lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

This is a confession. Last week I purchased a canon 18-135 lens from Wolfe Camera, the only local photography shop in my community other than Best Buys. I paid $620, including sales taxes. The sales person at Wolfe was very pleasant and knowledgeable, so I voluntarily paid sales taxes to give Wolfe the business.

This week I noticed that the same lens is on sale in a B & H holiday special for $299. I returned the lens to Wolfe and purchased from B & H for 1/2 the price.

How can smaller camera shops survive in this environment?

Elskipo Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

in the Phoenix area we have traditionally had multiple photography stores catering to the knowledgeable photographer. The oldest and largest went out of business two years ago and has since re-opened with a different name in another location. It is but a shadow of what it was. The other major outlet is still in business undiminished and caters to the professional photo community. Several small shops catering to amateurs have just gone away. I, too, try to buy locally when I can. I'm willing to pay 30% more (plus tax) than online just to have someone to talk to while I'm doing it and get advice. I want to keep thee guys in business. When the spread gets over 30% I'll just buy from B&H justifying it by noting that I tried. Now I save the tax and, in most cases, shipping too.
I've often fantasized about owning a camera store in a small town with tourist action. Whenever I do I look at the online ads and realize that it would be so difficult to keep the doors open in the face of those bargains. The fantasy quickly fades. Yes, there are people out there who are doing it and I salute and will support them whenever it makes even a modicum of sense.

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

They don't. Wolfe camera has closed a lot of their stores. My sister-in-law worked for one in Atlanta. Went to work one day and the store was shuttered without notifying their employees. I buy from B&H, Adorama, Amazon and Greentoe.com. Can't beat their prices. I stay away from EBay as there are just too many shysters on that site.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

We still have a large Precision Camera here in Austin. Well stocked, large store with knowledgeable staff. I give them some of my business, but it's got to be hard for them to compete with the big online outfits. They offer classes, have reps from the major brands there for occasional sales and some real door buster deals during those events.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Precision is very active within the photography community. I trade with them often and like doing so. They have good policies, knowledgeable personnel and lots of candy. Their pricing is in line and their printing and repair departments do a very good job. They have a good amount of business and a nice inventory.

JoeDesertrat Loc: Daytona Beach, FL

Short answer is, they can't, not in a traditional brick and mortar sense. They will need to find some better way to cater to customers than they can find online. When I bought my camera I spent time browsing pressure free online, reading reviews in various forums and such. When I upgrade I can come here, or any of a number of other forums for advice, I can read reviews at different retailers with good reputations and when I make a decision, I can buy with a few clicks. All this while sitting in my desk chair at home, maybe sipping on a glass of wine. I can shop whatever time of day or night I want. True, I have to wait for it to be shipped, but that is acceptable to me. Sales taxes don't enter into my decisions, convenience does. Frankly, I do not see any way that most local retailers can match this, especially as they cannot match online retailers for price.

FredB Loc: A little below the Mason-Dixon line.

Retail is simply not the ONLY solution it was a quarter-century ago (which, may I remind you, was only 1990.) Times change. Certain things are still retail-bound, but much is not. I don't know that grocery shopping will ever be "on-line" for more than a small percentage. But books, cameras, etc and things like that lend themselves to online shopping, and a retailer simply cannot compete on price. That is not to say that a small percentage of shoppers will still prefer a 'hands-on, face to face' environment, but there will never be enough of them to support a major retail chain again.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

I haven't had a local camera store anywhere in my area for over 10 years so I can order from B&H and Amazon getting free shipping and no sales tax, totally guilt free from worry about putting mom & pop out in the street for not supporting their business.

Mike D. Loc: Crowley County, CO.

That is a good question and while I understand the concept of overhead and the general cost of having a storefront,I am not currently in a place where I can honestly say that it doesn't matter because for most of us it does.

At least you had the friendly and knowlegeable going on at your local store. The only camera store within 75 miles of my house recently closed and it isn't a big surprise to me as I was only in there once and I didn't get either on that visit. My D5000 is/was having low light issues as far as focusing and firing at all so I took it in for some advice. I had called several days earlier to see if it would be ok to bring it in for a look and he agreed. So I'm in the store describing the problems and he turns on the camera looks at a few pictures and tells me that he doesn't see anything wrong. It works just fine in the sunlight. Didn't try any sample shots, look at menu settings for possible culprits, nothing.

