‘The priority has been ensuring the safety of our staff, particularly those in the warehouses in the UK and US, so we’ve changed our working patterns,’ Barker (below, in a file picture) explains. Unlike some retailers, however, MPB is not going in for discounting to stimulate demand.
‘I don’t agree with online businesses pushing and discounting at the moment as they are just going to put undue stress into their warehouse operations; pushing volume sales at the moment doesn’t make sense. Also, we adjust prices all the time and our pricing is correct for the market. Therefore we can promise that all customers buying at MPB are always getting the best possible price.’
Barker stresses that MPB is one of few businesses still paying out cash for used gear, rather than credit/vouchers. ‘People have a lot of money invested in their kit, so there is an opportunity to sell now and buy back later to help with personal cash flow.
We can pick up people’s gear safely via courier and get cash into their accounts. Selling via eBay or Facebook is much more challenging.’ MPB is also reaching out to photographers via blogs and social media to put a ‘positive voice’ back into the market. See here for full details.
