Is the Hometown Camera Store Dead?

Many of you have been asking this question pretty much since the Internet exploded into the world’s largest marketplace. But change comes so fast and so deep these days that even change – well changes.

When I hear the question – Is the hometown camera store dead? – I think the first thing that needs to be discussed is – What constitutes dead?

If you are asking – will the local hometown camera store ever see a resurgence to it’s former glory then I believe absolutely not – it’s dead.

If you are asking – is the camera store dead like the record store is dead – I believe the hometown camera store is thriving.

Let me explain. When I was a kid (yes I was indeed a kid long ago – hard to believe but it’s true) we used to go to record stores every Saturday. You could buy the latest from the Beatles or the Stones for about a buck.

Now it’s pretty hard to find a record store. BUT THEY EXIST! You just have to look harder to find them, there are fewer of them, and they tend to offer products that are expensive. But to the serious music lover who wants a pure listening experience, there are those who spend tens of thousands on the old fashioned style home stereo system with a turntable, amp and speakers. There will always be someone who is willing to pay for a premium experience.

Bringing it back to photography – we see that with film. Film is not dead, it’s just harder to find, there are fewer choices, the lab business has contracted to a wisp of its former self, and shooting, processing and printing film can be expensive compared to digital. But it can be done. It will always be available in some form.

You can buy anything you want in the way of a camera or other photo gear online with the click of a mouse. But if you want to, you can seek out a “real” camera store and if you’re lucky, maybe even close to your home town. There you can walk in and touch the stuff you want to buy. You will probably (almost definitely if you live in a state that collects sales tax) pay a premium for that experience.

The number of retail camera stores in the USA has declined roughly seven percent a year for the last 10 years according to research firm IBIS. Many mom & pop camera stores have shut their doors. The shift toward new technology and large-scale retailers will keep this trend going in the downward direction.

When it comes to online stores, I deeply appreciate the support that we receive at Photofocus from B&H Photo. It is of course a hometown camera store for those of you who live in New York City. It’s quite an amazing place and if you are in New York you should definitely add it to your “must-see” list of attractions. There’s no place quite like it.

B&H can be your local camera store as long as you have a computer, an Internet connection and a credit card. But some people strongly prefer touching, examining, holding and even testing their gear before they buy. In that case you need a brick and mortar store.

Sales of interchangeable lens cameras are way down these days. And whether you believe it or not, the margins on camera gear are razor thin for the resellers. They aren’t making as much money as most of you think they are. It’s a VERY tough, very competitive business. Thanks to the Internet, most camera stores have been disinter-mediated.

So what are your chances of finding a good local camera store? Like most retail, camera store locations closely follow the US population spread. Big cities offer more choices, smaller cities not so much.

I have been to many a camera store. I have been lucky enough to go to B&H several times. They are always my first stop if I am buying. But as big as they are and as good as they are, they can’t stock EVERYTHING all the time. So when I need something they don’t have, and I need it right now, I am lucky in that there are many retailers who will help out.

I live in the Seattle area and we are blessed with TWO very large, very nice, very high-quality camera stores full of photography lovers. Glazers Camera is in downtown Seattle and has been around forever and it’s really something to see in the flesh. They have recently remodeled the store and it’s really nice. The staff is knowledgeable and they have good stock. Kenmore Camera is in a suburb, 15-20 minutes northeast of downtown. It’s also recently remodeled and taken on a larger space. The store reminds me of a giant super market but instead of food they sell camera gear! Very nice folks, well-versed in the gear they sell and lots of stock for a brick and mortar operation.

Beyond stores in my own area, I sometimes shop with retailers who have an online presence but not one of the same size as giant B&H. Midwest Photo does a pretty good job and so does my pal Gary Farber at Hunt’s Photo. I’ll take a minute to mention Gary because we go way back. If you go to big photo events such as Photoshop World or the NANPA Summit, you’ve probably seen Gary. He’s one of the nicest guys in the business and always willing to lend a hand.

So no – the hometown camera store is not dead but it’s never going to be the same… People like me with severe GAS (no not that kind – Gear Acquisition Syndrome) will see to it that the local guy lives on.

Unfortuantely, I am the type of camera buyer that once I decide I need a camera, I want it now. That is always a horrible place to be if you are trying to be a frugal consumer but what can I say? I suck at being a frugal consumer. Luckily, the folks at B&H have pretty much everything in stock, all the time. As I said, they are my go-to source and have a great return policy as well as a new thing where they give you bonus cash back that you can use for future purchases there. But when a NEW, popular camera comes out, even the mighty B&H can run out of stock. Sometimes because they are so big they get hit the hardest leaving me to search through some of the options above.

I haven’t mentioned one other obvious component to this equation – that is if you want to keep your local camera store alive you have to support them or they will be gone. I don’t harp on that too much because frankly that can be said of ANY business. Even B&H Photo. They all need our business. So even if you can’t buy a camera from your local store, attend their events, get to know them and let them get a chance to know you. Support comes in many forms and we all need to stick together in this industry because frankly, times are tough for some folks.

Now what about you? Is there a camera store in your area you trust? Or did one recently go out of business? What’s your take on the question it all started with? Is the hometown camera store dead?