Nikon cutting 10% of its work force

**interested_observer** · 11-07-2016, 04:25 PM

Nikon to cut 1,000 jobs in Japan, or 10% of its domestic workforce | Nikon Rumors

**Douglas_of_Sweden** · 11-07-2016, 05:18 PM

Oh...Nikon is dooomed!

rawr · 11-07-2016, 05:45 PM

If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ...

normhead · 11-07-2016, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by rawr

If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ...

Probably just pay them less. Also hard to do in Japan.

**monochrome** · 11-07-2016, 08:28 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by rawr

If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ...

Hiring 10,000 . . .

amp · 11-07-2016, 09:25 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

Hiring 10,000 . . .

Love that cynicism.....sad but true!

wildman · 11-07-2016, 09:45 PM

Originally posted by rawr

If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ...

That's not the way multinational fabrication is typically structured.

Yes there is a plant and employees that fabricate Nikon products in China and Thailand but the actual formal agreement is usually a third party relationship in which the employees are not legally or in any other sense "Nikon" employees. So even if they laid off most of "their" overseas employees Nikon would not be required to acknowledge this layoff as a "Nikon" layoff to their shareholders for instance.

Last edited by wildman; 11-08-2016 at 06:45 AM.

**Rondec** · 11-08-2016, 04:09 AM

It is probably what needed to happen. Nikon has been geared towards the market of five years ago, when cameras were flying off the shelf. Now, smart phones have made serious inroads to point and shoot and bridge camera markets and people aren't upgrading their SLRs as often and they need to back down production.

It probably should have happened a couple of years ago, but I suppose they were hopeful that it was more world wide recession that was pushing down camera sales and not a new normal.

reeftool · 11-08-2016, 06:31 AM

This isn't surprising considering the sales numbers we have been reading for months. We will probably more of the same from others in the industry if it hasn't happened already.

wildman · 11-08-2016, 12:04 PM

Originally posted by Rondec

I suppose they were hopeful that it was more world wide recession that was pushing down camera sales and not a new normal.

That's where savvy marketing people come in - any damn fool can read data but it takes insight to know what the data means for the enterprise in the long run.

**clackers** · 11-08-2016, 06:31 PM

Originally posted by wildman

That's where savvy marketing people come in - any damn fool can read data but it takes insight to know what the data means for the enterprise in the long run.

They usually know.

But having the data, a large company usually doesn't have agility to deal with rapid changes in trends like that. It may have too much invested in the current patterns, or the Innovators Dilemma, a board too afraid to kill what's still successful today.

Niche companies can be wiped out overnight or evolve quickly and survive.

reeftool · 11-11-2016, 01:31 PM

Originally posted by clackers

They usually know.

But having the data, a large company usually doesn't have agility to deal with rapid changes in trends like that. It may have too much invested in the current patterns, or the Innovators Dilemma, a board too afraid to kill what's still successful today.

Niche companies can be wiped out overnight or evolve quickly and survive.

There have been multiple threads in the forum (and most likely elsewhere) on declining camera sales for well over a year. I'm sure it has been equally discussed in the corporate boardrooms with as many different opinions as we see here. In most cases, the biggest reason that brings on layoffs is unsold inventory. I don't know how much of the Nikon product line is made in Japan and which products are affected. I was surprised to read about the release of the new D5600 and that it's not going to be sold in the US. Is the US market that bad right now?

Another thought. We have heard the reports that some of Nikon's facilities were badly damaged in the earthquakes earlier this year. Perhaps some of this is simply that the damage is so bad that they can't repair. That's no consolation to the 10K who are out of a job. But add the earthquake on top of declining sales and there is kind of a perfect storm brewing.

**clackers** · 11-12-2016, 01:51 AM

Originally posted by reeftool

In most cases, the biggest reason that brings on layoffs is unsold inventory

But the direct cause of that is sales not up to expectation, and that has many reasons.

Serious consequences, though ... someone as cashed up as Samsung couldn't turn a profit in cameras and recently exited the industry.

wildman · 11-12-2016, 04:29 AM

Originally posted by clackers

sales not up to expectation, and that has many reasons

Perhaps because they confused a person who wants an image with a person who wants a camera?

**ffking** · 11-12-2016, 04:47 AM - **1 Like**

I'm sure I'm not alone in seriously hoping that Nikon weather this more or less intact and are not snapped up by Sony or somebody - the competition that drives innovation is vital to the photography market (and hence consumers), and Nikon are big players in pushing the limits.

