# Calumet Photo Files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy



## Canon Rumors Guy (Mar 14, 2014)

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<p>Calumet Photographic, a 75 year old chain of retail stores in the United States and Europe has filed chapter 7 bankruptcy. The European stores will remain operational, but all the US stores are closed.</p>
<p><strong>From Calumet Photo’s Facebook Page

</strong><em>“After 75 years of business it is with a heavy heart that we announce our immediate closing in the United States (our European stores will continue). It has been a joy to share our passion for photography with you all of these years. We’ll miss each other and we’ll miss all of our customers. Thank you for everything.”<strong>

</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Employees were not warned</strong>

Apparently Calumet gave employees no warning of the closure and loss of their jobs. PetaPixel has an <a href="http://petapixel.com/2014/03/13/exclusive-calumet-employee-reveals-happening-behind-scenes/" target="_blank">exclusive interview with a Calumet employee</a>.</p>
<p><em>“According to my coworker, management was notified of this decision late last night, and told not to open for work the next day. My friend is still waiting to hear when/if he will be allowed to go back to the store and collect some personal belongings left on his desk.”</em></p>
<p>Our best wishes go out to all the Calumet employees in the US, I’ve always been treated well when I’ve visited.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://petapixel.com/2014/03/13/calumetphoto-us-declared-bankruptcy-gave-employees-zero-notice/" target="_blank">Read More at PetaPixel</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 14, 2014)

It is sad when companies that have been around for a long time suddenly disappear ... but its a shame that the owners of the company gave no warning to their employees ... hope the employees are rewarded well and find better jobs.


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## unfocused (Mar 14, 2014)

Yes, very unfortunate for the employees, the company and for the market itself.

While I hate to profit from someone's misfortune, I looked up Chap. 7. That's used for liquidations, rather than reorganization. If the stores liquidate their stock in a public sale, I may be making a trip to Chicago. Although I suppose it is more likely that they will sell everything to a third party.


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## unfocused (Mar 14, 2014)

Whoa! I should have looked at the court filing first. They are listing less than $50,000 in assets. I'm guessing there are individuals on this forum (not me) that have more than that in Canon equipment.

I don't know how this works in the camera retail business. Is it customary for a supplier to retain ownership of the stock until it is sold? 

Maybe it will be the Canon refurbished store that gets all this stock back?


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## East Wind Photography (Mar 14, 2014)

maybe assets are all on credit and need to be returned. they probobly did not technically own much. got over extended and couldnt pay their loans.


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## botw (Mar 14, 2014)

unfocused said:


> Whoa! I should have looked at the court filing first. They are listing less than $50,000 in assets. I'm guessing there are individuals on this forum (not me) that have more than that in Canon equipment.
> 
> I don't know how this works in the camera retail business. Is it customary for a supplier to retain ownership of the stock until it is sold?
> 
> Maybe it will be the Canon refurbished store that gets all this stock back?



That 50,000 is in 1000s, so really means $50 million in assets.


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## danski0224 (Mar 14, 2014)

unfocused said:


> Yes, very unfortunate for the employees, the company and for the market itself.
> 
> While I hate to profit from someone's misfortune, I looked up Chap. 7. That's used for liquidations, rather than reorganization. If the stores liquidate their stock in a public sale, I may be making a trip to Chicago. Although I suppose it is more likely that they will sell everything to a third party.



Giving no notice to the rank and file employees is becoming more common. Less likely to be things like theft on the way out.

As far as "bankruptcy sales" go, I have yet to attend one as essentially a retail customer that has any "deals". I don't even bother anymore.


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## unfocused (Mar 14, 2014)

botw said:


> unfocused said:
> 
> 
> > Whoa! I should have looked at the court filing first. They are listing less than $50,000 in assets. I'm guessing there are individuals on this forum (not me) that have more than that in Canon equipment.
> ...



Look at the form http://www.photobusinessforum.com/images/calumetphoto_case_14-08908.pdf. The box they checked says $0 to $50,000.


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## jhanken (Mar 14, 2014)

unfocused said:


> Look at the form http://www.photobusinessforum.com/images/calumetphoto_case_14-08908.pdf. The box they checked says $0 to $50,000.



I think this pdf filing is only for the online business calumetphoto.com, the parent or the stores business was probably a different entity. Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune that seems to make more sense.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-13/business/chi-calumet-photographic-closes-20140313_1_chapter-7-bankruptcy-protection-facebook-page-facebook-and-twitter


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## jeffa4444 (Mar 14, 2014)

Calumet has group accounts and UK accounts filed at companies house in the UK. The business has operations in Germany, Holland and the UK. They are independent of the US operations. 
They recently had a stand at The Photography Show, Birmingham which was very well attended and they did brisk business.


