BebuLamar

The online stores offer something that most people want.

BebuLamar

I never do the #1. If I go into a local store ask to see the camera and they have it and show it to me. I may not buy the camera because I don't like it but if I every decide to buy that model I would but it from them.

epd1947

This is part of the reason that the old line stores go out of business. The store looks busy - but did all the customers who spent time in the store getting input on a lens, camera, etc. end up buying? Or did some or most then leave the store empty handed only to go “on-line” to save a few bucks buying the lens or camera? How many bought on line to try to skip out on sales tax? These are the kinds of less than fair and ethical things many customers do routinely and the result is suddenly they find their local shop no longer open.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

You'd think that someone claiming to be an attorney would be knowledgeable enough to use quote reply. As for a tax authority monitoring a website for people who may cross state lines to purchase merchandise?! Seriously!? It would cost them more to figure out who owns what than they could possibly collect. If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania way so concerned about lost revenue from people shopping in Delaware they'd have a check point at the state line and a whole contingency of state trooper inspecting vehicles as they cross into PA. Again, would end up costing way, way more than its worth.

anotherview Loc: California

Have read only some of the comments. During this perusal I notice nobody cites the wider selection of items available on the Internet.

I give one example, from years ago but still typical. I wanted to buy a lady friend a point and shoot camera as a gift. I went to Best Buy with the intention to buy. The store offered the camera but had in stock only 2 or 3 colors -- black and silver (and maybe blue) that I recall. I wanted something more suited to the person I knew. I went on the Internet to search. There I found the identical camera, but with like 6 or 7 colors, including pink. I bought the pink-colored version.

Moral: The Internet offers more selection, whereas a conventional store offers a limited selection -- likely to keep inventory down and sales up by stocking the more popular versions.

In this scenario, we should bear in mind that retail stores generally face an inventory tax, applied every so often, putting pressure on stores to minimize inventory and thus to reduce selection.

An Internet store may face this tax, too, but it has the advantage of serving a larger market and so can match its inventory to suit this market, even if this strategy generates fewer sales on the margin. Automated inventory control can size inventory to demand.

Others more checked out with this part of the retail business may have more to say about it and how it shapes a successful business model.

stogieboy Loc: Marlboro, NY

When we go into Manhattan, my wife HAS TO go to Macy's, so I walk a few blocks to my Mecca. I only wish I had more money when I walk in there. And that the candies were bigger...

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

Never been to Schiller's, but there was a CCC store about 1/4 mile away from where I work in O'Fallon, IL. Only bought some small stuff there. I hadn't known of the others you mentioned, but I've only been in the area about 10 yrs and don't get around much.

no12mo

Sorry to hear the news. Was it a non-franchised store where the owner either retired or passed away? I had a store here in Manchester, NH that when its owner retired that was it.

I now use a chain store that is less likely to go away. I have an expert friend in it and I only do business with that store

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

What I heard was that so many people were taking pics on their cellphones and weren't interested in spending the money for a DSLR or mirrorless camera and the store owners decided it wasn't profitable anymore to keep the doors open...seems like only the big ones that are able to be more diversified can accommodate the shifting public perceptions or professional needs. Just my $.02 worth. Creve Coeur Camera had maybe 6 local (IL/MO) locations and started in a STL suburb (Creve Coeur, MO).

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

I believe many camera stores fail because they fail to diversify and keep up with the times. There's way more to it than just selling cameras and photography gear. The small camera stores near me also sell accessories for cell phone photography and offer classes and have numerous services geared towards printing and prints and scrapbooking and stuff like that. There's way more to it than just selling cameras...

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

They do, or now I guess I should say, did, have classes, vendor rep days (i.e Tamron), photo trips, sell prints, etc ( I guess the owner decided they needed a certain profit % or maybe they were taking a loss.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I think the problem becomes that the fixed costs and even many variable costs go up. The government interference becomes greater and it is harder to sell enough volume to end up with a worthwhile profit. Nobody wants to work for free or for a loss.

Twenty years ago I worked with a middle executive from Walmart. I asked him how often the typical Walmart store turns its inventory value. I recall he said 8 to 11 times a year. I expect that they have many items with higher profit margins than a camera store does too. Anyone think their local camera store does a few million
In sales per year...

henryp Loc: New York, NY

And Samy's closed their Santa Barbara location last month.
https://www.independent.com/2019/06/26/samys-camera-closing-after-20-years/

henryp Loc: New York, NY

In fact many US distributors have adopted unilateral price policies so every authorized retailer has to charge the same price for many cameras, lenses, etc.

henryp Loc: New York, NY

It is hard to deny the impact that Ritz Camera had on local camera stores, years before eBay and Amazon.