11-07-2016, 04:25 PM	#1
interested_observer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tumbleweed, Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,707	Nikon cutting 10% of its work force Nikon to cut 1,000 jobs in Japan, or 10% of its domestic workforce \| Nikon Rumors

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11-07-2016, 05:18 PM	#2
Douglas_of_Sweden Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,374	Oh...Nikon is dooomed!

11-07-2016, 05:45 PM	#3
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ...

11-07-2016, 06:46 PM	#4
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Originally posted by rawr If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ... Probably just pay them less. Also hard to do in Japan.

11-07-2016, 08:28 PM - 1 Like	#5
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by rawr If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ... Hiring 10,000 . . .

11-07-2016, 09:25 PM	#6
amp Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 168	Originally posted by monochrome Hiring 10,000 . . . Love that cynicism.....sad but true!

11-07-2016, 09:45 PM	#7
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by rawr If they are doing 1000 in Japan, where it is harder to sack workers, I wonder what they are going to do to their operations in China and Thailand ... That's not the way multinational fabrication is typically structured. Yes there is a plant and employees that fabricate Nikon products in China and Thailand but the actual formal agreement is usually a third party relationship in which the employees are not legally or in any other sense "Nikon" employees. So even if they laid off most of "their" overseas employees Nikon would not be required to acknowledge this layoff as a "Nikon" layoff to their shareholders for instance. Last edited by wildman; 11-08-2016 at 06:45 AM.

11-08-2016, 04:09 AM	#8
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,650	It is probably what needed to happen. Nikon has been geared towards the market of five years ago, when cameras were flying off the shelf. Now, smart phones have made serious inroads to point and shoot and bridge camera markets and people aren't upgrading their SLRs as often and they need to back down production. It probably should have happened a couple of years ago, but I suppose they were hopeful that it was more world wide recession that was pushing down camera sales and not a new normal.

11-08-2016, 06:31 AM	#9
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	This isn't surprising considering the sales numbers we have been reading for months. We will probably more of the same from others in the industry if it hasn't happened already.

11-08-2016, 12:04 PM	#10
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by Rondec I suppose they were hopeful that it was more world wide recession that was pushing down camera sales and not a new normal. That's where savvy marketing people come in - any damn fool can read data but it takes insight to know what the data means for the enterprise in the long run.

11-08-2016, 06:31 PM	#11
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Originally posted by wildman That's where savvy marketing people come in - any damn fool can read data but it takes insight to know what the data means for the enterprise in the long run. They usually know. But having the data, a large company usually doesn't have agility to deal with rapid changes in trends like that. It may have too much invested in the current patterns, or the Innovators Dilemma, a board too afraid to kill what's still successful today. Niche companies can be wiped out overnight or evolve quickly and survive.

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11-11-2016, 01:31 PM	#12
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	Originally posted by clackers They usually know. But having the data, a large company usually doesn't have agility to deal with rapid changes in trends like that. It may have too much invested in the current patterns, or the Innovators Dilemma, a board too afraid to kill what's still successful today. Niche companies can be wiped out overnight or evolve quickly and survive. There have been multiple threads in the forum (and most likely elsewhere) on declining camera sales for well over a year. I'm sure it has been equally discussed in the corporate boardrooms with as many different opinions as we see here. In most cases, the biggest reason that brings on layoffs is unsold inventory. I don't know how much of the Nikon product line is made in Japan and which products are affected. I was surprised to read about the release of the new D5600 and that it's not going to be sold in the US. Is the US market that bad right now? Another thought. We have heard the reports that some of Nikon's facilities were badly damaged in the earthquakes earlier this year. Perhaps some of this is simply that the damage is so bad that they can't repair. That's no consolation to the 10K who are out of a job. But add the earthquake on top of declining sales and there is kind of a perfect storm brewing.

11-12-2016, 01:51 AM	#13
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Originally posted by reeftool In most cases, the biggest reason that brings on layoffs is unsold inventory But the direct cause of that is sales not up to expectation, and that has many reasons. Serious consequences, though ... someone as cashed up as Samsung couldn't turn a profit in cameras and recently exited the industry.

11-12-2016, 04:29 AM	#14
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by clackers sales not up to expectation, and that has many reasons Perhaps because they confused a person who wants an image with a person who wants a camera?

11-12-2016, 04:47 AM - 1 Like	#15
ffking Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 6,038	I'm sure I'm not alone in seriously hoping that Nikon weather this more or less intact and are not snapped up by Sony or somebody - the competition that drives innovation is vital to the photography market (and hence consumers), and Nikon are big players in pushing the limits.