Blacks Photography, in another sign of the times, is closing all 59 stores in its Canada-wide chain. The company said today it cannot compete in the digital age.
The company made an effort to revitalize the stores last year, transforming them into a gallery-like setting, but it did not stem the losses.
Luiza Staniec, a spokeswoman for parent company Telus Corp., said in an interview with CBC News, they have not been able to “realize profitable growth,”
“Technology is changing the way Canadians take and share pictures,” said Staniec
Telus, one of the wireless cell phone giants in Canada, bought Black’s Photo Corp. in 2009 for $28 million. There were 113 Black’s locations at the time, according to a press release on the company’s website.
Staniec said Canadians are sharing their pictures on social media sites like Instagram and choosing cloud storage solutions instead of printing out pictures, a primary business at Black’s.
Established by Eddie Black in 1948, the company began selling and processing film. It also sold cameras and eventually phones.
Black’s 485 employees were told this morning, said Staniec. The company will try to find positions for them within Telus and Koodo, another cell phone provider.
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