Inkley’s used to be nice. That was because Bill Cowles was there. It was nice to have someone around that knew what they were talking about. I asked Bill a lot of questions when I was starting out. A knowledgeable resource is invaluable when you’re a newbie/bozo like me. Dave On Jul 6, 2013, at 9:53 AM, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sat, Jul 6, 2013 at 9:14 AM, Dion Davidson <diondavidson@yahoo.com>wrote:
I guess I'm wondering why there isn't a telescope store here, like OPT or ScopeCity.
Joe hit the nail on the head, Dion. There aren't enough walk-in customers in this area to make a brick-and-mortar store profitable.
Camera Den used to sell higher-quality scopes and equipment, before they switched to bicycles, then folded completely if memory serves. Hammond Toys and Hobbies used to be a Celestron dealer and still has some telescopes set-up in their stores, but most are old and missing parts. The kids that typically work the registers there can't answer any questions and only make minimum wage. I think since Lee Hammond retired/passed-on, the telescope and binocular side of the business has died out as well. I didn't know any other family members besides Lee and am not sure who even owns and runs the business anymore.
OPT, Scope City, Adorama, etc., have huge metropolitan customer bases that dwarf the entire population of several western states, but even so, most of their business today is mail-order. A live, walk-in storefront has to be self-supporting in order for it to be a successful side of a business. Payroll is typically the highest monthly expense for businesses, and knowledeable salespeople with a background in astronomy and optics can't be had for minimum wage and no benefits.
Online retail is about the best business model for astro vendors these days, and real storefronts will only be a side of such businesses, especially in areas with little walk-in traffic. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
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