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## rs (Mar 14, 2014)

unfocused said:


> Whoa! I should have looked at the court filing first. They are listing less than $50,000 in assets. I'm guessing there are individuals on this forum (not me) that have more than that in Canon equipment.
> 
> I don't know how this works in the camera retail business. Is it customary for a supplier to retain ownership of the stock until it is sold?
> 
> Maybe it will be the Canon refurbished store that gets all this stock back?


When Jessops went under in the UK, almost all of their stock was owned by the distributors/manufacturers, and was reclaimed. As far as I know, only items such as Jessops branded filters and bags were left.


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## Steve (Mar 14, 2014)

danski0224 said:


> Giving no notice to the rank and file employees is becoming more common. Less likely to be things like theft on the way out.



Nah, there's still plenty of theft, its just theft of wages owed. According to the interview, Calumet was bouncing paychecks and then locked everyone out of the stores when they closed. There's still customer cameras that went in for sensor cleanings locked up in some store fronts.


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## RGomezPhotos (Mar 14, 2014)

I heard that they will be selling most of their assets to BHPhotoVideo and Adorama. Don't get your hopes up to high about getting a deal....


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## Zv (Mar 15, 2014)

From the interview of the rental manager "CE" it seems they just didn't have stock in the end and customers left unhappy. 

This happened to me recently in another camera store. I went in to use up a gift card balance. Saw a filter I liked (just a clear bog standard plain normal one) and the guy turns around and says they had no stock. That's bread and butter man! A filter!! Come on! 

So what did I do? Bought it off amazon $10 cheaper. Do I wanna go back to the camera store? Nope. 

I hope the ex employees find good jobs. I can't even imagine the stress they're under right now.


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## klickflip (Mar 15, 2014)

TBH calumet uk stores aren't doing much better , since they changed from KJP - anyone remember that? - since Calumet it's been downhill all the way. Decent staff left and now mostly uninterested ex students and older staff looking bored that don't know half of what I read up on with little real world experience to add into discussions. Plus many basic items have to be ordered in especially.. recently I needed a couple more standard stands and white backgrounds.. not in stock!!! 
and enquired about the sony A7r , was told better go to john lewis !! 
Crazy for a pro shop. Seems like they stock bags and tripods mainly now. 
Times are a changing I really don't know where to buy equipment from these days apart from the Flash centre for Elinchrom which have awesome customer service and knowledge. 
As some one mentioned this could really affect Bowens lighting as Calumet as a major distributer in UK / Europe. 

RIP calumet .. globally in 2 years


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## pdirestajr (Mar 15, 2014)

Sad news. As a New Yorker I routinely chose Calumet over B&H and Adorama because of their staff. There is just something about "taking a number" in Adorama, or the whole "system" at B&H that always feels a little cold to me. The guys at Calumet in NY were always helpful and smart. My office is also in the same building as theirs, so it will be extra sad to lose them. No more playing with lenses at lunch time...


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## jrista (Mar 15, 2014)

I think Calumet has had enough financial problems that they are having a tough time getting supply from manufacturers. That would explain why you generally have to special order everything from them...they can't get any supply until it's a guaranteed sale. 

I think management, somewhere along the line, massively screwed something up, and it's ultimately going to cost the company everything. Kind of sad. So many brick and mortar camera stores have gone up in smoke recently. We used to have both Mikes Camera and Wolf Camera here in Colorado. Wolf Camera decided to pick a fight with Canon...obviously, they lost, and they are completely gone now, bankrupt. 

Mikes Camera moved into most of the old Wolf Camera stores, but they really don't look all that much healthier these days...they too are trying to push photo classes and training at $100+ a pop, print services, any kind of repeatable service they can think of, because they don't seem to be able to move physical product. (And it's no surprise, they mark up the prices on most things astronomically high, which isn't competitive with online, and because they get so few sales, they feel they can't reduce prices, etc. etc. down the rat hole...)

Maybe we'll see camera manufacturers start to act like smartphone manufacturers. Instead of these general purpose stores that sell all brands, we'll see the Canon Store, and the Nikon Store, and the Sony Store.


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## preppyak (Mar 15, 2014)

Well, and Calumet also made the mistake of buying up the Penn Camera stores in DC. I think they did other similar things in other markets; which means they had a lot of stores to cover, and some in areas where they werent needed. Buying up a failed business and not making it work certainly didnt slow their end


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## unfocused (Mar 15, 2014)

jhanken said:


> unfocused said:
> 
> 
> > Look at the form http://www.photobusinessforum.com/images/calumetphoto_case_14-08908.pdf. The box they checked says $0 to $50,000.
> ...



Yeah, you're certainly correct. That helps explain things, as I couldn't imagine how they could only have $50,000 in assets. Thanks.


