If you have been in the Malaysian photography scene for the last few years, you would have heard of the Malaysian camera shop named Yamiya. Started by a Mr. Yam Seng Yiep of Cheras, KL, Yamiya was one of the trailblazers in the Malaysian photography scene as an ecommerce store when many retailers were still brick and mortar.
Back then, it was a head-to-head battle between Yamiya and Shashinki, another trailblazer Malaysian camera shop that started earlier. Shashinki, which started back in 2005 had the lead in terms of popularity and crowd base as the owner of Shashinki also ran PhotoMalaysia.com.
The closure of Yamiya continues the lacklustre performance of Malaysian camera shops in general, with a few notable closures or downsizing in the last few years.
What does it mean to us : Photographers
If you are into photography as a photographer, hanging out in the camera shop or with the owner of the shop has been a culture in Malaysia. After all, when you hang out with them, you not only get the latest news, but also great offers on second hand items as well as the opportunity to network with other photographers.
However the decline of shops and interest in photographers has put an end to that practice. That means, the community for you to work and shoot with has rapidly reduced. However, the resulting community are more geared towards the professional photographers and serious hobbyist who might not be talking so much on the latest gadgets, but obtaining that defining shot.
What does it mean to Malaysian Camera Shops?
As TechGarage is technically a Malaysian Camera Shop, it means that changes in the market affects us. If you are running a camera shop or are a distributor or brand owner, the market has moved into a new stage. And this new stage isn’t nice, as it is the sunset industry stage. With diminishing returns for efforts put in, perhaps it would be wiser to move unto another business or a different model.
Money, which was once flushed in the industry, has drained off as hobbyists have both shifted focus and grew tired of purchasing the latest and most powerful cameras out there. After all, with the global economy doing badly and Malaysia severely in debt, there are more important things than to invest tens of thousands in pursuing the latest camera gear in Malaysia.
Conclusion
The state of Malaysian camera shops are in a flux as the industry is rocked by the global economy downturn and issues with Malaysian debts. At TechGarage, we expect more shops to close down before the market stabilises. Some shops whom might seem to be strong and mighty, might just tumble under the weight of bank loans. Stay tuned as TechGarage brings you the latest news on Malaysian camera shops.