[cinaibur]

I was at Wolf Camera yesterday (only buying a step-up filter ring). I asked them why they no longer carry Pentax and the manager told me, "Management says they're unsure of Pentax's financial stability." Seems backwards to me....

[jack56]

I was at Wolf Camera yesterday (only buying a step-up filter ring). I asked them why they no longer carry Pentax and the manager told me, "Management says they're unsure of Pentax's financial stability." Seems backwards to me....

Seems to me, Wolf has more to worry about than Pentax stability as Wolf is gonna be going the way of Ritz real soon:
Ritz Camera seeks to sell remaining stores - Charlotte Business Journal:

The other day, I went into another camera store called Tall's Camera and when I asked how come they didn't carry Pentax, the guy said it was lack of support and reps.

[glanglois]

When I stopped in the Camera Company last evening, there were a K20, K200, and K-7 on the shelf behind the counter, displayed right with the Nikons, Canons, and a couple of Olympus'.

The rep who delivered my K-7 described Pentax as "The Little Engine That Could", just chugging away by sheer determination and its small but loyal following.

I can think of worse analogies.

[jogiba]

I was at Wolf Camera yesterday (only buying a step-up filter ring). I asked them why they no longer carry Pentax and the manager told me, "Management says they're unsure of Pentax's financial stability." Seems backwards to me....

They should worry more about Nikon.
Nikon forecasts a record annual loss | Nikon Rumors

[Ratmagiclady]

Ritz and Wolf have been having people claiming Pentax is going out of business for years... When it's really themselves in trouble: Canon and Nikon have loaned them millions and millions in store stock, so Ritz and Wolf pretty much have had them over a barrel, anyway.

For decades, now, just about every other camera shop in the nation has had to compete with Ritz, if not get driven out of business/bought up by them: that means it's basically been almost forcibly-made convenient to only carry a few brands. Pentax marketing, or lack thereof, hasn't really helped, but I think it's photo retail that's been in trouble. People have just gotten out of the habit of going to camera shops as they used to, it seems. In some ways, why would you, if one too many times, you go into a Ritz/Wolf they don't have anything you need.

There's kind of a knock-on effect there, too: if the only thing you hear when you go in there is some kid telling you 'Pentax is going out of business, don't buy it,' ...well, they aren't going to sell any Pentaxes, are they?

Ritz and Wolf have kind of a flawed corporate culture: basically, based on pretty much being the only game in town: they expanded, expanded, expanded, back when film processing was king, and it seems how they adapted was to try and turn their photo stores into picture frame shops: high profit margin items, but not things which get people in the door. Still, they've kind of dominated the market, but I don't think it got them very far.

Photo retail's going to need new business models. They aren't terribly interested in carrying more stock as overhead, of course, but the real advantage is people feeling like they can handle different things, get real information and support from competent people, and have a choice.

[monochrome]

. . . .

Photo retail's going to need new business models. They aren't terribly interested in carrying more stock as overhead, of course, but the real advantage is people feeling like they can handle different things, get real information and support from competent people, and have a choice.

I wonder if photo retail could become a "touch-feel-try, then buy, shipped from a distribution center" business model? Price might be a bit higher than straight amazon, but significantly lower than MSRP.

POS items still could be bags, filters, cards, accessories, USED Department, etc.

Might mean fewer square feet per store, as well.

[BB_Zone28]

I wonder if photo retail could become a "touch-feel-try, then buy, shipped from a distribution center" business model? Price might be a bit higher than straight amazon, but significantly lower than MSRP.

POS items still could be bags, filters, cards, accessories, USED Department, etc.

Might mean fewer square feet per store, as well.

That would make sense if their prices are competitive with online.

Makes me wonder if non CaNikon camera makers would fare better by having an official "XYZ brand" camera store centrally located in most major cities where people could go see and touch all the latest products. Being employees trained by that company, they would be "experts" on those products more so than the local camera shop that has a tiny, dusty corner for their products. Then instead of the reps going around to promote products, people would come to them. I guess the catch is informing people to know that's the way to see their product...maybe more beneficial for die-hard product brand fans than the typical consumer??

[nostatic]

That would make sense if their prices are competitive with online.

Makes me wonder if non CaNikon camera makers would fare better by having an official "XYZ brand" camera store centrally located in most major cities where people could go see and touch all the latest products. Being employees trained by that company, they would be "experts" on those products more so than the local camera shop that has a tiny, dusty corner for their products. Then instead of the reps going around to promote products, people would come to them. I guess the catch is informing people to know that's the way to see their product...maybe more beneficial for die-hard product brand fans than the typical consumer??

You mean like the Apple Store?

Crazy talk. Apple's going out of business soon, haven't you heard?

You mean like the Apple Store?

Crazy talk. Apple's going out of business soon, haven't you heard?

Seems to me this is the best approach at least beginning with some very big cities and filtering down to smaller ones but IMO right now the moment is not too good because Pentax is changing its product lines. They really need the mid range camera, a superzoom to replace DA18-250 and the updated K-m to appeal to enough people IMO before investing in such stores.
In the Q1-Q2/10 I think they will have better chances and maybe they will try this!

Radu

[KungPOW]

Pentax does not have nearly enough products to be able to support such a store.

Apple has notebooks, desktops, monitors, ipods, cellphones, network hardware, and a pile of software. And also all that Apple moxy.

Pentax has a couple of camera bodies, and about 20 lenses (someone look this up and correct me, I'm too lazy). oh, I almost forgot the generic P&S's and the lone bridge camera.

Just not enough for a store. A kiosk maybe. But not a full store.

[Chwisch87]

Pentax does not have nearly enough products to be able to support such a store.

Apple has notebooks, desktops, monitors, ipods, cellphones, network hardware, and a pile of software. And also all that Apple moxy.

Pentax has a couple of camera bodies, and about 20 lenses (someone look this up and correct me, I'm too lazy). oh, I almost forgot the generic P&S's and the lone bridge camera.

Just not enough for a store. A kiosk maybe. But not a full store.

Yes but even with just that you could always add things like software from adobe, screens and umbrellas from westcott. There are plenty of things photography related that could go into such a store.

[PrimeObjectif]

Yes but even with just that you could always add things like software from adobe, screens and umbrellas from westcott. There are plenty of things photography related that could go into such a store.

Don't forget, Pentax also makes sport optics. Throw some Hoya products and filters into the mix, too and that store starts to fill out.

[KungPOW]

Yes but even with just that you could always add things like software from adobe, screens and umbrellas from westcott. There are plenty of things photography related that could go into such a store.

And soon you have a camera store, just like the others, but all you carry is Pentax.

I really do not see this as being viable.

[jogiba]

I buy 100% of my photography gear off the internet.

[Chwisch87]

I buy 100% of my photography gear off the internet.

Yea that will continue to happen until stores match internet prices on a regular bases.