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## Vivid Color (Mar 15, 2014)

preppyak said:


> Well, and Calumet also made the mistake of buying up the Penn Camera stores in DC. I think they did other similar things in other markets; which means they had a lot of stores to cover, and some in areas where they werent needed. Buying up a failed business and not making it work certainly didnt slow their end



I work in downtown DC--within easy walking distance of the Calumet DC Store--and I'm not sure that I would say that Calumet made a mistake when it bought up the Penn Camera stores in DC. I think it was a good move that in the end was poorly executed. For one, they did not buy up all of the Penn Camera stores, only three of them, and each in a distinct geographic market. And from the time they bought them until today, there was/is relatively little competition from other photographic stores in the area. As far as I can tell, with the demise of Ritz camera, there are only two other camera stores in downtown DC. There is a well-stocked camera store in Loudoun County, but it's like 30 miles west of the city. For an area with the population size and relative affluence that we have here, Calumet should've been able to make a very good go of it. To me, they had a number of problems. Their stores always seemed to be significantly under stocked. And they would be out of stock of just the simplest things. That said, I always found the employees to be very helpful. For me, the biggest loss is going to be a local place that can produce quality large-size prints.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 15, 2014)

Steve said:


> danski0224 said:
> 
> 
> > Giving no notice to the rank and file employees is becoming more common. Less likely to be things like theft on the way out.
> ...


That's just so wrong ... it reminds me of a big private airline in India that went bankrupt in 2012, but has not returned ticket money to many of the passengers for the flights that were cancelled, ... in order to retain their customers, several travel agents had resorted to refunding customers from their own pockets and writing off the amount as bad debt ... since August 2012, the bloody airline did not even pay salaries to its employees, and still owes over INR. 350 crore (approx US$ 58 million) to its employees ... but the owner of the company hosts high profile & lavish (read that as expensive) events. What is more sickening is that this airline was promoted by the owner, in 2005, as an 18th birthday gift for his son ... but has scant regard to the children of the employees who served his company for years.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/cricketnews/kingfisher-airlines-can-t-pay-staff-but-mallya-splurges-rs-29cr-on-ipl/article1-1183355.aspx


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## e_honda (Mar 15, 2014)

I once ordered a 70-200 F4 L IS lens from these guys. Shortly after ordering, I found a practically brand new one locally off Craigslist for way cheaper. So I asked for and was granted a return by Calumet. I shipped my completely unopened packaged right back to them (I didn't even open the Calumet packaging, let alone the Canon packaging). Later on I checked my credit card online statement to see if I got refunded.

They did refund me.......and also charged me a $60 restocking fee for a package that I didn't even open.

If that's how they ran their business, I say Good Riddance!


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## expatinasia (Mar 15, 2014)

My condolences go out to the Calumet staff.

It is funny times we live in when it comes to retail.

All my books are now electronic (and purchased via amazon.co.uk), and I buy them via my laptop which I bought online (also in the UK), I buy my CF cards (which are made in China) online in the US and get them sent all the way back to Asia, and I still save a lot on the prices here. That last bit still does my head in today. I mean I am buying something that was made a few hundred kilometres away, and yet to buy it cheaply it has to be shipped to the US and then bought online through a US-based store and sent back again! How nuts is that?!!

I go into brick and mortar shops like Sony Stores and see what they have, play with them, go home and compare prices all over the internet and all over the world.

The only brick and mortars that now get my business are those that offer things like 12 or 24-month interest free payment plans. Most online retailers have not yet worked out how to do that, but when you are buying a 2nd 1D X, or a 300 or 400 f/2.8 is ii etc, incentives like that can be very attractive.

Strange times, indeed.


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## JonAustin (Mar 15, 2014)

Sadly, just another sign of the times. 

It's extremely difficult to simultaneously serve locally and compete globally. Pricing pressure is stiff, and knowledgeable retail staff has been displaced by online reviews and feedback from previous purchasers. 

We've transitioned from handling the gear in a local store and then buying it there, to handling it in the store and then buying it online, to buying it online without first handling it, and then just sending it back if it doesn't meet expectations upon receipt. No wonder the brick and mortar stores are drying up.

I think the end is in the foreseeable future for nearly all specialty electronics stores. What we will have left is the big box stores for entry- and mid-level gear, and the online merchants for the high-end, specialty gear. The only local specialty shops will be those that can continue to differentiate in some unique or special way that appeals to its surrounding customer base.


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## Vivid Color (Mar 15, 2014)

Vivid Color said:


> I always found the employees to be very helpful. For me, the biggest loss is going to be a local place that can produce quality large-size prints.



OK, maybe the loss of Calumet's printing services isn't as big as I thought it might be. Just a few minutes ago, I tried to frame a 16x20 print I had picked up at Calumet a couple of weeks ago. I had checked the print out, but didn't notice anything amiss. I've had a number of my friends look at this print and none of them noticed anything either. However, when I went to put the print into a frame, I discovered that the print is not 16x20, but a least 1/2 inch smaller in both dimensions.


