Ritz camera closing last 137 stores and firing 1,960 workers

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/10/ritzcamera-bankruptcy-idUKL1E8KAFSN20120910

Also, Kodak to lay off another 1,000 employees

so here you have it, 2 businesses which did not change with the times and are victims of their complacency.

In keeping with the UAW bailout, shouldn't US taxpayers jump in and infuse tax dollars?

What about the mall owners where those last 137 stores remain. They need Ritz to stay open or they will be affected. The taxpayer must bail out Ritz camera.

 

Poor Kodak. They created a digital camera before any of the competition, but they thought it would just be a fad and film be be king forever.

Almost as retarded as when the CEO of blockbuster told the guy who started netflix his idea would never work when he offered to partner with Blockbuster 10 years ago XD

 

that stuff is business 101 but in keeping with precedent, what did these Ritz employees do wrong to not be getting a taxpayer bailout? If they agree to vote Democrat maybe Obama will step in..........

 

Nope, they dont need no job

 

Kodak comes out of bankruptcy...

Kodak Emerges from Bankruptcy
September 03, 2013 > Eastman Kodak Co, the photography pioneer which invented the digital camera, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, with plans to continue as a smaller digital imaging company.

 

a couple of generations grew up knowing what a "Kodak moment" was. But, to younger folk, they may not even know the name.

 

Ko Ko Kowho? The smartphone camera and websites like Flickr and Instagram put these folks out of business. When was the last time you been to camera shop?

 

are there any left? When digital cameras became affordable and in electronic stores (Best Buy etc) I wondered for how long camera stores would survive. Now, smartphones have better cameras then my digital camera. So, other than a pro, who needs a digital camera?

Kodak could have licensed camera technology to smart devices and Sears should have bought Amazon. Oh well, times change.

 

Ritz Camera doesn't get a bailout because they are not "connected guys". Only deep pocket companies get bailouts.

There was no UAW bailout. It was a General Motors bailout.

I'm not going to miss Ritz Camera. Compared to other camera stores they were way down the list in customer satisfaction. And mail order is fast replacing brick and mortar camera outlets.

 

It's called CAPITALISM!

Using it to jab Obama is pretty dishonest.

 

Not really, considering Obama's history of picking which failing companies get bailouts.

 

More. They need to GIVE ME A BREAK !! for about 50 years, man phone banks, walk precincts, contribute like there's no tomorrow. Just follow the UAW model.

 

I was sort of amazed to see an open and functioning Blockbuster the other day. I thought they didn't exist anymore. I have to agree though, my youngest brother is 13 years younger and I highly doubt he would know what a Kodak moment was.

 

B&H Photo found the sweet spot. I doubt they fold. Massive direct mail and internet along with cutthroat pricing. My go to photo dealer for the last 35 years.

 

how about a pay phone? If you travel outside of the USA then yes, you will see pay phones

 

This thread reminds me.

I visited Disney World with my family this summer. I only found disposable camera's in the corner of a single gift shop. When I was last at Disney World in 2008 they were everywhere in the gift shops. Now all the spots they used to be are filled with Disney themed smart phone and tablet cases. If Disney knows something Kodak didn't, its market evolution.

 

I think the Chain video store will be extinct within 5-10 years in the US. Red Box will probably still be around though, and I am betting the neighborhood single location video rental stores that managed to survive the Blockbuster epidemic that seemed to swarm the nation int he early 2000's will remain as well. Most have built up a strong repeat customer base, and have older movies that might not be on DVD/Blue Ray and are hard to find online.

 

Imagine hearing 'What's Kodachrome?'

 

Obama did what was necessary to halt the progression of the Second Great Republican Depression. You wanted it to continue?

 

While it sucks to see even more people losing their jobs, there is no mall in the world that "needed" Ritz Camera to bring in business.

They were overpriced, limited stock, and paying ridiculous overhead.
The people who shopped at Ritz/Wolf were people looking for a point and shoot camera, while they happened to already be at the mall.

They have been dying for many years.

 

So picture posting web sites like Flickr and Instagram put a camera retailer out of business.

With logic like that... I bet you voted for Obama.

 

Well I can't buy my Nikon D4s, D3xs, tripods or speedlights at Best Buy or Target.
There are plenty of camera stores around, but unless you're in the market for one... you may not know it.


Some genius thinks smartphones and web sites put them all out of business.

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Right.
Just like Solyndra, the fake energy company... it was "capitalism".

Why would anyone jab Obama over handing out billions to companies on the brink of failure ?

 

Great republican depression? with dems controlling congress?

Tch....

 

I wouldn't know what any of those models are. But, I'm the mainstream consumer, the mass market if you will. I use to take photos with my Kodak camera and then later I upgraded to a 35mm no brainer camera. But, I had to mail my film to Clark labs as it was reasonably priced and pictures would come back within 10 days. Then, my grocery store had low cost developing so I used them and got my photos back in 3 days; boy was I elated.

But, to get those cameras I went to the camera store to buy them. Film was always cheaper at the local dept store.

It sounds like you are different than the mass market, also known as a niche market. So, I'm sure that there are camera stores but they now serve a niche market and no longer the mass market

 

Yes, the entire millions-strong photographic community is a "niche" market.
I was simply pointing out there are hundreds of camera stores still in existence.