Seeking to broaden its offerings of higher-end digital and film photography equipment, e-tailer Amazon.com has inked partnerships with Ritz Interactive and New York-based specialty dealer Adorama.
The partnerships are structured similar to deals the e-tailer has with other vendors like Circuit City and Office Depot, said David Arron, partner management senior manager for Amazon.
The partnerships were born from the need for Amazon to offer more esoteric photography products, which are difficult to stock but are sought after by Amazon visitors, Arron said.
Now, the e-tailer can offer “thousands” of SKUs of photo equipment without having to warehouse them, he noted.
Orders placed on Amazon for a product that Ritz stocks will be routed to Ritz’s distribution center, and all customer service issues pertaining to the shipped order are routed to the closest Ritz. Amazon gets a commission on the sale.
From the partners’ perspective, teaming with Amazon.com gives them access to a far broader online customer base than they would previously have access to, even if Amazon gets a cut of the sale, Arron said.
Sales of photo equipment is “booming,” said Lance Binley, Amazon’s consumer electronics store director. “As customers are getting more comfortable with the technology, there is a natural extension of the photographic market” into more sophisticated products, he noted. “The real problem we have is keeping them in stock.”
