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Yes. I was also told to stop taking pictures at John Lewis, London, because it was prohibited.
Posted 74 months ago.
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I've been asked not to on a couple occasions - - one at a bakery supply place (unfortunate because pf the variety of their objects) and an Old Navy (unfortunate because of the variety of the colors). But otherwise I don't feel awkward if I avoid flash.
Posted 74 months ago.
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i try to be sneaky. last week i took some with my cameraphone... usually it's okay if you do it quickly and surreptitiously, like with an automatic camera. on the other hand, when i was in high school i worked at a store where people would often come in and pose for pictures without buying anything and that can get annoying too...just be respectful and take your chances! ;)
Posted 74 months ago.
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I think I make myself more nervous than I should about taking store pictures but I remember working at Nordstrom one summer and security would give photographers a really hard time.
Posted 74 months ago.
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Yes I find it strange althoug I love to do it! I expect some officer in blue to grab me!
Posted 72 months ago.
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Wild Oats ask me to stop photographing the produce. They said it was against company policy. I don't think the produce minded. They were not impressed with my "flickr" story.
Originally posted 72 months ago.
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linda yvonne edited this topic 72 months ago.
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Oh man, I was sneaking a pic of a mall security SUV the other day when I was just outside of a mall(and in the area where you wait for the bus), and I thought for sure I was gonna be yelled at and asked to leave the property when I saw a mall security guard 5-10 seconds after I shot it.
Luckily though, I successfully(and discretely) snuck my camera back into my coat pocket by the time I noticed him standing in a loading area, talking to some other co-worker(and he also wasn't even looking in my direction at all). And FYI, he never figured out I was sneaking a pic of the SUV, or that I was shooting it for fun. :)
As for getting yelled at for taking pics inside stores(or other places), I've had quite a few of those incidents of getting yelled at by 'security' guards(or rent-a-cops, as I call them) for taking pics in places I'm supposedly not supposed to take pics in. Luckily, I haven't had this happen to me most of the time I do shoot pics(even inside stores). Maybe its also the fact I normally don't use flash either inside such places that helps me get away with doing it(like someone else in this thread mentioned).
Originally posted 65 months ago.
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professionalwannabe edited this topic 65 months ago.
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I was trapped by security in a Factory Outlet Mall in Belgium. The man brought me to the office. After a brief talk about my intentions a was given a Press Card so I could take all the pictures I want.
I like to visit shop on busy days, because then the staff has little time to watch you as they are busy with serving the customers. Also never use flash, buy a light sensitive camera. Flash usely spools the colours and awakens the personnel!
Originally posted 65 months ago.
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winkelzaken edited this topic 65 months ago.
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I try not to be too obvious about it, I keep the camera hidden until I use it and turn off the flash. I've gotten a few odd glances, but no issues from security guards... yet.
Posted 65 months ago.
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I sneak around my supermarket's floral and produce departments, I've never had anyone say anything, I've gotten a few strange looks from other customers though. Seeing that I'm usually in there several times a week making purchases, they can cut me a break on the picture taking. I don't use flash, and keep my camera in a pocket unless in use.
Posted 65 months ago.
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In India, photography inside stores are generally prohibited. Have actually had my camera sealed inside a big polythene bag an entering the store and on leaving, they removed the camera from the bag.
Posted 64 months ago.
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Somtimes if you ask, people will be ok with it. It's usually a private buisness thing to be ok with photography. One time i was with a friend who had dreads and the store owner plopped a dreaded wig on my head and offered to take a picture of us! Today i asked if i could take a picture of this greek man's shop. He loved it!
Posted 63 months ago.
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I always feel strange when I do it. I'm not so fussed at markets, though. Last weekend we were at a local farmers' market and bought some fudge. I then asked the lady on the stall if I could take photos. She jokingly said "oh, make sure you get their good side!"
Posted 61 months ago.
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In our store we get asked quite a bit if people can take pictures (usually by tourist as we're quite a traditional "English" looking bookstore in a smart part of London), and there's certainly nothing in our company policy to say it's not allowed so we don't have a problem with it.
Though, in other shops I've worked in we've stopped people taking pictures, mainly because people have a habit of taking pics of the pages of a book instead of buying/photocopying/returning!
Posted 61 months ago.
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On a recent trip to Germany I visited the city's gorgeous department store. The bulding is a 1920's masterpiece, but the store now is a modern department store, so I could imagine they would not allow phtography.
