Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] ISO camera shops in Cologne, Germany
From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 06:52:11 +0100
References: <200011252045.MAA28294@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> <3A21188E.2DB4E0BF@t-online.de>

Hans-Peter,

All of this is also true in other countries. There are some advantages to
credit cards from the retailer point of view as well: less cash lying around
(whether this is an issue obviously depends on location), easier to make
sales (it is much easier to make an impulse purchase if you can do it with
plastic) etc.

Since moving to Switzerland we have made occasional shopping trips to
Singen, a smallish town about 20 km from the border. The local Karstadt,
Woolworth etc. all accept credit cards without difficulty, as do many of the
specialty shops. It is most certainly not a touristy area; they do get a lot
of Swiss shoppers but I do not believe that this is what drives their
plastic acceptance, since they also take Swiss Francs in many places.
Likewise, I recently was in a supermarket in Munich, again not in a touristy
area, and was pleasantly surprised at being able to pay with my Visa.

So, as I wrote before, things ARE getting better in Germany.

Nathan

Hans-Peter.Lammerich@t-online.de wrote:

> I would say the vast majority of department stores, supermarkets and
> camera stores in Germany do not take plastic. The very point is that a
> transaction by EC card or Eurocheque costs 25cents, credit card costs a
> couple of percent of the purchase value, with Amex and Diners charging
> the higher rates, plus waiting a couple of weeks until the money
> arrives. Someone has to pay for this, but the basic idea and rules
> behind credit cards are that the fees are not related to the actual cost
> of the individual transaction and are passed-on! Consequently shops with
> a largely domestic customer basis prefer to do without.
>
> Foto Hobby has an extensive mail order and online business. Foto
> Lambertin is located near the Cologne Cathedral with lots of tourists
> passing by. So their strategy is different, making them to sell more
> high value gear at better prices..
>
> Hans-Peter

- --
Nathan Wajsman
Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland

e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch

General photo site: http://belgiangator.tripod.com/
Belgium photo site: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/
Motorcycle site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1704/

In reply to: Message from Hans-Peter.Lammerich@t-online.de (Re: [Leica] ISO camera shops in Cologne, Germany)