A dozen years ago, 1200 Ritz Camera had 1200 stores in the U.S. Today there are 11. There are three reasons for the demise of camera stores, according to Mark Comon, owner of of Paul’s Photo. The first is the result of digital cameras and the demise of film processing, which provided camera stores a steady source of income. Second, camera stores can’t match internet inventories. Third, manufacturers’s control camera prices.
On a $1,000 camera, camera stores net only $50, Comon said.
Paul’s Photo has prospered despite these obstacles, according to a recent MSNBC profile of the store, by offering photo classes and excursions from Madrona Marsh to Kilimanjaro and places in between, including Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Death Valley, Monterey and Alaska.
“Running stores offer runs, nurseries offer planting classes. We’ve created a symbiotic ecosystem with our stores sales, printing lab, classroom instruction and photo excursions.
“We get 40 people together having a great time on a photo excursion and they tell their friends Paul’s is the place to go,” Comon told MSNBC.
Retail consultant Bill McCurry told MSNBC, “A good retailer creates and customer experience with every sale. A UPS driver can’t do that.”
To view MSNBC’s report on Paul’s Photo visit msnbc.com/your-business/watch/getting-the-picture-saving-a-camera-store-607940675568
23845 S. Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance. 310-375-7014. paulsphoto.com. ER