Anyway, I just took the picture and nobody said anything... there were even more people taking pictures (also of the decorated glass roof overhead). Maybe they just allow it because they get visits from architecture freaks everyday anyway and most of them buy something as well? (we did)
With the next picture I r eally did have to be sneaky... don't know what the supermarket's rules are but posting a picture of a sign because it has tons of spelling mistakes will not be good publicity for them, I think:
Posted 61 months ago.
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I have owned many different retail shops and it would make me nervous if I saw anyone taking interior pictures. Now, I remember people getting thrown out of Best Buy years ago if they tried to take a picture. I use my cellphone camera all the time now at Costco to take pictures of the price cards so I can go home and research the product. They would freak years ago but no one has bothered me for a long time.
I have posted a picture I took of my son inside a boutique shop in Richmond, VA (please go check it out) that caused a young p/t sales gal to get upset and tell me picture taking was not allowed (I was also snapping some of my daughter). Interestingly, I know the co-owner, who was not there that day (and I had a shop down the block) and her Web site - www.pinkshop.com - is loaded with interior pictures. It is a very cool and colorful shop, check out the site.The store is known for its great window displays.
It's only awkward when they find me taking pictures of pretty shoppers. :-)
Originally posted 58 months ago.
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PLCjr edited this topic 58 months ago.
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Any chain store will ask you to stop taking pics. It is for the most part prohibited.
Posted 57 months ago.
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not where i live (the Netherlands), prblog, though i only use my phonecam, so maybe they think i'm calling someone... :-)
Posted 57 months ago.
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heh, that is a great way to snap a pic. no one knows if you are checking messages or what.
Posted 57 months ago.
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I work on consulting projects for many supermarkets and hypermarkets and, yes, it is often the case that these stores don't want photographs taken in store.
The main reasons for nervousness in the grocery sector is if the store has a competitive price positioning strategy against its competition. It is known that store staff visit other stores to check prices but they don't want to make it too easy to get the info. (There are loads of ways around it, like talking the prices through a mobile phone, etc)
Some market research companies have contracts with stores that state they are the only organisation who should have access to in store observational material. And the research companies pay the stores for these agreements.
Also photographs can occasionally pee off the customers. And sometimes the store staff too, particularly if they think you are a "mystery shopper" who could be checking in store compliance to company merchandising guidelines.
Another problem with the bigger chains is that the head office buying teams have to manage / negotiate rebates with suppliers. Suppliers (like a coffee manufacturing company) can sometimes negotiate rebates if promotion displays they have paid for aren't implemented, prices are incorrectly shown, their items are out of stock or that the store has not listed the items as they should.
I suppose it is a similar situation to having a customer visit my offices or factory and they take photographs without asking me first.
Easiest thing to do is to ask to talk to the store manager when you enter the store and butter them up on how you are impressed with the displays and merchandising... show them some photos you've taken in the past, and tell them you will show them your pictures before you leave. Then email them a copy of the decent stuff - and then they can send them up to head office for extra brownie points.
Posted 57 months ago.
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Nope. I use a small digital camera, with no flash, so nobody ever seems to notice when I take pics at stores.
Posted 41 months ago.
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@PLCjr: You're fortunate, I guess. I just got hassled by security @ my local Costco for comparison shopping with my friends. I also was bugged by the gas station attendants for photographing the pump prices last year. It would have been fine if there were clearly visible signs warning shoppers not to do this, but there were none. Ironically, this does nothing to stop the leaking of information as I could simply speak the prices into my voicemail, text it to Evernote, tweet it to Twitter, etc. I personally find these thuggish tactics offensive and misguided. What are they going to do, forbid all communications devices within the premises? Ridiculous!
Posted 39 months ago.
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Bugged for comparison shopping?? Cheese, Louise, anybody said that to me I'd ask them if they would be ok if I pulled out a pen and notebook, or talked on a cellphone to my answering machine. I've frequently called home to have someone check prices online.
Posted 39 months ago.
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Use a small camera, and walk around entire store first if you can. Talk to security and staff and in some cases go to store several times before taking pics. Buying something can also let you get away with a few snapshots, without flash! Be quick and fast and try not to draw attention. You can always say you are a assistant and had to take pics of products to get approval to purchase later...
If its a small store email them pics, you'll never know....
Originally posted 17 months ago.
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myny1974 edited this topic 17 months ago.
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Having worked in retail design the no pic rule is more about retail spy's than anything else. Now the other day I tried in a Macy's that closing in a week or so...they still stopped me. They seemed shocked when I said this place is history...like they had not thought about its all over for that store.
Posted 15 months ago.
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