Now Ritz is going down down down :( and Retail Stores?

[KenjiS]

http://nikonrumors.com/2009/02/23/not-again.aspx

This is crappy news, I know Ritz/Wolfs/Kits isnt the best around, but they're still better than Best Buy in some areas (Sadly my store has %&#@ for inventory, their highest model is the D60 on the Nikon side and they have the Rebel XS for Canon and I think the Alpha a200 and thats it :()

They could reform themselves if they axed Boater's world, spent money training associates, and started to stock midrange and entry pro gear as well as completely revamped their online site with a tie to the store as well as got their prices down there below Best Buy's and in line with the professional small dealers I've gone to (Who usually are $50-75 more than online..which is acceptable)

Look, I'm getting really sad because in my area the one decent local camera store is a Nikon-only dealer (They do Canon but they also DONT do Canon..they can get you anything you want for Canon they just stock none of it and generally go very Nikon with their equipment, thats their choice but it means I cant shop there..in fact I considered switching to Nikon to specifically do business with them!) and the other one is a bit...eh..I love and hate them..

I know I'd be a lot less indecisive on lenses if I could actually hold try and play with one, take a lot of shots and then have the option to buy it there on the spot for a reasonable price, I dont mind paying a little more that way(Hey, I live in NYS, Amazon, Adorama and B&H hit me with tax anyways, and my tax is pretty steep, then im paying shipping as well..so really..local can be equal)

But with the one store (No, not the Nikon dealer, their prices are actually DAMN good, they had the D300 for only $50 more than B&H! and one time they had the 10-20 Sigma in a Canon mount for $430 or so which SHOCKED me) if you want most lenses, they have to order it, it will take 2 weeks or more, theres no return or trial period for any reason, and the prices are hundreds of dollars marked up from online...

My other options are my local specialty electronics store, who think the 50D is a full frame camera and that the Tamron 200-500 is a 28-300...and their equipment looks like ****e (And they want over $2k for a 70-200 f/2.8 IS) or Best Buy whos prices are eh to meh...

or...well doing business online...

But to be honest? I dont mind paying a little more for good service and I'm seriously thinking of checking the Nikon dealer out, Heck even if i could try the Nikon version of a Sigma lens or something (They do a lot of Sigma there actually) it would still give me a feel for if I'd like it or not on Canon...and maybe their main store has more Canon stuff than their satellite thats closer to where i live (Their main store isnt inconvenient, just not in a direction I often go, I'm thinking of checking it out this week, they said they have a LOT more and i know its bigger)

So what about you guys? in your area do you go to a local store or just B&H and Adorama everything?

[scot079]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=651410

[Nick5]

Ken.
I agree.
Ritz is better than Best Buy.
Best Buy's pricing is to get you in, hence lower prices. The Loss Lead. They have other products to make up margins.


My Ultra Store Ritz in the Christiana Mall in Delaware has a very knowledgeable staff and a good selection. They even have L lenses.
The other surrounding Ritz locations have scaled back inventory big time. This is no surprise.
However, most of my Camera dollars go to two small independent stores in the Philadelphia, Delaware Market.
Both have great inventory. L lenses galore. The same knowledgeable sales staff that have been working there the last two years and certainly longer.
Mom and Pop camera stores have to make profits from camera product sales to stay in business, to keep inventory on hand so we can go look, touch, feel, get educated and determine if it's the right lens, camera, tripod etc.
If it is, I buy from that location. Nowhere else.
Their prices are fair too. They are not above or even at List Price.
If I did not support them with sales, and went there to look, touch determine which one and then inturn go buy at the lowest price Online. they would have to shut the door.
The owner and employyes are out of a job.
Their sales reps lose accounts, the land lord loses rent, the local town loses tax revenue, the local lunch joint loses business, the gas station loses customers etc..
Without small local business in any area of the country, we are doomed economically.
Is this what Reagan meant by "Trickle Down Economics".


The next time you buy at the "Lowest Price", it may cost you your job.






If I don't support the local Mom and Pop, the only option may be Best Buy. Is that good,............Go look for a TV now.

[Duncan Frenz]

I tried going to a few of their locations for various accessories like filters, batteries, neck and handstraps, battery grip etc., but they had NONE of these except one generic filter. Their answer was that they could order it for me. Well duh! So can I for half the cost! The point was being able to pick it up without the wait.

I know carrying inventory adds to their tax base and overhead, but it you want to compete... All they really had in store were some digital frames and their print service, which I have never tried, but I suspect it is questionable.

Sorry, but while I don't mind paying a bit more for good service, you got to have the product too. I'm afraid that no matter what they do now, it will be another case of 'too little, too late'. Pity, I really like brick and mortar stores.

[Dchemist]

[quote=Nick5;7402951]Ken.

However, most of my Camera dollars go to two small independent stores in the Philadelphia, Delaware Market.
Both have great inventory. L lenses galore. The same knowledgeable sales staff that have been working there the last two years and certainly longer.
Mom and Pop camera stores have to make profits from camera product sales to stay in business, to keep inventory on hand so we can go look, touch, feel, get educated and determine if it's the right lens, camera, tripod etc.
If it is, I buy from that location. No where else.
Their prices are fair too. They are not above or even at List price.
If I did not support them with sales, and went their to look touch determine which one and then inturn go buy at the lowest price Online. they would have to shut the door.
The owner and employyes are out of a job.
Their sales reps lose accounts, the land lord looses rent, the local town looses tax revenue, the local lunch joint loses business, the gas station loses customers etc..
Without small local business in any area of the country, we are doomed economically.
Is this what Reagan meant by "Trickle Down Economics".

quote]

Well said!