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## zim (Mar 15, 2014)

How many apple-esque stores have Canon opened so far, was there not an announcement some time ago about them doing that?
Seems to me that’s the way to go I don’t think they even need to have tills just come in try and learn. Very soon the only way to try before you buy is going to be CPD for Pros and trade shows for everyone else, not a good business model.


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## Hannes (Mar 15, 2014)

zim said:


> How many apple-esque stores have Canon opened so far, was there not an announcement some time ago about them doing that?



I thought they were opening one in London but I have yet to see a sign of it appearing.


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## LookingThroughMyLens81 (Mar 15, 2014)

zim said:


> How many apple-esque stores have Canon opened so far, was there not an announcement some time ago about them doing that?
> Seems to me that’s the way to go I don’t think they even need to have tills just come in try and learn. Very soon the only way to try before you buy is going to be CPD for Pros and trade shows for everyone else, not a good business model.



Canon has opened a service center for professional support and sales of their digital imaging and video products in LA but nothing beyond that as their Cinema EOS brand is in it's infancy.


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## Bennymiata (Mar 16, 2014)

Brick and Mortar retailers are discovering that today's retail business has changed markedly and I guess it's been very difficult for many of them to realise this, and still keep going the way they always have rather than trying to re-invent themselves to suit today's market conditions.
It's not just camera stores either.
Here in Sydney, there are many empty retail stores for rent and I feel for the owners of these now empty stores as many had their whole lives and their money tied up in these.
The camera market has changed a lot.
The internet has really made it tough for B&M retailers as it is now so easy to compare prices worldwide, and when you look at some of the pricing offered by on-line sellers with little or no overheads, compared to the B&M shops with huge rents to pay as well as staff, the B&M retailers aren't all that much dearer in many cases, but people feel that B&M's are ripping them off, so many are now turning to the net first without even going into the stores.
Many camera stores relied on the sales of cheaper P&S cameras, as many people who buy them do little research and how much can you save on a $200 camera?
The sales of these P&S cameras has dwindled down to a trickle now, as everyone just uses their phones, and this has hurt them a lot.
People aren't getting many prints done anymore either, choosing to just leave the pics on their phones or computers, so there is another good profit earner down the drain.
I think we will see many more camera retailers close up, and I wouldn't be surprised to see over 50
% of them close down in the next few years, unless they can come up with something to get people to come in a buy from them.
Things like extended credit, maybe even hiring out gear and teaching people about photography, and giving really good service and advice.

I'm sorry for the employees, as it looks like they may never get their back pay etc., but I do think the writing is on the wall for many retailers that still believe they can trade the same way now as they did 30 years ago.


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## sanj (Mar 16, 2014)

In the big picture, what does this actually mean? Lesser cameras being sold? Camera business moving more towards online stores? What?


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 16, 2014)

pdirestajr said:


> Sad news. My office is also in the same building as theirs, so it will be extra sad to lose them. No more playing with lenses at lunch time...


That is sad indeed ... I moved to a new office last month and it is just 5 minutes walk to the local Canon/Nikon autorized dealer, so lunch time activity just got better for me


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## GuyF (Mar 16, 2014)

klickflip said:


> TBH calumet uk stores aren't doing much better , since they changed from KJP - anyone remember that? - since Calumet it's been downhill all the way. Decent staff left and now mostly uninterested ex students and older staff looking bored that don't know half of what I read up on with little real world experience to add into discussions. Plus many basic items have to be ordered in especially.. recently I needed a couple more standard stands and white backgrounds.. not in stock!!!
> and enquired about the sony A7r , was told better go to john lewis !!
> Crazy for a pro shop. Seems like they stock bags and tripods mainly now.
> Times are a changing I really don't know where to buy equipment from these days apart from the Flash centre for Elinchrom which have awesome customer service and knowledge.
> ...



I'd hired a 500mm f4 mk2 from them prior to deciding if I should buy one. The salesman showed me on their computer system that their trade price for the lens was more then the sale price! They were making a big loss on each one - he said they make their money on accessories such as memory cards, bags, tripods, etc. Yikes, you've got to be selling lots of tripods to make up the loss on a big white.

I'm surprised they're still operating here in the UK.


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## Harry Muff (Mar 16, 2014)

We've heard the stories of people's cameras being locked inside the closed stores, but how many people still have a hired 400 2.8II that they can't take back? 8)


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## Chuck Alaimo (Mar 16, 2014)

e_honda said:


> I once ordered a 70-200 F4 L IS lens from these guys. Shortly after ordering, I found a practically brand new one locally off Craigslist for way cheaper. So I asked for and was granted a return by Calumet. I shipped my completely unopened packaged right back to them (I didn't even open the Calumet packaging, let alone the Canon packaging). Later on I checked my credit card online statement to see if I got refunded.
> 
> They did refund me.......and also charged me a $60 restocking fee for a package that I didn't even open.
> 
> If that's how they ran their business, I say Good Riddance!



