[railwayman3]

Actually this happened before the Internet as well. The big mail order companies hit the small photo shops quite badly we tend to forget this.

Ian

Jessops did a lot of very efficient mail order....I recall their large folded lists in tiny print, which seemed to include every conceivable product from every manufacturer, many of which also undercut the list prices which the small shops charged. As you say, other big companies seemed to follow (Jacobs comes to mind? And some selling just film with discounts for bulk buys.).