I needed a new battery for my Canon EOS 3. I usually have several spare batteries in stock for each item of equipment I own, but I use the EOS 3 only as a backup to an EOS 5D, so it rarely gets used. Anyway, 7dayshop offered a pack of five for just over £2 each, with £3.95 postage. About £2.50 each all in. But I needed to shoot a roll of film quickly, so it was off to Boots. Boots wanted £11.49 for their own brand and £12.49 for a Duracell. Wow! Woolworths didn't stock them, nor Superdrug. A camera shop (one of a chain of five shops) wanted a crippling £13.99 for a Duracell. Even Jessops were slightly cheaper, at a still-horrendous £12.99 for a Panasonic. I was walking past Currys Digital and thought "No, they could never be cheaper in there!" but I went in anyway. To my surprise, they offered me a Philips at only £5.99 and a Duracell at a very competitive £3.99, which I promptly purchased. So kudos to Currys Digital, and shame on Boots, Jessops and especially the other camera shop, where I could have paid another £10 on top for the identical item! It served as a reminder to buy cheap and always keep some in stock.