[bjyoder]

Ken.
I agree.
Ritz is better than Best Buy.
Best Buy's pricing is to get you in, hence lower prices. The Loss Lead. They have other products to make up margins.


Not true. I work at a camera store local to Columbus (and Cincinnati and Indy to be truthful), and our prices (on hardware) easily match if not beat Best Buy; and we can not afford to have loss leaders on anything we sell.

Most places will sell at MAP (Minimum Advertized Pricing), to both have low prices and be able to get some money from the manufacturer for advertising dollars. That is also why many internet retailers will have lower pricing - they don't need the money for advertising, so they can easily sell below the MAP. I know that B&H (for example) sells many things AT cost. It's going to be tough for ANY local retailer - Best Buy included - to match that on a consistent basis.

[RacingMoose]

Ken.
I agree.
Ritz is better than Best Buy.
Best Buy's pricing is to get you in, hence lower prices. The Loss Lead. They have other products to make up margins.


My Ultra Store Ritz in the Christiana Mall in Delaware has a very knowledgeable staff and a good selection. They even have L lenses.
The other surrounding Ritz locations have scaled back inventory big time. This is no surprise.
However, most of my Camera dollars go to two small independent stores in the Philadelphia, Delaware Market.
Both have great inventory. L lenses galore. The same knowledgeable sales staff that have been working there the last two years and certainly longer.



Perhaps one of those stores is Allens on the outskirts of Philly? I've been there a number of times and the service, selection, and price is excellent.

[KenjiS]

I tried going to a few of their locations for various accessories like filters, batteries, neck and handstraps, battery grip etc., but they had NONE of these except one generic filter. Their answer was that they could order it for me. Well duh! So can I for half the cost! The point was being able to pick it up without the wait.

I know carrying inventory adds to their tax base and overhead, but it you want to compete... All they really had in store were some digital frames and their print service, which I have never tried, but I suspect it is questionable.

Sorry, but while I don't mind paying a bit more for good service, you got to have the product too. I'm afraid that no matter what they do now, it will be another case of 'too little, too late'. Pity, I really like brick and mortar stores.

Same here!

Im thinking of visiting that other dealer, I found out they stock the Sigma 150-500 in a Canon mount by looking at their website ($900 something, versus $850 at Adorama) I also found out they stocked the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 I just bought for exactly what I paid for it (Their Sigma stock is higher than Adorama, Tamron is equal or VERY slightly higher, and Nikon is at par)

I dont want to lose a decent local store to be honest, especially because I really would like their advice on one particular lens for my system (I dunno if ill get the Siggy there or not, but the other I will)

[Nick5]

Perhaps one of those stores is Allens on the outskirts of Philly? I've been there a number of times and the service, selection, and price is excellent.
I was at Allen's on Tuesday as a matter of fact. Allen's is another great little joint. Well stocked and great prices also.
That is about a 45 minute drive from my house.
The Camera Shop of Bryn Mawr and Cameras Etc.. in Wilmington, Delaware were the two I was referring to.
I guess I should make that three local Mom and Pop's.
Thanks Moose.

[Mike55]

I tried going to a few of their locations for various accessories like filters, batteries, neck and handstraps, battery grip etc., but they had NONE of these except one generic filter. Their answer was that they could order it for me. Well duh! So can I for half the cost! The point was being able to pick it up without the wait.



Ditto. Tried stopping in there on a long road trip last year. Same problem for basic things.

[KenjiS]

Ditto. Tried stopping in there on a long road trip last year. Same problem for basic things.

See if they could fix that supply issue...they'd probubly get more business

I know mine had absolute **** for lenses of any sort...even the most basic 55-200 or 55-250 lenses were not in stock....no cleaning kits, cleaning supplies or anything either...they had a few filters too..but nothing really "good" nothing even multicoated

They did have batteries at least...but they were quite overpriced compared to the Radioshack downstairs in the mall and the selection stunk...

And memory cards and that they generally had less choice/selection than Best Buy...

[reconstyle]

The ritz at my local mall in the Orlando area is closing down, they had some good sales, but on stuff I didn't need...

[MDJAK]

Not true. I work at a camera store local to Columbus (and Cincinnati and Indy to be truthful), and our prices (on hardware) easily match if not beat Best Buy; and we can not afford to have loss leaders on anything we sell.

Most places will sell at MAP (Minimum Advertized Pricing), to both have low prices and be able to get some money from the manufacturer for advertising dollars. That is also why many internet retailers will have lower pricing - they don't need the money for advertising, so they can easily sell below the MAP. I know that B&H (for example) sells many things AT cost. It's going to be tough for ANY local retailer - Best Buy included - to match that on a consistent basis.


I'm sorry to take you to task on one of your statements here, but most respectfully, I must.

The fact that you work for a camera store does not give you inside information as to what B&H's cost is. Wholesale cost is different to many different retail establishments based on their ordering history and the amount of product they move.

I assure you that B&H does not sell AT cost any of their products, unless they are leftovers which are just not selling and they are forced to mark them down just to get rid of them.

The 1DsMKIII when it first came out was retail $8k at B&H and just about everywhere else. The actual cost from a Canon Rep at that time was $6500.

B&H is in business to make money, not to sell anything at cost.

[bjyoder]

I'm sorry to take you to task on one of your statements here, but most respectfully, I must.

The fact that you work for a camera store does not give you inside information as to what B&H's cost is. Wholesale cost is different to many different retail establishments based on their ordering history and the amount of product they move.

I assure you that B&H does not sell AT cost any of their products, unless they are leftovers which are just not selling and they are forced to mark them down just to get rid of them.