So wait, you found a used (yeah, unopened and brand new) lens for cheaper. So you sent back your order. Doesn't matter if you opened it or not. You bought it, you committed too it!!!! Restocking fee's are there for a reason --- why --- because people do that!!! Thrifty folks who say, wow, I could rent that lens for $XX per day - or - I could buy it and send it back within a month for less. 

Either way ---- we can't both complain that there are no longer brick and mortar stores, then screw those brick and mortar stores when we see something cheaper elsewhere. Talk about reframing the arguement ---maybe it wasn't due to bad management --- maybe it was too many customers like you who screwed them...sorry if that's harsh...but...to put it on a personal level...


Lets say you shoot portraits. You book the client, they commit to a minimum price, you do the shoot, you make the edits, they pick their prints, you order their prints... you deliver them even. And 2 days later they call you and ask for a refund because they found someone down the street that was able to do it for cheaper? How long are you going to stay in business with customers like that????


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 16, 2014)

Harry Muff said:


> We've heard the stories of people's cameras being locked inside the closed stores, but how many people still have a hired 400 2.8II that they can't take back? 8)


So you have a 400 f/2.8 L II lens that the Calumet store is not ready to take back? that's cool 8)


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 16, 2014)

Chuck Alaimo said:


> e_honda said:
> 
> 
> > I once ordered a 70-200 F4 L IS lens from these guys. Shortly after ordering, I found a practically brand new one locally off Craigslist for way cheaper. So I asked for and was granted a return by Calumet. I shipped my completely unopened packaged right back to them (I didn't even open the Calumet packaging, let alone the Canon packaging). Later on I checked my credit card online statement to see if I got refunded.
> ...


Harsh, but true.


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## Chuck Alaimo (Mar 16, 2014)

JonAustin said:


> Sadly, just another sign of the times.
> 
> It's extremely difficult to simultaneously serve locally and compete globally. Pricing pressure is stiff, and knowledgeable retail staff has been displaced by online reviews and feedback from previous purchasers.
> 
> ...



+1000 --- of course, the online merchants (b&h and adorama) have brick and mortar operations. But still, I can count lots of times where I've needed something, call the local shops to see if they have it, and they don't. Of course, they can order it but then you add it all up - it takes longer for the local shop to get a product in that it does for B&h to ship to me (I live in Buffalo ny so even if I do the standard UPS it's here in 3-4 days) and it's cheaper and I don't have to go anywhere to pick it up! I'll buy from the local shops when it makes sense. But more times than not they don't have what I need in stock because Buffalo is a smaller market and can't support a larger store (and we have it all split up weird too - 1 store that specializes in nikon and one that does canon).


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## Chuck Alaimo (Mar 16, 2014)

unfocused said:


> Whoa! I should have looked at the court filing first. They are listing less than $50,000 in assets. I'm guessing there are individuals on this forum (not me) that have more than that in Canon equipment.
> 
> I don't know how this works in the camera retail business. Is it customary for a supplier to retain ownership of the stock until it is sold?
> 
> Maybe it will be the Canon refurbished store that gets all this stock back?



Read the comments on the article - here it is - 

"The inventory was being used as collateral. We had auditors in about every other month to count things to make sure we had what we said we had." (this commentor claims to be an employee and his statements sound pretty consistent and legit) 

As to this:


Rienzphotoz said:


> It is sad when companies that have been around for a long time suddenly disappear ... but its a shame that the owners of the company gave no warning to their employees ... hope the employees are rewarded well and find better jobs.



From what I've read about chapter 7...it's the nasty of the nasty. Management would not be allowed to tell employees prior to the closing because of how severe the situation is. It's don't to prevent things like, the employees walking out with half of what's in the store! Here's 2 lawyer comments:

_"I am a US lawyer, but I don't practice bankruptcy law. I'm not an expert. Having said that: it's possible that Calumet wasn't allowed to warn employees, or at least that it might have caused problems if they had. As I understand it, the idea is to lock the doors of your business and hand the key over to the court, and then it's up to the court to oversee the feeding frenzy of creditors.

If a business warns its employees in advance, what happens if those employees steal a bunch of equipment on their way out the door? That equipment would have been sold to repay creditors, and now it can't be. Those creditors have every reason to look at management and ask, "Did you look the other way while these thefts occurred because you didn't want to see us repaid? Did you arrange to split the proceeds with your ex-employees?" It would undermine the point of bankruptcy protection.

But again, I don't practice bankruptcy law and I would welcome correction from someone who does this stuff every day."_

And the reply to that - 

_"I am also a lawyer who doesn't practice bankruptcy law directly, although I have a lot of experience with it incidentally. Your comment is on the money, although another concern is creditors either trying to get special treatment if they know bankruptcy is imminent (which the bankruptcy court then has to try to undo) or immediately ceasing to provide services (such as utilities, computing services, etc) which would cause premature disruption of the business and, again, ultimately harm creditors.

