Clik here to view.
The sudden closure of camera retailer Jessops has been described as ‘incredibly sad’ by the chief executive of its former advertising agency, TBWA/Manchester.
Fergus McCallum, who heads up the Omnicom owned agency, spoke to The Drum following the news that Jessops was to close all of its 187 stores across the UK, leading to the loss of 1,370 jobs.
"The demise of Jessops is incredibly sad but, in reality, somewhat inevitable as they've been hanging on precariously for a number of years,“ said McCallum. “The advance of technology meant that their role on the high street became more and more peripheral - and with the increasing quality of camera phones and the trend towards showrooming, consumers simply didn't want or need to buy from them. Ultimately they were fighting a lost cause against the march of progress".
The agency had not worked with Jessops for the last two years, since being bailed out from closure by its main lender HSBC. The agency had previously developed a number of advertising campaigns since its appointment to what was initially a £3 million advertising account in 2007.
Jessops staff were informed of the closure of the retail chain yesterday, just two days after it entered administration.
The company was initially formed in 1935 as a store in Leicester.