The 1DsMKIII when it first came out was retail $8k at B&H and just about everywhere else. The actual cost from a Canon Rep at that time was $6500.

B&H is in business to make money, not to sell anything at cost.

True enough, however...

Cost to retailers is cost to retailers (in general). What can be done though is, if a company pays the bill on time, they will get a rebate from the manufacturer, offsetting some of that cost.

And I didn't say B&H sold EVERYTHING at cost - if they can sell things as much as everyone else and still sell a ton of them, they will. There are some products they sell at cost.

[Rainyday]

According to the press release, Ritz is going out of business because they no longer could make money processing film. I loved Ritz when I was in college, they had the most awesome warranties! I patronise my local pro shop for DSLR's and data cards and some other stuff, because they are the ONLY serious shop in town. If they went out of business, I would use mail order from B&H. I'd hate it, but it's tons better than Best Buy. Or I might just suck it up and drive to either Austin or Houston.

Best Buy and other big box stores have destroyed small, serious shops and it's a shame.

[SnapLocally.com]

It sucks that the economy may have taken another victim, but truth be told I have never had a positive experience at a Ritz. I've always found their prices high, their employees unknowledgable, and their inventory- short on... everything. They train their sales people to be aggressive instead of knowledgable. I even found buying a lens hood there to be a pain in the ass:

"What's that?"

I had to speak to a manager in order to buy a lens hood. And no, this wasn't an isolated incident from just one store. I even sent them an email about it, which of course got no reply.

Ritz sucks/sucked.

[KenjiS]

i had film processed there once and the employee told me I had "severe magentaing" in my pictures which needed to be fixed by "stopping down to f/32 or so and using a really slow shutter speed" and thus the end of my roll was "Undevelopable"

[SnapLocally.com]

I wanted to see the 40D when it first came out, and I asked an employee if they had one I could see.

"Who makes that?" she asked.

"Canon."

Minutes later she returns: "Umm... are you sure you don't mean Nikon?"

[KenjiS]

I wanted to see the 40D when it first came out, and I asked an employee if they had one I could see.

"Who makes that?" she asked.

"Canon."

Minutes later she returns: "Umm... are you sure you don't mean Nikon?"

Eh Ritz always striked me as very Nikon-bias

At mine they have huge Nikon posters and displays and 3-4 Nikon DSLRs and 1 Canon and 1 Sony

The employees most of the time go RIGHT to Nikon....

[Laramie]

So what about you guys? in your area do you go to a local store or just B&H and Adorama everything?

I don't mind paying a little extra either. But when I pay extra, I still expect to get good service and have a decent selection of gear. Around here it's basically Calumet or Samys. Calumet doesn't have a good selection and Samys has high prices AND poor service.

No service and an automated e-mail from BH or amazon is much more satisfying that than walking out of the store with product in hand after overpaying and dealing with some jerk who couldn't care less to help me or had to be right and was a know it all.

[SnapLocally.com]

No service and an automated e-mail from BH or amazon is much more satisfying that than walking out of the store with product in hand after overpaying and dealing with some jerk who couldn't care less to help me or had to be right and was a know it all.

I was shopping at another local chain for a lens (35mm f/2 to be exact) and the know-it-all sales guy was "pretty sure" Canon didn't make one of those, and started launching into this dissertation about how I've got to take the crop factor into consideration, as if I were clueless one in the conversation.

"I know what I'm looking for, that doesn't matter..."

"But you have take it in consideration..." he was actually arguing with me, the customer, who knew exactly what I was looking for, and an item the store probably had in stock. I was so pissed off that I turned my back on him and walked out in mid sentence.

A few months later I made two more trips to the store, and he was the only guy available to help me. I had him show me the camera I wanted to see, and told him I'd need a day to think on it, which I did. I returned the next day, and was him again.

"The only way you're making this sale is if you can remember what I was looking at yesterday."

He was in luck.

[Laramie]

I was shopping at another local chain for a lens (35mm f/2 to be exact) and the know-it-all sales guy was "pretty sure" Canon didn't make one of those, and started launching into this dissertation about how I've got to take the crop factor into consideration, as if I were clueless one in the conversation.

"I know what I'm looking for, that doesn't matter..."

"But you have take it in consideration..." he was actually arguing with me, the customer, who knew exactly what I was looking for, and an item the store probably had in stock. I was so pissed off that I turned my back on him and walked out in mid sentence.

A few months later I made two more trips to the store, and he was the only guy available to help me. I had him show me the camera I wanted to see, and told him I'd need a day to think on it, which I did. I returned the next day, and was him again.

"The only way you're making this sale is if you can remember what I was looking at yesterday."

He was in luck.

That is frustrating. This isn't always the case, but I've noticed in many various hobbies that when somebody works at a specialty store, it's as if by implication they automatically know more than you.

[pastanley]

I blame mail order/internet stores like B&H and Adorama and Amazon.com. Ritz was a few hundred dollars morefor their DSLR cameras than the stores mentioned. I only used Ritz for their catalogs just to see what was on the market then did a quick search at amazon, B&H etc for their prices.

[KenjiS]

That is frustrating. This isn't always the case, but I've noticed in many various hobbies that when somebody works at a specialty store, it's as if by implication they automatically know more than you.

Exactly, there was one girl at this store I went to recently, she was going on a long LONG thing telling me all the things about the 150-500 Sigma, including how the APO is the finish used on the outside of the lens (Uh, no its not)

And then when i said "Er..actually it means Apochromatic and refers to the construction and coating of the optics in the lens that theoretically eliminate chromatic aberrations or at least severely reduce them" I was being very polite about it and nice...She also, and i cant remember anything else specific, got into some other things relating to Sigma acronyms, all of them wrong...