Yes, it sucks, but this is how it has to be. If this were Chapter 11 (Restructuring) it would be different, but Chapter 7 (Liquidation) is an ugly, ugly process and there are no winners.I feel bad for the employees and those who have equipment in for service, as well as those who've already paid for merchandise that will never be delivered. Hopefully they at least manage to get the service equipment back to its rightful owners and pay their employees, although that latter seems unlikely."_

Last copy past moment - that employee I qouted, he actually posted the email he recieved notifying him of what was happening:

_Personally I'm not entirely sure I can believe anything that comes out of corporate. We had been struggling the past year, but around the start of the year we had been told things were turning around. That we had refinanced. That things would get better. They didn't. They actually started getting worse. As of a few days ago, we heard they were trying to refinance things again, so they could finally run the company the way they wanted to. We got this email last night:

• Over the past couple of months, management has been working tirelessly in an

effort to get the Company’s lender to support our plan to restructure the business.

We believed that we had a very viable plan that would allow Calumet to be a

healthy, profitable company. As of yesterday, the lender had given us indications

that they would support our efforts. However, to our surprise and despite all of

our hard work, the lender today suddenly decided that they would not support us;

• As a result, we have been forced to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Unfortunately, this

means that we must cease operations, shut our doors and terminate all employees,

effective immediately. This means you are not to show up for work tomorrow.

We are so sorry that it has come this. This is not what we had anticipated.

• We will make arrangements soon for everyone to come and get their personal

belongings.

• There will be a lot of questions that people will have that we do not have answers

to, but we will make every effort to get answers. If you have a question, please

write it down and send it to me and we will do our best to get back to you as soon

as we can. We ask that you be patient since this is all new to us.

• We will be requesting that the lender agree to pay payroll through today, but there

is no guarantee they will agree to do so. As soon as we receive a response, we

will let you know.

• Again, we are so sorry that this has happened and personally thank you for all of

your hard work and dedication._

So...sounds to me like there were a lot of factors leading to this. An older company struggling to transition to the new emerging economy - a new economy filled with ways for people to get the same thing for less. Maybe that's why they bought all those new storefronts? Either way - with an already bad financial forecast they borrowed a bunch of $$, bought new stores in key locations...sounded great on paper but in every article and forum I read on this I hear stories of the same old story - I went in and they didn't have what I needed in stock, could have ordered it there but it would have been cheaper, easier, and faster online. the other big thing I've read is that they really pushed those classes. 

It's a nasty nasty thing.


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## Steve (Mar 16, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> From what I read they were gotten at by specifics of the U.S. tax system that imposes tax on local stores which instantly gives online shops from other states a 10% price advantage?



In the US, most states have a sales tax that gets charged and it is different for each state. Online stores, so far, do not need to charge each state's sales tax unless they ship to a buyer in the same state they are based in. So if you live in California and you order from, say Newegg which is based in California, they charge California state sales tax but everyone else in the US can order from them tax free. Its a confusing system that heavily favors online stores. A European style VAT would be better but people here would burn the country down rather than implement it.

For Calumet though, this is just an excuse. Lots of retail stores operate at a profit even with competition from online stores. Here in Portland, OR we have Pro Photo Supply which, as far as I can tell, does tons of business. Every time I go there it is super crowded and there's always a wait to talk to a salesperson. I think their secret is knowledgeable, skilled staff and catering to professionals' needs, crazy as that sounds! That said, it seems to me that it would be in the best interests of Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc to offer some sort of incentive to B&M stores to make up for the huge difference in overhead. A physical presence can make a big difference when someone is deciding to purchase or not.


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## Roger Jones (Mar 16, 2014)

Calumet for many years was manufacturing company, cameras, dark room equipment, film processors. They innovated and they made sturdy stuff. I had a calumet 8x10 camera that was built like a tank. The transition to digital and the shift of manufacturing to China made their gear obsolete or no longer cost competitive. I stopped shopping there when they never seemed to have what I wanted in stock. Why pay a premium when you have to wait for delivery anyway? The landscape is changing and the companies that don't evolve with it will soon be extinct.


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## e_honda (Mar 17, 2014)

Chuck Alaimo said:


> maybe it was too many customers like you who screwed them...sorry if that's harsh...but...to put it on a personal level...



They made more money from me through that transaction than from selling a tripod to someone who decided to keep it. Maybe I screwed them......but maybe if they hadn't charged me for that return, I would've gone back to them for other stuff. 

