Update March 23:
Red Dot Cameras has ceased trading for the duration of the crisis. The on-line store is now close. Ivor Cooper says: Continuing to run the on-line store would mean putting our staff at risk.
Our regular Leica store, Red Dot Cameras in the City of London, is moving completely to a web-based service from Monday, March 23. The store, at 86 Goswell Road, EC1V 7DB, will be closed until further notice because of the emergency.
Red Dot is gearing up its mail-order business and has announced that all on-line UK orders of £100 or more (excluding shipping element) will be sent without charge. The postage credit will be refunded online. Shipping for international orders will continue as normal.
Stock levels of new and used Leica equipment are good and the current weakness in the UK currency means that overseas buyers will undoubtedly find some bargains among the vast collection of pre-owned Leica gear.
Just had an email from Red Dot, in response to a mail order request from me, saying they have completely ceased trading during the pandemic including online.
Steve, I wasn’t aware of this and, as of Friday, they were intending to carry on with the mail-order business. However, Ivor Cooper has decided to cease trading, even for mail-order as you say, until this is over. He and his family are going to go into self-isolation along with most of the people I know. Let’s hope for better days.
Let’s hope indeed. Everything is changing so quickly that just when we adjust to the new normal, that new normal changes again.
My life feels like it is closed at the moment – no fun, all local fete’s cancelled, James Bond off til Xmas, no feature events, no photographic opportunities – or fewer. Oh and I am working remotely, and oddly working more hours than normal, and trying to find creative solutions that I have never done before.
Roll on the great thaw and passing of Covid 19. At least we may learn to live without some of the modern trappings – heck we may even start to live more creatively again. Perhaps this tragedy has a hidden outcome we are yet to grasp.
Be safe this weekend folks, avoid the sneezers, greasers and those that look a little peaky.
Dave
“Be safe this weekend folks, avoid the sneezers, greasers and those that look a little peaky.” Hahaha. You bet.
My favourite camera dealer is closed as well.
The Leica shops in Australia have just gone to very reduced opening hours. I’d planned a trip to Melbourne next month but that will be off too.
It makes a lot of sense for specialist stores such as Red Dot to close to the public while boosting their on-line sales. Many visitors to a shop such as this are just browsers, with little intention of buying anything. The bring a potential risk which is out of proportion to the benefit of footfall. Serious buyers will still buy and, as I said in the article, the sudden loss of value in the GBP, caused primarily because of the fire-fighting cost, will make existing stocks more attractive to overseas buyers.
Shame the Aussie dollar is so low as well! Looking at the maths, without paying VAT but with paying import duty of 10% the prices are identical to Australian prices on the items I was looking at.
My favorite camera store, TheCameraStore.com, located in Calgary Canada used to provide free shipping for purchases over $99.00 but they are now offering free shipping at no minimum purchase. They are also offering to bring purchase out to your car.