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The main reason customers should shop local is that they get a better deal, according to the owner of
The Camera Shop in Warkworth.
Colin Stables says people should not shop local simply because of some notion about supporting the local community.
“You should shop local because you get a better deal yourself. You get the right thing the first time. If you make a mistake we fix it, and if there is an issue that needs to be sorted, we sort it,” he says.
Colin says that kind of service is not available online, but people are often drawn to it because of the promise of a cheaper price.
He says we have been programmed as consumers that we should not pay a dollar more for something.
But he says that cheap price is illusory.
If you are finding “cheaper” there is something different about it.
“There are people out there who will buy a whole lot of refurbished cameras, sell them off cheap and people think they are getting a good deal,” he says.
Other dirty tricks include removing genuine camera accessories and substituting fake ones, and failing to honour camera warranties.
He says The Camera Shop does a lot of business repairing cameras where the original supplier has failed to honour the warranty.
Colin says buying from a reputable store means no nasty surprises or hidden costs.
Moreover, customers get the benefit of a dedicated team of salespeople who can offer all kinds of advice and expertise to ensure they get exactly what they are looking for.
Colin also feels people sometimes default to online shopping when they can just as easily get the same item at their local store.
“They will buy a photo book from an online retailer, and I wish they would just check us first. Does my local guy do it? Can I buy a photobook from The Camera Shop? Yes, you can.”