I once made the honest mistake of buying a used 16-35 lens from B&H and didn't realize when I bought it that it was a MKI when in fact I was looking for a MKII. B&H took back that return from me with no fees. In that case, I don't know if I screwed B&H or not. I do know that I've gone back to them and bought from them several more times and will keep doing so.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 17, 2014)

e_honda said:


> Chuck Alaimo said:
> 
> 
> > maybe it was too many customers like you who screwed them...sorry if that's harsh...but...to put it on a personal level...
> ...


I did not consider that ... but that's a good point.


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## expatinasia (Mar 17, 2014)

Chuck Alaimo said:


> e_honda said:
> 
> 
> > I once ordered a 70-200 F4 L IS lens from these guys. Shortly after ordering, I found a practically brand new one locally off Craigslist for way cheaper. So I asked for and was granted a return by Calumet. I shipped my completely unopened packaged right back to them (I didn't even open the Calumet packaging, let alone the Canon packaging). Later on I checked my credit card online statement to see if I got refunded.
> ...



e-Honda was perfectly within his right to do what he did, and Calumet were in their right to charge. Neither can complain.

I was looking at extra batteries for the 1D X earlier on B&H, one of the customer review reads: "I ordered two LP-E4N Battery Packs From B&H. I chose B&H because they offered 2-day shipping and there competitor did not. The batteries arrived on time despite having the biggest snow storm of the year. We ended up going with a different camera for the shoot and no longer need the batteries so I had to return them. B&H made it so simple to return the items. I just applied for a refund and they got back to me very quickly then I dropped them off at the UPS store and my money was refunded the very same day. I look forward to doing business with them again soon."

Same thing really.


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## East Wind Photography (Mar 17, 2014)

By the time you add free shipping and no sales tax collection, plus the 30 day free returns. It doesnt make much sense to pay more at a local store unless you need something for a shoot tomorrow.

For less expensive items it doesnt matter much. However for bodies and lenses, the buy local fees can be huge.

I personally buy from only companies with really good return policies as ive had my fair share of returns for items that did not meet upmto my expectations or had some manufacturing tolerance issues. I sometimes pay a bit more just to have that safety net to return something. If more local businesses were like that i would do more business.

Also remember that even though you are not charged sales tax for online orders, you are supposed to pay the tax to your state. If you dont you are evading taxes and thats a crime.


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## Don Haines (Mar 17, 2014)

My preference is to deal with a bricks and mortar store, but my local camera store has almost nothing in stock for higher end lenses.... They do not have a 28-70F2.8 or a 70-200F2.8 in stock.... And those are good selling lenses. They do not stock a 5D3 or a 1DX....

If there is anything I want, they have to order it in and it costs considerably more than from online and takes a lot longer to arrive. 

It is as if they want me to purchase online....


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## Vivid Color (Mar 17, 2014)

Don Haines said:


> My preference is to deal with a bricks and mortar store, but my local camera store has almost nothing in stock for higher end lenses.... They do not have a 28-70F2.8 or a 70-200F2.8 in stock.... And those are good selling lenses. They do not stock a 5D3 or a 1DX....
> 
> If there is anything I want, they have to order it in and it costs considerably more than from online and takes a lot longer to arrive.
> 
> It is as if they want me to purchase online....



That was part of the problem with Calumet. If you wanted something, you often had to have them order it. They would ship free to the store, but sometimes not to your house. Depending on what it was, sometimes I would have them order it and sometimes I would then order it from one of the online stores mentioned above. And, it would take longer if you ordered it from them than from Adorama, B&H, or Amazon. A friend of mine recently bought a Nikon lens from them and he said it took over a month for him to get it. The only advantage was that if you wanted to return something, you could return it to the store and not have to deal with mailing something back.


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## justsomedude (Mar 17, 2014)

I'll be brutally honest, I'm not sad to see them go.

I had a terrible experience with them regarding a BP1500 pack I purchased from them a couple of years ago. Long story short, the zippers tore out 4 months after purchase (and a total of 35-40 field uses), and it required an act of Congress to get my backpack back from them.

Here's the long story... After the zipper tore out I was disappointed, but patient, and called Calumet regarding their "lifetime warranty." To my surprise I was quickly helped and immediately given an RMA number. Cool deal! I sent the bag in for repair and was told I'd have it back in 2-3 weeks. Three weeks went by. Then five, and six. After 8 weeks I called inquiring about my bag, and it became clear that they had lost my RMA info. On numerous phone calls I was told "we'll call you back tomorrow," and I never heard from anyone. I was never contacted once. I finally had to get angry, and after not accepting the "call back" offer, I was put on hold while some one searched for my file. The employee I spoke with told me, "we think your bag is at our OEM supplier for repair - we'll send it back to you when we get it from them."

