KEH, the camera re-commerce company known as one of the largest online resellers of cameras and photography equipment, has announced it is opening a new brick-and-mortar retail store in the Atlanta area.
The camera industry suffered a massive blow at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but began to recover just in time for the global supply chain to collapse. Very few want to openly discuss this problem, but the industry is currently in a tough spot.
Amazon is reportedly planning to start opening large physical retail stores in the United States that will be its version of department stores.
The world's first Hasselblad-branded photography store will be opening in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 30th, 2017. The new retail location is being launched in partnership with Fotografiska.
40 years ago, Bob Khoury and Warren Steinberg started selling used photo equipment out of a showcase in an Atlanta, Georgia, flea market. Soon they moved to a brick and mortar store which, to incorporate their earlier experience, they called Showcase. The store grew to be the largest in Atlanta and sold photo and video equipment to amateurs and professionals alike and last year they celebrated their 40th anniversary.
Canadian photography retailer Blacks is pulling out of the brick-and-mortar store business. The company announced today that it will be closing all of its 59 stores in Canada on August 8th, 2015, citing an inability to make them profitable in the digital age.
Amazon will reportedly be opening up its first brick-and-mortar location at a location in New York City in time for this holiday season, expanding from the online-only business it currently does through its website.
Update: Calumet has posted an update to its Facebook page to say they might reopen a few locations. Full statement at the bottom of this post.
In a story that is still very much developing as more information comes to light, well-known camera store chain Calumet Photographic has filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy without so much as a whispered warning to their employees.
The online shopping revolution has wreaked havoc on brick-and-mortar stores, and photography shops are no exception. If you need an example, look no further than Jessops in the UK, which is down from 187 stores to only 36, and even those are only open because of some serious funding from investor and Reality TV star Peter Jones.
Stories like that, however, don't seem to be stopping camera companies from jumping into the retail store game. Over the past year, Canon opened its first Experience Center, Polaroid opened its first Photobar, and now Hasselblad is joining the party with its first retail store, which will be opening in a few days time in Tokyo.
Creativity and humor score big points with consumers. That's why photographers, camera companies and camera stores alike often employ one or both to get their customers' attention. Some of what we've seen in the past includes James Hodgins' Crappy Vs Snappy, Olympus' ziplock bags of walnuts, and Schick's razor photo fad.
The above video by Canada's The Camera Store is another prime example. Instead of making a bland announcement, they decide to film this fun and funny 'love story' to let their customers know the store will once again be carrying Olympus brand cameras.
'Showrooming' is something that's having a big effect in the camera equipment industry and something that many brick-and-mortar retailers are trying to address. It's when consumers walk into a store not with the intention of actually purchasing a camera or lens, but instead to play around with them and evaluate them in person before making the actual purchase for a lower price online.
One store over in Brisbane, Australia has come up with a novel strategy (but not so consumer friendly) for combatting showrooming. To ensure that only customers looking to purchase products walk through their doors, the store is charging a $5 fee just to browse its wares.
Even as we say goodbye to the Jessops chain of retail stores in the UK, it seems that more of the major manufacturers are moving towards establishing a brick and mortar branch. Polaroid will soon be opening 'Fotobars' and now, following in Polaroid and Leica's footsteps, Canon is getting ready to open its own 'Canon Experience Stores.'