She got huffy...and corrected me (and I backed down), then started telling stories about some other customer who corrected her and how shes worked as a photographer for 20 years and all this other ****..

She was not a nice person to deal with

[WMWARD2]

Ritz in my area is complete joke for every reason in the book. At one time, it was at least respectable for some items, but it did a down turn over the last two years. Cameras became grossly over priced and support supplies were of the lowest quality.

I have gone exclusively to B&H. Their catalogs are very descriptive and sales staff very knowledgeable over the phone. I have been dealing with B&H for many years in the professional sound business and for the last year for camera supplies.

With sales and service like that, Ritz cannot compete.

[KenjiS]

Ritz in my area is complete joke for every reason in the book. At one time, it was at least respectable for some items, but it did a down turn over the last two years. Cameras became grossly over priced and support supplies were of the lowest quality.

I have gone exclusively to B&H. Their catalogs are very descriptive and sales staff very knowledgeable over the phone. I have been dealing with B&H for many years in the professional sound business and for the last year for camera supplies.

With sales and service like that, Ritz cannot compete.

Seconded...

I do my stuff through Amazon and KEH generally, Mainly because KEH doesnt charge tax and has an excellent selection of used gear :)

[Village_Idiot]

The one in my mall is gone.

[StellaBean]

I love Cameras, Etc. in Newark. Got my camcorder there, Very knowledgeable. B&H got the win for my signature purchases though.

Our local Wolf (Ritz) sucks so bad I actually had to point it out to them on my third and final highly frustrating visit.

I also learned from a former Wolf employee that they receive kickbacks from Nikon. Could be heresay but from other folks reporting the heavy Nikon sales tactics, wouldn't surprise me.

I'd have bought my 40D from Cameras etc, in newark to support the mom & pops but money is tight and I couldn't turn a blind eye to the price differences.

[scorpio_e]

http://nikonrumors.com/2009/02/23/not-again.aspx

This is crappy news, I know Ritz/Wolfs/Kits isnt the best around, but they're still better than Best Buy in some areas (Sadly my store has %&#@ for inventory, their highest model is the D60 on the Nikon side and they have the Rebel XS for Canon and I think the Alpha a200 and thats it :()

They could reform themselves if they axed Boater's world, spent money training associates, and started to stock midrange and entry pro gear as well as completely revamped their online site with a tie to the store as well as got their prices down there below Best Buy's and in line with the professional small dealers I've gone to (Who usually are $50-75 more than online..which is acceptable)

Look, I'm getting really sad because in my area the one decent local camera store is a Nikon-only dealer (They do Canon but they also DONT do Canon..they can get you anything you want for Canon they just stock none of it and generally go very Nikon with their equipment, thats their choice but it means I cant shop there..in fact I considered switching to Nikon to specifically do business with them!) and the other one is a bit...eh..I love and hate them..

I know I'd be a lot less indecisive on lenses if I could actually hold try and play with one, take a lot of shots and then have the option to buy it there on the spot for a reasonable price, I dont mind paying a little more that way(Hey, I live in NYS, Amazon, Adorama and B&H hit me with tax anyways, and my tax is pretty steep, then im paying shipping as well..so really..local can be equal)

But with the one store (No, not the Nikon dealer, their prices are actually DAMN good, they had the D300 for only $50 more than B&H! and one time they had the 10-20 Sigma in a Canon mount for $430 or so which SHOCKED me) if you want most lenses, they have to order it, it will take 2 weeks or more, theres no return or trial period for any reason, and the prices are hundreds of dollars marked up from online...

My other options are my local specialty electronics store, who think the 50D is a full frame camera and that the Tamron 200-500 is a 28-300...and their equipment looks like ****e (And they want over $2k for a 70-200 f/2.8 IS) or Best Buy whos prices are eh to meh...

or...well doing business online...

But to be honest? I dont mind paying a little more for good service and I'm seriously thinking of checking the Nikon dealer out, Heck even if i could try the Nikon version of a Sigma lens or something (They do a lot of Sigma there actually) it would still give me a feel for if I'd like it or not on Canon...and maybe their main store has more Canon stuff than their satellite thats closer to where i live (Their main store isnt inconvenient, just not in a direction I often go, I'm thinking of checking it out this week, they said they have a LOT more and i know its bigger)

So what about you guys? in your area do you go to a local store or just B&H and Adorama everything?


Ritz owes Nikon-Canon and Fuji a LOT of money. I heard Nikon was owed over 25 million.

[KenjiS]

I also learned from a former Wolf employee that they receive kickbacks from Nikon. Could be heresay but from other folks reporting the heavy Nikon sales tactics, wouldn't surprise me.


I sometimes think thats true of most pro dealers given the heavy Nikon bias to every one of them in my area...even the one that stocks and does Canon sits there and pushes Nikon 85% of the time..

[bjyoder]

Nikon doesn't actively push too hard at my company, but they make it profitable to a company to sell them, and Canon does not. So those of us making money based on profit stand to make more off Nikon. Those that only want to make money will, therefore, push Nikon much more.

[pastanley]

I do not agree that the economy has anything to do with the camera business. After all- no one can say that B&H is having a bad year. Ritz was a good thing to have back in the 80's. But since the internet explosion of the 90's people have turned to the internet to save a few hundred dollars on a camera or a lens plus they do not have to pay state sales tax. Sure it was easier to take returns back to your local Ritz store in the mall- but with household internet company names like Adorama, Amazon and B&H they are very trusted and reliable. This is a new era due much in part to the internet taking alot of sales away from local merchants and the market is responding accordingly.

