I'm shocked that Pentax does not have at least a *visible* DSLR presence
*consistently* in these major mass retailers. I would stick my neck out on
the line and guess that by far the vast majority of camera sales (in the USA
at least) are done in person at one of those four retailers I mentioned,
plus Wal-Mart/Sams. I know that most, if not all of these retailers, have
at one time or another, had a Pentax DSLR on display for sale.
Is it because these retailers don't want to stock/display the Pentax
model(s) or because they are not getting them?
I may be one of the few that bought my *ist D, sight unseen. I tried to see
it at one of the "big" photo magazine advertisers in New Jersey in Jan 2004,
and they were going to have to "get one from their warehouse" and it would
be available to see and touch and hold on Monday. As I drove 80 miles RT to
see it, I just ordered one from Willoughby's at the time. That taught me a
little lesson that some of these big advertisers are just paper/web store
fronts.
Tom C.
From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Pentax Pre PMA announcment.
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 09:20:22 -0800
Agreed ... I've looked at the inventories of close to twenty five shops all
over the US and in Canada seeking an istDS2, and could only find one shop
in the US that had one listed in it's inventory. They all had the DL,
though ... it bothers me that, if I want a camera that's in production,
within a definite time frame, I can't buy locally, have to search across
the US, and may end up buying from Canada.
Some have said it's the same for Nikon, or other brands ... well, I saw
plenty of Nikons in these stores.
If Canada can keep the DS2 in stock, why not Pentax USA? I'm sure there's
an explanation that makes sense ... it would be nice to know what it is.
Shel
> [Original Message]
> From: Tom C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Date: 2/16/2006 8:37:42 AM
> Subject: Re: Pentax Pre PMA announcment.
>
> You can't sell cameras if they aren't available to sell. A potential
buyer
> will be easily swayed to another brand if the product is not available.
>
> That bodes ill, not well, as with less than 10% of the DSLR market,
Pentax
> really can't afford to lose sales. If Pentax can see a camera is
selling
> well and the volume of that model in the supply chain is shrinking, some
> foresight dictates that they ramp up to keep the supply constant. A
> customer purchasing another brand, will likely send more business the
> non-Pentax direction in the way of lens purchases.
>
> I question why I don't see a single Pentax DSLR at my local Best Buy,
> Circuit City, CompUSA, and Costco. Nikons, Canons, and even Minolta
abound.
> I don't think it's because they sold out.
