Cord Camera in receivership « Columbus Underground Messageboard

Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Shopping

Cord Camera in receivership

[7 posts] [5 contributors]

Topic Rating:

(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:

Started 2 years ago by patient_zero
Latest reply from michaelcoyote

Tags:

cord camera

patient_zero
Falafel District
Login to Send PM

Although it's been some time that I've stepped into a Cord Camera store, I was still surprised to hear they've gone into receivership to work out serious debt issues. Only 19 stores remain open, down from 30 in 2008.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/10/cord.html?sid=101

When I moved to Columbus in the 80's, the Don McAlister Camera Store on West Lane Avenue was an amazing place: pro equipment, great lab, used equipment, rental, darkroom supplies, knowledgeable and caring staff. It was beautifully designed, and was a very popular store. I've yet to see anything like it, ANYWHERE.

Both McAlister and Cord quickly expanded in the 80's and early 90's, the latter much more so to the demise of McAlister's. Ritz Camera moved into the former Lane Avenue McAlister location and made a good go of it for several years, but even the largest photo chain in the US has downsized, and closed many locations, including Upper Arlington and North Olmsted.

My first retail job was with Ritz Camera in North Olmsted, until I moved to Columbus and joined the McAlister group, to help pay for college. We always seemed to have a friendly competition with Cord associates (and sometimes not so friendly) that made it an exciting work environment.

I imagine the digital age has radically reduced profitability in our local camera stores, forcing some of the best ones to close their doors. When those stores close, those imaging experts, the ones who are knowledgeable and passionate about photography, take their expertise with them.

Hopefully Cord will be able to regroup, and can retain at least one camera chain in Central Ohio.

Posted 2 years ago #
rprpclark
Gahanna
Login to Send PM

I agree I have always been pleased with the knowledge of the help at the mentioned stores. I've also been disappointed at the lack of any but the more common cameras. Enthusiast cameras like the (old film) Konica Hexar, Leica, and digital Ricohs needed to be ordered from NY. I realize they are low volume, but not zero.

Posted 2 years ago #
JimL2

Login to Send PM

I hate to be the pessimist in this thread, but I'd be really surprised if Cord can compete with (for example) B&H Photo for specialty ordering. Especially now that almost nobody is buying one-time-use film, their repeat customers must be at a shocking low.

Honestly I was probably stunned out of being stunned when Polaroid announced they'd stop producing single-shots for their consumer cameras. I can easily believe that a regional camera chain would go out of business, when even the thickest Best Buy employee can point to the "megapixels" number and show that one camera is "better" than another.

Posted 2 years ago #
jennyw
Clintonville
Login to Send PM

Sad to hear it. My sister--and many friends in high school and in college--worked at Cord, so it has a warm place in my heart, even if I haven't stepped in one in, well, a year or two, when I needed a memory card in a hurry. I'm pretty sure at this point folks like my 60-year-old mom represent the core of their ever-shrinking customer base. (She hasn't made the switch to digital yet, and she likes the same-day photo processing so she goes there pretty regularly.)

Posted 2 years ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
Login to Send PM

rprpclark wrote >> Enthusiast cameras like the (old film) Konica Hexar, Leica, and digital Ricohs needed to be ordered from NY. I realize they are low volume, but not zero.

Don McAlister was one of the best locations to find the enthusiast equipment brands you are talking about, but you're right that a lot of it was special order only. Not only was it very expensive to stock, there was little or no markup on those items. And manufacturer bodies were priced below manufacturer costs just to be competitive with someone else, something that could be off set by film, battery and accessory purchases.

McAlister had some of the best Ricoh stock there for a while. They were great cameras. The FF90 point and shoot had an amazingly sharp 2.8 lens.

Midwest Photo seems to be the best place for the photo geek now.

Posted 2 years ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
Login to Send PM

JimL2 wrote >>
I hate to be the pessimist in this thread, but I'd be really surprised if Cord can compete with (for example) B&H Photo for specialty ordering.

And don't discount the point and click, personless ordering ordering too, like Amazon with all the specs in front of you and buyer ratings posted as well. And free shipping. All very easy.

Posted 2 years ago #
michaelcoyote
!seabus
Login to Send PM

funny, I just walked in here this evening for the first time in years and was shocked.. They seem like they're in pretty dire straits..

They'd dumped all the photo processing years back, but they had a great selection of new and used cameras (pro and amateur).
As I understand it, they also had fully embraced the digital print, and was one of the better places to take digital photos for printing..

I'll be sorry to see them go if they end up going bankrupt, but I guess it's just a sign of the times...

Posted 2 years ago #