[KenjiS]

I do not agree that the economy has anything to do with the camera business. After all- no one can say that B&H is having a bad year. Ritz was a good thing to have back in the 80's. But since the internet explosion of the 90's people have turned to the internet to save a few hundred dollars on a camera or a lens plus they do not have to pay state sales tax. Sure it was easier to take returns back to your local Ritz store in the mall- but with household internet company names like Adorama, Amazon and B&H they are very trusted and reliable. This is a new era due much in part to the internet taking alot of sales away from local merchants and the market is responding accordingly.


The state sales tax thing depends, in NY you have to with most online retailers...

This is bad for me when it comes to photo equipment because the two biggest places, Adorama and B&H, are both in NY, so guess what? I have to pay my largely ineffective and very bad with money state government :/

My local stores are a Nikon dealer who put a bad taste in my mouth recently, and another store with prices 200-300 higher than everywhere else...

I think that local merchants can rebound, i believe theres a good market for brick and mortar camera chains provided they can lower their prices to be not much higher than the internet and provide service that the internet doesnt...

I for one, love having a nice friendly store to go to and talk to people as well as to see and sample the equipment, the only bad part is theres no Canon dealers here...

[alt4852]

Nikon doesn't actively push too hard at my company, but they make it profitable to a company to sell them, and Canon does not. So those of us making money based on profit stand to make more off Nikon. Those that only want to make money will, therefore, push Nikon much more.

bingo. i needed a quick job a few summers ago and i asked a friend working at ritz if it was worth looking into. he told me that i should probably check my canon affinity at the door if i did because it was easier to make money with nikon and store managers usually encouraged it. plus, the employee purchase program for nikon offered deep discounts whereas the canon one did not.

[avaloncm]

I just received a bankruptcy notice for Ritz Camera, Inc from Kurtzman Carson Consultants saying Ritz/Wolf was filing for bankruptcy.

Any know anything else about this? Not that I bought from them because they were about 25-30% higher than Adorama, B&H, etc. But I use Lifepics due to the ease of selling prints and not having to handle orders for a $50 one time fee and they take 15% of the top.

Anyone know any more info? Anyone have good ideas for a replace for Lifepics where I don't have to pay out the butt monthly fees?

Thanks!!

[brecklundin]

What is weird is they are still selling on Amazon even though it is clearly impossible for them to honor Amazon's product requirements.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?me=A1LD8YQ23K3G6J

That is kind of scary to me as a consumer, not that I would ever have bought from them but why would Amazon let this continue? I am sure Amazon must have had talks with whoever is handling the Ritz implosion.

Maybe a lot of the Ritz inventory listed on Amazon is already warehoused in Amazon fulfillment centers around the country?

[nuffi]

Check the thread at the top of this forum. This one! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=652305)

[KenjiS]

bingo. i needed a quick job a few summers ago and i asked a friend working at ritz if it was worth looking into. he told me that i should probably check my canon affinity at the door if i did because it was easier to make money with nikon and store managers usually encouraged it. plus, the employee purchase program for nikon offered deep discounts whereas the canon one did not.

I interviewed for a job there...

The store manager and i got along great and we laughed and talked for a long time about photography and everything..it was probubly the most fun interview I've ever had

The District manager came in for a second interview, and she was a bit of a....lets say..."unlikeable person" who was very touchy about anything and didnt seem to know two ****s about photography, her and i did NOT mesh..she did not seem to care about my knowledge, experience, opinions, or anything, Shrugged aside the sample images I included and just got into my previous work experience and other various things that my knowledge and experience actually shooting a camera should have made up for by yards :/

[KenjiS]

What is weird is they are still selling on Amazon even though it is clearly impossible for them to honor Amazon's product requirements.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?me=A1LD8YQ23K3G6J

That is kind of scary to me as a consumer, not that I would ever have bought from them but why would Amazon let this continue? I am sure Amazon must have had talks with whoever is handling the Ritz implosion.

Maybe a lot of the Ritz inventory listed on Amazon is already warehoused in Amazon fulfillment centers around the country?

I am unsure, but I have heard Amazon doesnt control their listed vendors too well..

For instance buying Sennheiser headphones you have to be VERY careful because the store with the lowest price is almost always -not- a Sennheiser authorized reseller, which means you lose your warranty and are SOL should you have any problems (Hey, its their right to do this)

However theres no mention of this at the store, nor on Amazon, and there REALLY should be

[alt4852]

I interviewed for a job there...

The store manager and i got along great and we laughed and talked for a long time about photography and everything..it was probubly the most fun interview I've ever had

The District manager came in for a second interview, and she was a bit of a....lets say..."unlikeable person" who was very touchy about anything and didnt seem to know two ****s about photography, her and i did NOT mesh..she did not seem to care about my knowledge, experience, opinions, or anything, Shrugged aside the sample images I included and just got into my previous work experience and other various things that my knowledge and experience actually shooting a camera should have made up for by yards :/

yea, i had a similar experience only i treated it simply as any other retail job. i was invited by a store manager since i visited relatively often to pick up their $1 expired film (i'm a college student, don't judge ;)) and i offhandedly mentioned that i needed a quick job. he pretty much hired me on the spot because he said he liked my attitude and knowledge, but it got vetoed later when i was going to bring in paperwork because the district manager was unwilling to hire someone without at least a year's commitment to stay. given i didn't want to work at ritz for a year, i had to turn it down. back to working at the bookstore.. c'est la vie. :rolleyes:

[ChrisRabior]

There are two Ritz stores nearby for me. One is at Lakeside Mall, and from outside looks very inviting. Some lighting stands, umbrellas, strobes, etc. Walk inside, and FORGET ABOUT IT. I went in (ironically enough looking for a 35mm f/2.0) and was told the same thing. Canon doesn't make this lens. Perhaps you'd be happier with an 18-55mm IS.

