[rollei_list] Re: Ritz Camera in Chapter 11
- From: Eric Goldstein <egoldste@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:18:12 -0500
Elias -
Photo finishing did not bring them down... it was a huge revenue
stream for them, and they never successfully transitioned to another
in the digital domain. Where they really got into trouble is with
another business of theirs, Boater's World; press accounts maintain
that it is the downturn in this business which prompted them to file
for Ch. 11
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/othercities/columbus/stories/2009/02/23/daily9.html
Eric Goldstein
--
On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 9:09 AM, Elias Roustom <eroustom@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> ...and the situation as you describe David is an improvement how, exactly?
>
> Actually there's still plenty of room for small shops that provide good
> customer service - only very few people with the skill set.
> Ritz was never about service, but an impossible combination of merchandizing
> & service. I find it ironic that it's their film processing that brought
> them down - I hardly believe it. Hunt's in the Boston area is still in
> business, and walking into the one in Providence, RI is different from any
> Ritz only in how much film you see behind the counter, and the still active
> chemicals isle.
>
> Elias
>
>
> On Feb 24, 2009, at 3:12 AM, David Sadowski wrote:
>
>> The handwriting has been on the wall for conventional photography for
>> the last 10-15 years. It's been only a matter of time before digital
>> photography reached a quality level acceptable to most people.
>>
>> When you think about it, other than the sharpness issue, digital has
>> so many advantages of convnetional photography that it isn't even
>> funny. For one thing, it's better for the environment. For another,
>> in the long run, it's a lot cheaper.
>>
>> The cameras can be made smaller and easier to use. The pictures are
>> easy to view manipulate on a computer, easy to store, upload to a web
>> page or e-mail to someone else.
>>
>> I worked in labs for many years and had many skin problems as a result
>> of allergic reactions to the chemicals used. This could happen just
>> from touching lots of prints.
>>
>> Digital photography has opened the field to a lot of people. While I
>> am nostalgic about old cameras, old film and old processes, I don't
>> want to put down the new way of doing things.
>>
>> Your friendly neighborhood camera store has almost entirely
>> disappeared now, and this process has been happening for a long time.
>> The old way was based on personalized customer service. The customer
>> needed a lot of service, and the sales person was there to help.
>>
>> Now, the "sale" is largely confined to the camera, which is a
>> commodity- the same item wherever you buy it. It's expected that the
>> consumer will take it home and figure it out- little or no customer
>> service is needed. Under these conditions, the little guy can't
>> compete and there is no need for the experienced person behind the
>> counter.
>> ---
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