Ritz Camera, 100 Columbiana Circle Suite 102: July 2009 2 comments
This is another casualty of the Ritz Camera chain's downsizing. Previously I wrote about the store on Two Notch Road which closed earlier this summer, and was hoping the other stores were safe. Unfortunately the trend seems to be continuing with this, the Harbison area store, closing while I was on vacation in July.
My observations of the Beltline store makes it seem to me that Ritz has almost totally ditched film photography for digital. I found that the last time I was in there and needed a roll of 35mm, they had a smaller selection than either Wal-Mart or Walgreen's. I'm sure this is a deliberate stragegy, and obviously digital is where the market is and where it will be. On the other hand, when you go to an actual "camera" store, you expect some more obscure items than you can find at the corner drugstore, so I'm not sure the strategy isn't a mixed blessing during this final film/digital period of transition.
UPDATE 30 August 2017 -- Still vacant 8 years later:
2 Responses to 'Ritz Camera, 100 Columbiana Circle Suite 102: July 2009'
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Larry
26 Aug 09 at 9:50 am
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There's a real camera store in Columbia - the F-Stop, on Harden in Five Points. It's across from the Bi-Lo. I mention it every time there's a camera shop closing on this site and I don't think anybody notices!
Sara
16 Sep 09 at 1:05 pm
Ritz Camera was always weird to me. Their website has a great selection of items from pro to consumer. However, their retail locations always seemed to be aimed squarely at the consumer level and really did not offer anything you could not get elsewhere. The always seemed to have way too many picture frames - one does not go to a Camera store from frames. They also have closed the store on King St. in Chas.
Anyway with the passing of Columbia Photo on Devine street, I am not aware of an REAL camera stores in Columbia. It's a shame really. I'll wait to go to B&H next time i'm in NYC.