The other store is on Mack Ave in Grosse Pointe. I've had mixed experiences there. I picked up a few things there, mostly accessories. Usually you aren't given given the time of day by their big seller associates until you take a glance at the $1k+ glass or camera bodies. I guess filters, bags, diffusers, and other minor stuff just wasn't worth their time to talk to you about. That's what I'm going to miss so much about Adray.

Anyways, the one time I did buy a lens from them was a decent experience. I grabbed up a Sigma lens (28-75mm f/2.8-4.0 if I remember correctly) that was marked down pretty reasonably. My first step away from the kit lens. I happened to get a girl who usually worked in the back taking care of the film/image lab. Truly an experience to talk to her, though unfortunately one of the first and only intelligent conversations I've had with a Ritz employee. Oh well. At least she knew that Canon produced an EF 35mm f/2.0.

[Synovia]

Ken.
I agree.
Ritz is better than Best Buy.
Best Buy's pricing is to get you in, hence lower prices.
What does Best Buy have lower prices on?


The last Best Buy I was in wanted $449 for the EFS 55-250 IS

[KenjiS]

yea, i had a similar experience only i treated it simply as any other retail job. i was invited by a store manager since i visited relatively often to pick up their $1 expired film (i'm a college student, don't judge ;)) and i offhandedly mentioned that i needed a quick job. he pretty much hired me on the spot because he said he liked my attitude and knowledge, but it got vetoed later when i was going to bring in paperwork because the district manager was unwilling to hire someone without at least a year's commitment to stay. given i didn't want to work at ritz for a year, i had to turn it down. back to working at the bookstore.. c'est la vie. :rolleyes:

In my instance it was a seasonal job, and she seemed unwilling to hire you if you werent going to shove things down people's throats :X

I'm a very low pressure sales person I'm afraid...

[alt4852]

i just spoke to my friend working there when i asked how things were now that ritz filed for bankruptcy, but he reminded me that they're filing chapter 11, not chapter 7. his branch and many others in my area are not closing. chapter 11 is more or less a restructuring bid rather than a liquidation one, and that might explain why ritz still shows up on the amazon vendor list. they're not really like circuit city in the sense that they're dissolving completely.

[brecklundin]

alt4852,

thanks for the clarification. Still I would imagine Amazon should, out of trust and full disclosure, require Ritz to clearly state the condition of their business. There is zero guarantee Ritz will survive Ch. 11 and end up filing Ch. 7 in the end. It is not uncommon for a business to use Ch. 11 to milk some more cash while not really paying anything in order to pay off executives and some incestuous vendors who are actually owned by those within the company itself or even an inner circle. It is not supposed to work that way but it sometimes will.

I know unless it was a dime on the dollar I would not by anything expensive from a company in Ritz's situation because there might be returns, exchanges or other problems to which because of the credit unworthiness the business will not be able to replace items because the vendor will no longer provide new inventory or even replacement inventory, thus forcing customers to go through the mfg for repair or replacement even if an defective item is days or weeks old.

[Fade2]

I just read about this!
Sad!

But Ritz seemed to always bull^$@ their costumers.....especially the newer ones by selling them things that were straight up garbage (mainly lenses)! And they knew it!

[brianmcho]

Should we expect to see some clearance specials?

[Jacobredphoto]

Anyone who has a local camera store is lucky, my dealers are literally between Wal*Mart :P and Sams Club. The closest store that I have is a couple hours away, it seriously sucks.

[KenjiS]

Anyone who has a local camera store is lucky, my dealers are literally between Wal*Mart :P and Sams Club. The closest store that I have is a couple hours away, it seriously sucks.

Not necessarily

Where I live as I said, I have the Nikon store who honestly doesnt really want to help Canon customers unless they want to convert to Nikon, and the other store which stocks hardly anything in the way of lenses, has prices marked up between $100-500, and if you order anything its "25% down, No returns whatsoever, and it will be here sometime in 2-3 weeks"

So basically, they're really both not much help for me personally!

[MDJAK]

Anyone who has a local camera store is lucky, my dealers are literally between Wal*Mart :P and Sams Club. The closest store that I have is a couple hours away, it seriously sucks.

I only have a few small stores nearby. One is called B&H and the other Adorama. You can throw in J&R for good measure.

But, consider YOURSELF lucky. My wallet regularly empties itself in those places. :(

me :lol:

[MDJAK]

i had film processed there once and the employee told me I had "severe magentaing" in my pictures which needed to be fixed by "stopping down to f/32 or so and using a really slow shutter speed" and thus the end of my roll was "Undevelopable"

Sounds perfectly logical to me. :lol::rolleyes:

[Jacobredphoto]

LOL, I guess I should consider my wallet lucky, I know it would not last but a few seconds in any real camera store.

[mlav]

Wow, the same topic as the mountain bike boards, only the product changed...

The Ritz in Livonia, MI was a total joke.

[Thalagyrt]

My fiancee worked at a Ritz, which is now closed. The manager as part of the interview asked how digital zoom works, and she said straight up what it is - crop and upsample in camera, and the guy told her she was wrong and that it's some "magic voodoo involving manipulating the zeros and ones in some weird way." Which of course it is, but that magic voodoo is called cropping and upsampling the image on a processor.

And people wonder why this company went under?

[MDJAK]

My fiancee worked at a Ritz, which is now closed.
And people wonder why this company went under?

