UK Department Store Stops Selling Drones Because of the Danger At Airports.

[Mrgs1]

John Lewis stops selling popular product in huge shake-up

Drone sightings at Gatwick in December caused around 1,000 flights to be cancelled or diverted over 36 hours, affecting more than 140,000 passengers in the run-up to Christmas

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[FlushVision]

Well,

John Lewis stops selling popular product in huge shake-up

Drone sightings at Gatwick in December caused around 1,000 flights to be cancelled or diverted over 36 hours, affecting more than 140,000 passengers in the run-up to Christmas

www.birminghammail.co.uk

quite apart from the notion of whether there was ever a drone at Gatwick, I think Lohn Lewis is being short sighted in their decision. 'Shooting themselves in the foot' it would appear since there is no shortage of other retailers that will be only too glad to pick up the slack.

I do agree with the bit about drone sales tailing off but to blame that on restrictions in urban/populated areas is a bit disingenuous since those restrictions have been there since before I started flying the things back in January 2015...no changes there. However, the new things coming up, like registration at the end of November, and the new regulations (whatever they end up being) that are due in June 2020 may have an impact on sales. But no, I think that if sales are dropping off that is prolly more down to saturation: Those that are gonna buy and fly a drone have, for the greater part, already done so.

So much for the government's estimates for future sales of drones, and the projected number of people registering at the end of November. Remember that the registration fee was based on that projected uptake in registration. I always thought that the projected numbers quoted both for registration and the overall numbers of drones in the public's hands were wildly optimistic...off the mark. Seems like John Lewis' statement about drone sales going down goes some way to vindicating my view. Blaming the Gatwick (non) event is just smoke and mirrors.

Edit: I gotta admit that I had no idea that John Lewis sold drones in the first place. If I were in the market to buy a drone, John Lewis would have been far down my list of retailers to buy one from...if it made it onto my list at all. Maybe that is the real reason? Maybe people just don't think John Lewis when it comes to drones?

 

[Mrgs1]

Always considered John Lewis an expensive store to shop at, out of my price range!

 

[DoomMeister]

Simple corporate economics, not enough profit margin on them with reduced numbers being sold. Gatwick was and still is one of the biggest media hypes in the annals of journalism (a crock of that which attracts flies).

 

[Mrgs1]

Well,

quite apart from the notion of whether there was ever a drone at Gatwick, I think Lohn Lewis is being short sighted in their decision. 'Shooting themselves in the foot' it would appear since there is no shortage of other retailers that will be only too glad to pick up the slack.

I do agree with the bit about drone sales tailing off but to blame that on restrictions in urban/populated areas is a bit disingenuous since those restrictions have been there since before I started flying the things back in January 2015...no changes there. However, the new things coming up, like registration at the end of November, and the new regulations (whatever they end up being) that are due in June 2020 may have an impact on sales. But no, I think that if sales are dropping off that is prolly more down to saturation: Those that are gonna buy and fly a drone have, for the greater part, already done so.

So much for the government's estimates for future sales of drones, and the projected number of people registering at the end of November. Remember that the registration fee was based on that projected uptake in registration. I always thought that the projected numbers quoted both for registration and the overall numbers of drones in the public's hands were wildly optimistic...off the mark. Seems like John Lewis' statement about drone sales going down goes some way to vindicating my view. Blaming the Gatwick (non) event is just smoke and mirrors.

Edit: I gotta admit that I had no idea that John Lewis sold drones in the first place. If I were in the market to buy a drone, John Lewis would have been far down my list of retailers to buy one from...if it made it onto my list at all. Maybe that is the real reason? Maybe people just don't think John Lewis when it comes to drones?

Is the registration scheme still happening in November? I thought it had another technical issue again?

 

[Graham]

Is the registration scheme still happening in November? I thought it had another technical issue again?

I haven't heard otherwise, but the BMFA is advising members not to rush into registration; An update on the UK regulations for model flyers - a bit of good news at last!

 

[Mrgs1]

I haven't heard otherwise, but the BMFA is advising members not to rush into registration; An update on the UK regulations for model flyers - a bit of good news at last!

The link has disappeared on CAA website, it seems to be 30th November Now.

Drone and Model Aircraft Registration in the UK is now live | Global Drone Training

dronetraining.co.uk

 

[PatR]

Early evidence of predictions mage long ago coming into fruition. Government regulatory efforts are causing a decrease in sales. As more regulations are introduced fewer people will want to participate. As even more regulations are introduced few people will be able to afford to participate. End result; drones will no longer be a factor because few will be operated by common users. Only entities with deep pockets and heavily staffed company departments dedicated to drone ops will be active.

 

[Grumpy Old Man RC]

I hate it but it already costs me around $150.00US to play with my only other long time hobby at the only outdoor shooting range so I guess I'll jump through whatever hoops the g'vmt puts in place to try to curb my only other hobby that I can still do due to being a crippled old phart. Darn, and I just got started with drones too.