Treating everyone that walks in your door as if they need to spend money will not work. It alienates the very people that you need to leave that hard-earned cash and he could have had a customer had it worked out differently. As it was, I never set foot in the place again and the shop is out of business.

The bottom line? It's hard for small businesses to survive in such an environment unless customer service is a top priority and even so, you better have good prices as well.

happy sailor Loc: Ontario, Canada

I agree Mike, we are lucky here in Ontario to have a number of medium to large camera retailers, customer service and assistance is a top priority. I bought from Henry's which has a number of stores throughout Ontario and maybe more that I don't know about, their service and help is great. I went into one that I had never been too with my camera and asked for help setting back button focus. The sales person had no idea where I had bought my camera and nor did he ask, just got out the manuals, checked the computer and went through the menus with me until we had the back button focus set. Good Service, two months later I bought my Sigma 150-500 there.

One other example back when there was only one Henry's store in downtown Toronto and no others, I had bought my first SLR a Praktica LTL from the Consumers Distributing store, owned it for a few months and when using a long telephoto lens the shutter broke. The warranty said to take it to the authorized dealer which was the Henry's in Toronto. I took it in to be repaired, told the sales person at the counter where I had bought the camera, what had happened and explained that it was probably an incorrect lens and that it was my fault and that I just wanted the camera repaired and I would pay for it. He said nonsense, it should not have happened the mount on that lens is correct, turned around took a brand new Praktica LTL off the shelf gave it to me and said they will take care of the old one. In five minutes I became a Henry's customer, that was in 1973, I am still shopping at Henry's.

There is nothing better than getting to hold the cameras in your hand and try them out to help make your mind up about what to choose. Here is to the brick and mortar stores!!!

sbesaw Loc: Boston

Canon is fair traded. They set the price, sales and rebates.. Did you ask Wolfe? B&H cannot sell Canon, Nikon or Sony Below their authorized price. Now Wolfe or anyone else for that matter can sell above authorized retail.. If Canon had the lens on sale all resellers would be able to sell at the same price.

wisner Loc: The planet Twylo

I live in the DC area and the nearest camera store is in Baltimore, about 45 miles away or in Sterling VA, at least another 45 minute drive. We lost Calumet last March. I envy anyone who has a local camera store.
Like Happy Sailor, I want to hold a camera in my hand before buying.
The times they are a'changin!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

We had not had a local camera store here for over 8 years when I decided to buck the trend and open one myself. I had no expectations really, I opened it in one of my rental houses and expected to do an "on call" kind of business. Within 3 weeks I realized I needed to establish regular business hours. By the time 3 months had passed it was a full time job and had seriously affected by actual shooting time. The store has been successful beyond anything I had ever imagined. It just goes to show that a small, hands-on type of business can still make it in this field. Service is the key, I firmly believe that. I have always advocated giving free info and advice whenever anyone asked me for it, and that policy has paid off in a big way. I will never get rich running this little store, but thanks to the support I have received locally, as well as orders from UHH members, my little store broke one million dollars in gross sales in my 15th month in business. The only reason small camera store do not make it in this market today is because owners are too interested in owning a business than BEING that business. A knowledgeable, "hands on" approach seems to be the key, at least to me.
By the way, thanks to all the UHH members who have ordered products from me, the support is very much appreciated!

Macronaut Loc: Redondo Beach,Ca.

MT, for some reason I thought you only rented equipment and did not know you had a retail business. If I had known, I would have inquired about getting my recent SD/CF card purchase from you. I will keep you in mind from now on.

Also, the fact you didn't try and sell me something when I was inquiring about cards on another thread, to me, that says a lot......

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

I would just like to add that if you have a local business, you can always call them and give them a shot. Just be up-front that you are looking at that item online at such and such a cost.
Maybe on a $500 lens they will only make $50, but it will be their call to make something, as opposed to nothing!
Try it if you'd like them there when you really need them. ;-)
SS