Nope, we're wondering why you're marrying someone who is unemployed. ;) :lol:

me

[KenjiS]

Nope, we're wondering why you're marrying someone who is unemployed. ;) :lol:

me

Well she has a job now ;) Now shes head of his "Interior Domestics" Division...

Now now, before any girls get bitchy at me I'm KIDDING

[dave kadolph]

My local B&M is doing pretty well.

But they don't believe in magic or voodoo.

[Thalagyrt]

Nope, we're wondering why you're marrying someone who is unemployed. ;) :lol:

me

I never said she was unemployed, just said that she used to work at Ritz. She now works at a company that's about to enter the same state of irrelevance, but makes more money there... Radio Shack! ;)

[Jethro790]

Ritz sucked. I couldn't even get decent prints made there. They had terrible prices on the limited amount of real gear they had, and the accessories were all crap, Chinese garbage. Top it off with sales staff that had no clue about actual photography and it was completely useless.

It may not seem right to say this in the current economic climate, but to be honest, good riddance.

[Rainyday]

Ritz sucked. I couldn't even get decent prints made there. They had terrible prices on the limited amount of real gear they had, and the accessories were all crap, Chinese garbage. Top it off with sales staff that had no clue about actual photography and it was completely useless.

It may not seem right to say this in the current economic climate, but to be honest, good riddance.


That's the good thing about this recession. Alot of bad stores are going under. It's very Darwinian. The junk gets weeded out and only the strong survive.

[monty28428]

Unfortunately for me Ritz also owns Boaters World - which is my favorite place to pick up fishing/boating gear. The local Boaters World is being shut down because of this :-( and West Marine's presence is pretty weak... guess it'll be online shopping for this gear now too.

[Aweitzel]

I cant stand ritz anyway, everytime i go to one of there stores they never have what i need.From a simple filter size to a camera (the g9). I get one of two answer, "we could order it for you, or try the riverside store." Ive pretty much given up on them.

[Josh_30]

Yeah, bad experiences with them here as well. Sales staff had no energy, and prices were horrible even when adding shipping to the same item from B&H or Adorama.
I won't miss them, except for the fact I'll have to drive a little further to check out some hear in person before buying @ one of the previously mentioned places. I want to support my local stores and I don't mind spending a little extra when I feel like my business is appreciated, but Ritz made it hard for me to do that.

[bjyoder]

That's the good thing about this recession. Alot of bad stores are going under. It's very Darwinian. The junk gets weeded out and only the strong survive.

Or who the politicians want to survive, but that's for a different thread... ;)

[KenjiS]

Or who the politicians want to survive, but that's for a different thread... ;)

Well referring to the auto industry I'd say theres a larger can of worms there than there is when it comes to Circuit City or Ritz going under ;)

I agree, in the recession its good bad stores go under..but I hope theres some new stores to come up and go against Best Buy and such, who now is getting a free monopoly on Electronics and Camera Equipment...

[MG30D]

I'm proud to say I have purchased all of my camera equipment online...sorry Ritz. ;)

Amazon: 30D, All my lenses, flash, camera bags, Sony point and shoot camera

Keh.com: Medium format film camera

B&H: Film

O' wait....I lied. I did go to best buy one time to purchase an extra Sandisk before going on a trip to FL last summer....but then again, i purchased it using a best buy gift card I received as a gift. :rolleyes:

I was just at best buy a few weeks ago and I saw a 17-40L on "clearance" for about $200 more than I could have purchased it from B&H.

[MG30D]

Ken.
Without small local business in any area of the country, we are doomed economically.
Is this what Reagan meant by "Trickle Down Economics".


The next time you buy at the "Lowest Price", it may cost you your job.


But if a local business, i.e. Ritz, is using an out-of-date business model it does no good to "charitably" be propping them up.

[MG30D]

I blame mail order/internet stores like B&H and Adorama and Amazon.com. Ritz was a few hundred dollars morefor their DSLR cameras than the stores mentioned. I only used Ritz for their catalogs just to see what was on the market then did a quick search at amazon, B&H etc for their prices.

That's like blaming the student who got an A in your class for your F. Ritz is closing because they have an out-of-date business model and poor customer service....simple as that.

For $40 more I get a 28-135 IS lens with a new 50D + amazon's 30 day return policy vs Ritz 50D body only. :rolleyes:

The 1D Mk III is $660 cheaper on amazon.com than ritz....for that price I could get some nice glass to compliment the 1D or a used 30D in mint condition from keh.com as a backup camera with some money left over. :)

So what am I paying for....customer service? I have POTN and other internet sites for reviews and info....odds are I can find out more than a part-time ritz employee does concerning a certain camera, lens, etc. in a matter of minutes online.

[Dbix]

Who cares about Ritz?

[Twisted Image]

The only thing I will miss about Ritz is that I will miss a good place to spend time while my wife shops the rest of the mall. My local stores actually have enthusiastic and knowledgable salespeople..
Fortunately I have a fantastic photography store within a half hour of my house.

[Nick5]

An Internet business is one location that can reach to the masses by flooding the market with low prices.
A local store has more expenses and reaches a smaller market.
They have to make profits to keep there doors open, pay utilities, employees, inventory, local taxes etc..
When any local store closes in any industry, it affects more than just that business. It "trickle's down".
No new construction, less local taxes etc..
It hurts everyone locally.
Think about it before it's too late.
It's a viscous cycle.

[Thalagyrt]

See, the thing is, B&H and Adorama are both huge superstores in NYC. You also have to understand that maintaining shipping warehouses is also a huge overhead. If Ritz was willing to compete with B&H and Adorama's prices (which are the same in the retail stores as online mind you) they probably would still be one of the top photography retailers around. They've neglected the fact that markets change, and have fallen from the top because of it.