No estimate for time. Just, "we'll get it to you when we get it" kind of a deal. I realized I had no other option, so I just waited. During this time I submitted a review for the BP1500 backpack to the Calumet website. It was negative, but honest and objective. A few days after I posted my review, it was deleted from the Calumet website. Wow - classy. My backpack finally arrived about 90-days after I sent it in for repair, and about 10 weeks after Calumet promised I would have it. 

After this incident I personally blacklisted Calumet, refusing to ever give them any of my money again. I'm all about supporting brick and mortar and specialty camera shops (for example I much prefer buying from B&H over Amazon), however, I can't justify spending money on incompetence. Especially when that incompetence impacts how I do MY job.

Just my $0.02.


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## bbasiaga (Mar 17, 2014)

I think you may see an interesting shift in what retail stores are out there. For instance, the most successful local camera shop I can think of has 3 locations in two cities. They are small, their prices are list (so if the 5d3 is MSRP at $3499, that is what you pay vs. online where you might find a deal). They have a very healthy print business, and offer tons of classes. Their retail shop is mostly accessories, though they do have a good selection of cameras and lenses. But when you walk in, they sell you on the little things they have to go with that stuff. The bags, the straps, the light modifiers. Their staff, which is mostly local photographers who work there part time, know how to use that stuff and can really do a good job of explaining it. You might be able to find some of it online cheaper but it is right there and some guy showed you how to use it. Worked on me more than once. I learned about the Phottix Strato II triggers there. I bought them there at the same price they were online (limited distribution online). They did a pretty brisk business in used gear as well. 

I miss that store. I haven't found a local one in my new location that matches it yet. 

They didn't have to keep up on a national scale - only locally. And they knew their crowd pretty well because of it. Stores like them on one hand, and the super giants who can afford to have everything for everyone online may be the only camera shops left after a while.

-Brian


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## jeffa4444 (Mar 18, 2014)

The internet may bring cheaper prices but the problem comes when you have an issue with a piece of equipment, many online retailers in the UK have grey imports and the warrenty is not backed-up by the local camera unit of say Canon or Nikon then what? 
Secondly their is no substitute for experiance I watched a young girl new to photography given advice by a staff member at LCE in Guildford he was explaining carefully what she needed to do the photography she was contemplating who on the internet gives that service? No one. 
Canon, Nikon et al. give virtually no margin on cameras so selling on-line is cheaper but in the end it may come back to haunt them. 
Canon are supposedly going to open their own store in India to build brand awareness if shops keep disappearing they may need to do the same in major Western cities.


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 18, 2014)

jeffa4444 said:


> The internet may bring cheaper prices but the problem comes when you have an issue with a piece of equipment, many online retailers in the UK have grey imports and the warrenty is not backed-up by the local camera unit of say Canon or Nikon then what?



Does Canon UK not honor gray market import warranty coverage? Canon USA apparently does, as long as you have proof of purchase to confirm the date.



jeffa4444 said:


> Secondly their is no substitute for experiance I watched a young girl new to photography given advice by a staff member at LCE in Guildford he was explaining carefully what she needed to do the photography she was contemplating who on the internet gives that service? No one.



Who? Google and YouTube. 

I do agree that personal service is quite nice, but there's a reason it's losing out. I suspect a great many entry level camera buyers purchase at 'big box' stores and other large retail outlets (Target, Walmart, ASDA, etc.) where the sales staff isn't exactly knowledgable, or they buy online.


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## GuyF (Mar 18, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> Does Canon UK not honor gray market import warranty coverage? Canon USA apparently does, as long as you have proof of purchase to confirm the date.



Prior to buying my 500mm v2 in the UK I considered a grey import. I spoke with Canon Europe about warranties and was told they would not repair grey imports under warranty. What they did suggest was they could repair the item but you would have to pay for it, you would then send the bill to the original territory i.e. Canon US and claim a refund from them. That was the official UK/EU response.


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## LookingThroughMyLens81 (Apr 16, 2014)

Liquidation of US stores has begun! Check your e-mails for the info. 

Rockville, MD
Vienna, VA
NYC
Cambridge, MA
Chicago
Ft. Lauderdale
Santa Ana/Los Angeles/Escondido, CA


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## jeffa4444 (Apr 16, 2014)

Actually people DO prefer stores for high value items. Park Cameras have recently opened a two level store just off Oxford Street in London. Jessops brand was bought and some of their stores re-openned plus LCE are openning new sites.


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## jma5terj (Apr 16, 2014)

LookingThroughMyLens81 said:


> Liquidation of US stores has begun! Check your e-mails for the info.
> 
> Rockville, MD
> Vienna, VA
> ...



What kind of info was given? What hours are the stores open? I would swing by the Rockville one but I'm not on their email list.


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 16, 2014)

jma5terj said:


> LookingThroughMyLens81 said:
> 
> 
> > Liquidation of US stores has begun! Check your e-mails for the info.
> ...



Try calling them. They took down the phones when the stores closed, but they were answering them at the Cambridge store today.


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