Ritz Camera Centers

Infobox_Company
company_name = Ritz Camera Centers
company_type = Private
foundation = 1918
location = Beltsville, Maryland, United States
key_people = David M. Ritz (CEO)
Curtis J. Scheel (President/ COO) Richard Tranchida (EVP) | industry = Photographic products and services
homepage = [http://www.ritzpix.com www.ritzpix.com]

Beltsville, Maryland-based Ritz Camera Centers is the largest specialty camera and photofinishing retailer in the United States. They operate a chain of approximately 1000 locations located in 45 states and the District of Columbia. These stores offer a variety of photography products and services, including one-hour photofinishing, digital imaging, and equipment. The chain includes Ritz Camera & Image, Wolf Camera & Image, Kit's Camera & Image, PROEX Photo & Portrait, Inkley's, Cameras West, and the Camera Shop. Ritz Camera Centers also includes Boaters World Marine Centers, a chain of 114 boating supply stores.

The family-owned company was founded as a portrait studio in 1918 by Benjamin Ritz, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1936, Benjamin and his brother Edward opened the first Ritz film-processing lab in Washington, DC. Ritz Camera is currently headed by Edward's son, David Ritz.

Ritz Camera owes much of its expansion to the acquisition of its competitors. Ritz Camera's largest acquisition was Wolf Camera, which it effectively rescued from bankruptcy. Wolf Camera's financial difficulty was largely due to its own unprofitable $64.5 million acquisition of the 450-store Fox Photo chain from Eastman Kodak.

In the end, Wolf Camera finally peaked at approximately 800 locations, half of which were closed by the time it was acquired by Ritz.

After the acquisition of Wolf Camera, Ritz Camera Centers claimed over 1,300 locations. Due to the decline of film and with the strained economy, the company has closed a number of stores. Ritz Camera now has about 900 stores across the United States.

Services

Ritz Camera was one of the first chain photo-finishers to offer 4x6 prints from 35mm film, as well as free bordered prints as standard. Ritz Camera is also the first national chain to offer 4.5x6, commonly known as 6D, prints. Unlike the traditional 4x6 prints used for film, Ritz's 6D prints reflect the different aspect ratio of 4:3 digital images. Ritz stores stock 6D sized frames and albums.

In July 2003 Ritz Camera introduced Ritzpix.com (also known as PrintAtWolf.com), which also offers customers online ordering and in-store pickup within an hour. Ritzpix.com is currently powered by LifePics.

In May 2006 Ritz Camera announced a partnership with YesVideo to start offering same day DVD Transfers in select stores nationwide. These stores can transfer VHS, SVHS, MiniDv, Digital 8, and digital media to DVD's in one hour. [cite web| url=http://www.yesvideo.com/company/press/p050806.aspx| title=Ritz Camera Offers YesVideo DVD Transfer Products and Services| author=Press Release| accessdate=2006-05-08| month=May | year=2006]

In 2007 and early 2008, Ritz began installing Oki and Xerox equipment in their locations to enable the production of hard-back photo books, photo calendars and custom greeting cards by customers via in-store kiosks or through RitzPix.com for in-store pick up. Ritz, along with Motophoto, are the only two national retailers to offer these services in a one-hour labs.

Ritz recently introduced a "One Hour or They're Free Guarantee" for their photofinishing. Under this guarantee, all orders of 75 4x6 prints or less are free if not ready in 60 minutes. According to CEO David Ritz, "One hour processing has been around for a very long time. But often it's more myth than reality. We appreciate and understand how busy our customers are and are willing to put our money where our slogan is. When we say one hour, we mean it."

T-Mobile

Ritz Camera is a T-Mobile mobile phone dealer. Ritz usually offers giveaways with phone sales, such as a digital photo frame or digital camera.

Ritz Interactive

In 1999, David Ritz and others founded Ritz Interactive, Inc., an Irvine, California-based e-commerce company formed to bring the "brick and mortar" Ritz brands to the World Wide Web. Ritz Interactive and Ritz Camera Centers remain separate companies.

In 2003, Amazon.com formed a sales alliance with Ritz Interactive, Inc., in a deal to broaden the online retail giant's selection of camera products and accessories. [cite web| url=http://www.imaginginfo.com/article/article.jsp?id=960&siteSectionfiltered=35| title=Ritz and Adorama Join Forces with Amazon.com| author=Havlik, Dan| publisher=Imaging Business magazine| accessdate=2006-09-05| month=August | year=2003]

Notes

See also

* Digital camera
* Film camera
* Photography

External links

* [http://www.ritzpix.com/ Ritz Camera Centers and RitzPix.com]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=hDQbGKySzWs RitzPix.com commercial]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=vJxNi399fDc One Hour Guarantee commercial]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=cSlZmXCUGkk Big Enlargement commercial]
* [http://proex.com/ PROEX Photo & Portrait]
* [http://www.ritzinteractive.com/ Corporate site for Ritz Interactive, Inc.]