Same deal with Circuit City. They refused to compete with the likes of Amazon, even though they clearly could afford to, and as such they lost a huge portion of sales to online buyers. If I had the choice to buy a product from Circuit City or Ritz for the same price as an online retailer, no question, I'd buy it locally - have it that day, and no shipping charges? Count me in. But why pay 20% more locally when you can have it overnighted to your door for less?

Sorry if I seem rambling here, in the middle of eating and haven't fully thought out how to word this post. I speek teh engrish guud. :)

[Nick5]

B&H and Adorama or one location stores.
Ritz, Circuit City, Sears, etc.. are brick and mortar stores that have multiple local stores.
If you want to maintain local economy, the prices are reflected.
If you want to deal with online companies, thats fine.
What happens when the business district dries up in your neck of the woods?

[Kincaid Photo]

I have 4 ritz stores within an hour of my house. Not a single one carries anything better than a 50D. One of them actually still has 30D's, and wants $799.99 for them, body only. Only one of them has anybody who actually uses the equipment, and their knowledge is mostly with the Nikon side of the street. As it has been stated, supporting the local shop is great. Getting what you want right then, even paying tax, is great. Even paying a "premium" for having customer service, supporting the local economy, and trying it before you buy it, is great. But when they want 20-30% more than the online stores, have no help, have no inventory, then I will shop online.

I was at the store local store last night. Since BH is closed, and Adorama is OOS, I decided to look locally for the lens I need. Going price is about $450-500 for a USA model, new. I fully expected to pay $525, but could have it in a day, or even right then. I was told that they could order it, and I could pick it up in 4-6 WEEKS. To add insult to injury, they wanted $599 for it! $599-450=$149. Figure in operating costs and overhead required for that one lens, and you still have almost $50 in it. I know they pay less the what BH is asking for it, so that margin will be higher.

There is no doubt in my mind why they are filing for chapter 11. Some places just refuse to adapt to a Global economy, and thus suffer the consiquences. Hopefully they can restructure and continue to operate. Hopefully they wake up, and don't end up costing tens of thousands of people to lose their jobs. But if you think that in this day and age you can sell anything for that much margin without customer service and availability, I have a bridge to sell ya!

[Lunajen]

One thing....on the matching prices to the internet stores.
The brick and mortar stores weren't allowed to do that. Ritz set up a separate company to run the website sales; ie that way they could get away with selling with charging taxes and only they could price match B&H and Adorama; which they would do.

But that worked against the brick and mortar stores. To me they poured too much money into trying to keep photofinishing business. Adding machines that did books and calendars, which honestly was of sub par quality in my opinion. So they got all these machines I there to do this stuff, that everyone is getting on Snapfish for cheaper....
Or it wasn't high enough quality for pro photographers. The best thing they did for their photofinishing department was putting in the Epson 7800's.


Again I will say, they never kept or tried to keep people that were knowledgeable. And when you treat your knowledgeable poorly and don't pay properly...then you get sucky customer service.

People looking for other work or helpful people who have just given up. That is what they did to their work force.

[Kincaid Photo]

One thing....on the matching prices to the internet stores.
The brick and mortar stores weren't allowed to do that. Ritz set up a separate company to run the website sales; ie that way they could get away with selling with charging taxes and only they could price match B&H and Adorama; which they would do.

But that worked against the brick and mortar stores. To me they poured too much money into trying to keep photofinishing business. Adding machines that did books and calendars, which honestly was of sub par quality in my opinion. So they got all these machines I there to do this stuff, that everyone is getting on Snapfish for cheaper....
Or it wasn't high enough quality for pro photographers. The best thing they did for their photofinishing department was putting in the Epson 7800's.


Again I will say, they never kept or tried to keep people that were knowledgeable. And when you treat your knowledgeable poorly and don't pay properly...then you get sucky customer service.

People looking for other work or helpful people who have just given up. That is what they did to their work force.

I agree 100%. Photofinishing is, for better or worse, dead on the consumer level. Ritz doesn't offer pro-level finishing, and therefore can't compete.

[Kincaid Photo]

Stopped by one of the local stores on my way home, one of the ones on the "list of closing stores." 30D, body only, still $699.99. But they could order you a 5dII, you could receive it in 4-6 weeks, and they don't know how much it is..... yikes.

[necroboltz]

I just got my replacement Fuji S1500 camera (upgraded from the s5200 that got squished) today. Ritz was great for the guarantee. I bought my Canon 1000d from them a few months ago and they told me they were NOT on the list. Well... they were. Now I have to deal with Ritz either online or phone. Not happy. I will miss them and the people there. Always very pleasant to talk to, and very understanding to people on budgets. Well... as much as they could be anyway. With every purchase, they always threw in a few goodies.
My main concern is the warranties and who picks up that part of it? I kinda love that you get full replacement no matter what happens to the camera. That was probably the selling point for me years ago, when I bought the first Fuji from them.

[20DNewbie]

I'm at the one in Hanover Mass. and they have two Eos 1V bodies and the price on the box is $1087 in case anyones looking for a film body.

[20DNewbie]

Hey they've got 6GB microdrives for $100 also, lol.

[20DNewbie]

I was in the area of another store GOOB and picked up a 10X30 IS binos for $300($60 cheaper than B&H). I know it's not camera gear but I grabbed them as a Mothers Day gift.

[xoldboy]

Be careful about purchasing though, my friend bought a 55mm filter and went to the mall to exchange the size and they told him to go to a store that wasn't closing, so we did and they wouldn't do the exchange because they were "a different location". Other than that i picked up a 430EXII ;)

[x-evil-x]

their prices are too high they are all closed by me