (but no batteries.)

I see MikeF has posted while I was dawdling.

[MikeF]

When I was young the "source of all useful stuff" was Henry's Radio in Edgeware Rd(?).

Ian

Oh yes, and the shop in Lisle Street, name escapes me at moment, for ex military gear. If I remember correctly Henry’s was demolished for the Harrow Road flyover.

[bovlomov]

When I was young the "source of all useful stuff" was Henry's Radio in Edgeware Rd(?).

Ian

Oh yes, and the shop in Lisle Street, name escapes me at moment, for ex military gear. If I remember correctly Henry’s was demolished for the Harrow Road flyover.

There was Proops in Tottenham Court Rd, that sold radio bits, switches, gauges, and other interesting stuff. They're in Leicestershire now;
Laurence Corner, opposite Euston Tower, for Army Surplus; and, of course, Sander and Kay, for the more discerning customer (poncho that doubles as a tent, and trousers that never lose their creases...)

[mercalia]

so the vultures/bargain hunters are starting to descend - up to 50% off all stock at my local Maplins in Streatham - had been there less than a year. It seems the original staff are gone , sacked I suppose

[Cyril Haearn]

Oh no, Toys R Us will be history in a few days, and the Guardian reports that eateries run by famous chefs are in trouble too

What is an eatery BTW?

Maplin was quite popular here, a search yielded 364 matches, matches?

'We didn't light the fire' - Billy Joel

[pete75]

The irony is that Maplin's business model of 30 years ago as a consumer oriented version of RS components with a substantial catalogue and mainly mail order sales was perfect for a transition to an online company. Instead they decided to invest in retail outlets...

[rmurphy195]

There used to be a lot of camera shops (Jessop..) have they gone too? Where does one buy cameras now?

They went bust about 5 years ago, then Peter Jones (Of Dragons Den fame) bought them back, reopened some stores, built up the online presence and has got them in some larger Sainsburys. I read they're back up to 25% of the stores they had before administration, though that might have been a year or so ago. Seems to be working, with the shops partly a window for the online business. I only know the Derby branch which is staffed with helpful people who know their stuff.

Jessops are/were an example of chains that grew/took over/put out of business theier rivals, then went bust themselves toleave a vacuum.

Tale Birmingham town centre for example - when I worked there in the 70s and 80's we had excellent stores like Tecno, Jacobs, Sherwoods in the great western arcade, and another whose name I can't remember above New st station. Great selection of products, plus ranges of used stuff and so on between them. Jessops came along - the others either went, or became Jessops. With restricted product lines (comparatively), little or no competition, and the used stuff concentrated on a store at the other end of the country. This was before the digital revolution and the rise of photo goods in Curry's etc. - and even of the internet.

Look at any recent really big company that's gone bust, look back and you will see a similar scenario of growing, killing the opposition then going bust - Toys R Us (did the same for toys in Brum town centre as Jessops did for photo kit), Carillion (building contractors) being the most recent.

As for Maplin's - I agree with the comments about product quality, in my yoof they were THE go-to place for electronic kits, instruments and supplies, but more recently even a simple thing like a multimeter from there simply didn't last much longer than the warranty period, and many of the tools were the same cheap chinese rubbish that I could get from my local pound shop but at the price you would expect for better quality stuff.

I really do feel sorry for the staff, in my local branches they were as helpful a bunch as you could wish to meet for the most part.

[mercalia]

given all the sales that Millets/Blacks seem to have all the time, I wouldnt be surprised if they are the next to go?