BPI NEWS EXTRA
Leica Store Manchester’s David Stephens (on right) and manager Richard Clarke (seated)
What’s ‘in store’ for Leica this Christmas
We talk to the owners of the Leica Store Manchester – formerly Stephens Premier – to hear the story of one retailer’s transformation to a single brand outlet, whilst Leica UK launches a ‘Solid Gray’ D-Lux & premium accessories in time for Christmas
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ast month we covered the recent Leica SL, Leica S and Leica Q camera launches… and there’s no let up this issue, with the announcement of a silver and grey D-Lux compact – the most affordable member of its line up at £825 SRP. Not to mention a range of premium Leica-branded ‘0.95’ accessories in the run up to Christmas. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also spoken with David Stephens, MD of the Leica Store Manchester, about his recent transition from local independent to officially Leica sanctioned outlet. “I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done,” David divulges. “Because, as a smaller independent store, we wouldn’t be able to market ourselves in the same way. Customers obviously recognise that you are part of the Leica brand, with all the back up and customer service that goes with it. We can use Leica branding
on our business cards and in our advertising. As a result of the change we’ve broadened our customer reach. We’ve noticed customers coming to us from all over the UK, as well as from China, the Far East and America. Ultimately, I think, Leica would like to have independent stores in every city in the UK.” David Stephens reveals that his family has been involved with Leica since the early 1960s, when his father started the business, with David joining him in the 1970s. “I’ve been a Leica fan all my life: at the age of five I was given my first Leica and taken to the factory,” he reveals. David opened the present store in Manchester City Centre in the late 1990s, before moving to its current arcade-based location five years ago. “I decided to sell Leica because I could see the market moving to niche product. I realised that would
be the only expanding side of the retail business. I looked at people like Ferrari and Bentley, and a lot of the watch manufacturers like Rolex and Omega, starting up their own branded stores. I thought that was the way to go for expanding the business. So about 18 months ago I approached Leica about becoming a Leica-only store. “I’ve no sadness about losing the family name from above the door, as I have no ego to bruise at all,” David laughs. “We are Leica Store Manchester now; our Stephens Premier Ltd trading name is only on our paperwork. As I’ve been in the trade 39 years, I’m looking to my son Ben and my manager Richard Clarke, who joined us from Jacobs, as the future of the business. That said I’ve no retirement plans yet; I still love it and enjoy coming to work every day. The product’s great and Leica – both
“Customers recognise that you are part of the Leica brand, with all the back up and customer service that goes with it. We can use ‘Leica’ on our business cards and in our advertising. As a result of the change we’ve broadened our customer reach.” – David Stephens, Leica Store Manchester in the UK and in Germany – are great to work with too.” In terms of Leica products that have done well for David, he singles out demand for the Leica Q as being ‘Phenomenal. That is the flagship at the moment. And because the SL has just been introduced, there is a lot of interest in the ‘T’ again, which is basically a mini SL. Therefore SL owners might also want a T as a back up. “Another product we do extremely well with is the black and white image shooting Leica M Monochrom. That’s because a lot of our customers are true photographers rather than just equipment geeks and they like to take pictures.” uk.leica-camera.com
Going Gray The D-Lux ‘Solid Gray’ high performance compact is this month’s new launch – an alternative to the black D-Lux launched in 2014 – featuring silver lens barrel and controls plus grey enameled body. The camera comes with a Leica CF D flash unit and a leather carry strap with embossed branding. Key features to note remain the f/1.7 maximum aperture, 16.8-megapixel Four Thirds sensor (12.8 effective megapixels), 24-75mm focal length in 35mm terms, 4K video shooting, plus integrated Wi-Fi. Retail price is £825 SRP and it should be available now.
BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk BPI News | December 2015 / January 2016 11