 

[FlushVision]

Is the registration scheme still happening in November? I thought it had another technical issue again?

Yes. And yes there was an issue that stopped the web site going live as it was previously scheduled. Although I haven't checked yet, last I heard was that it would go live around now.

The link has disappeared on CAA website, it seems to be 30th November Now.

Drone and Model Aircraft Registration in the UK is now live | Global Drone Training

dronetraining.co.uk

The 30th November was the date set for people to have registered to continue flying legally. If that is still the case then people must have access to the registration process well before then. Again, I haven't checked recently so things may have changed since I last took a look (and to be honest, i'm not in the right frame of mind to check right now).

 

[FlushVision]

Always considered John Lewis an expensive store to shop at, out of my price range!

I have to agree. Also difficult for me to get to any of their high street stores, the nearest for me being in Manchester city centre and it's issues around car parking, etc. But I suppose that if I were in the unlikely market to buy anything like a drone from them I'd do it on-line. But that is a mute point now since they no-longer sell drones. One thing is certain though: their not selling drones is no skin off my back. I would never have even thought about buying one from them in the first place.

 

[Mrgs1]

I have to agree. Also difficult for me to get to any of their high street stores, the nearest for me being in Manchester city centre and it's issues around car parking, etc. But I suppose that if I were in the unlikely market to buy anything like a drone from them I'd do it on-line. But that is a mute point now since they no-longer sell drones. One thing is certain though: their not selling drones is no skin off my back. I would never have even thought about buying one from them in the first place.

Only time I considered buying from them when they had a Nikon camera lens, very cheap about £600 less than anyone else, I went with Jessops, they were £50 more but I'd bought from them in the past, better the devil as they say.

 

[FlushVision]

Only time I considered buying from them when they had a Nikon camera lens, very cheap about £600 less than anyone else, I went with Jessops, they were £50 more but I'd bought from them in the past, better the devil as they say.

I've only ever once bought anything from Jessops and that was that Power 4 battery that I received over two weeks ago after waiting several months for my order to be filled. Not too happy about that. Yes, I know that there were, at the time, no Power 4 batteries to be had from any U.K. retailer but since their web site didn't make it clear that they were out of stock and that any orders placed would be significantly delayed, that, in my mind, was a score against them. I will say, though, (and this is in their favor) that when they did finally get a re-supply my order was filled immediately at the price of £89.99 postage free...the same price as it was at the time of my order in June.

Would I consider buying anything from John Lewis either in-store or on-line? No, not unless that was the only place that sold whatever it was that I was buying. Would I buy anything from Jessops again? Probably yes since that Power 4 battery was at a pretty good price with free delivery and a few squids less than that at Yuneec. I'd like to think that the extraordinary wait for that battery was a one-off.

 

[Fred Garvin]

High end retail operation.....probably has an under-performing product line......

How do we get rid of it without any appearance of failure in marketing and product selection for the customer?

Oooh! I know.....let’s drop the line....and make a press release about it, but link it to the Gatwick fiasco so that we appear to be the hero....not selling a “dangerous” item, milking the remnants of lingering publicity of an incident. We get rid of an item we never should have carried anyway, blame it on Gatwick, the public sees us as “real stand up guys”.....and nobody realizes it’s all smoke.

 

[Mrgs1]

High end retail operation.....probably has an under-performing product line......

How do we get rid of it without any appearance of failure in marketing and product selection for the customer?

Oooh! I know.....let’s drop the line....and make a press release about it, but link it to the Gatwick fiasco so that we appear to be the hero....not selling a “dangerous” item, milking the remnants of lingering publicity of an incident. We get rid of an item we never should have carried anyway, blame it on Gatwick, the public sees us as “real stand up guys”.....and nobody realizes it’s all smoke.

It's thicker than smoke, it's brown and runny, from a bull!

 

[FlushVision]

High end retail operation.....probably has an under-performing product line......

How do we get rid of it without any appearance of failure in marketing and product selection for the customer?

Oooh! I know.....let’s drop the line....and make a press release about it, but link it to the Gatwick fiasco so that we appear to be the hero....not selling a “dangerous” item, milking the remnants of lingering publicity of an incident. We get rid of an item we never should have carried anyway, blame it on Gatwick, the public sees us as “real stand up guys”.....and nobody realizes it’s all smoke.

Exactly my thoughts: Poor sales so drop the line and blame it on something that there was never any proof occurred rather than admit that most people go elsewhere for their drones...and try to look like 'the good guys' in the eyes of public that will fall for it.

 

[Mrgs1]

Exactly my thoughts: Poor sales so drop the line and blame it on something that there was never any proof occurred rather than admit that most people go elsewhere for their drones...and try to look like 'the good guys' in the eyes of public that will fall for it.

And you have to remember it's gone a bit quiet in the press again, time, to stir up a bit more anti drone feeling again.