Ritz Interactive takes over at PhotoAlley.com!
By
Mike Tomkins
(Monday, April 8, 2002 - 15:54 EDT)
Two become one as our affiliate Ritz announces its latest acquisition...
A press release today from Ritz Interactive announces its acquisition of photographic retailer PhotoAlley.com. Both PhotoAlley and Ritz Interactive's RitzCamera.com are partners of the Imaging Resource, and the announcement sees the latter company continue to expand its online presence. Last year, Ritz acquired WolfCamera.com, and it has noted that as with that company it intends to keep the PhotoAlley branding and domain present as a part of its own brand.
Eulogy from Dave:
The passing of PhotoAlley.com brings a note of personal sadness: Besides their being one of the class acts of the internet reseller space, I knew a number of the key people there personally, and had tremendous respect for what they were building. In an online marketplace marked by bait & switch tactics, greymarket and used goods sold as prime, and a wide range of other scams, PhotoAlley stood out as a no-nonsense, no-BS, entirely reputable company. They were one of our most valuable and trusted partners here at IR, and they'll be sorely missed.
As a pure internet play (with no brick-and-mortar component to leverage) in a time of dwindling investor support for such organizations, they faced a tough road. By all appearances though, they actually appeared to be doing pretty well, until the huge glitch in online buying sparked by 9/11 dealt them a blow they couldn't recover from. The good news, if there's any to be found in such a regrettable passing, is that another of our trusted and reputable partners (Ritz Interactive, operators of Ritzcamera.com) has now taken over their operations and website. Like PhotoAlley, Ritz' business practices are above reproach. Ritz' advantage though, is that they have the buying strength and stability that comes from having over 1000 stores across the US.
Congratulations to Ritz on this latest acquisition, and condolences and warm best wishes to the PhotoAlley folks for any future endeavors they may engage in. Wherever the PhotoAlley people wind up, they'll individually and collectively continue to be a positive influence on the photo industry.
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Original Source Press Release:
| RITZ INTERACTIVE ACQUIRES MAJOR E-COMMERCE COMPETITOR PHOTOALLEY.COM IRVINE, Calif., April 8, 2002 - Ritz Interactive, Inc., the e-commerce network that includes leading photo-specialty online shopping sites RitzCamera.com and WolfCamera.com, has acquired PhotoAlley.com, one of its major e-tail competitors.
"We look forward to maintaining the strong community aspect that has made PhotoAlley.com such a popular destination, while considerably increasing the product selection and e-commerce functionality," said Fred H. Lerner, president and CEO of Ritz Interactive, Inc. "This acquisition further solidifies Ritz Interactive's leadership position in the photographic e-commerce space, and enhances the spectrum of products and services we currently offer consumers."
According to Lerner, the PhotoAlley.com branding and URL will remain the same in order to leverage the Web site's well-established brand and existing customer base.
This is the second major acquisition for Ritz Interactive within the last year. In October 2001, the Irvine-based company acquired WolfCamera.com (www.WolfCamera.com), the Web's number two photo specialty e-tailer. Ritz Interactive's flagship site, RitzCamera.com (www.RitzCamera.com) is widely recognized as the number one online shopping destination for photographic products and accessories.
Founded in April 1999, Ritz Interactive has quickly become a leading online retailer within both the photographic and marine industries. In addition to its e-commerce sites, RitzCamera.com, WolfCamera.com and BoatersWorld.com, Ritz Interactive owns and operates several comprehensive, content-oriented community sites, including Photography.com, FishingOnly.com and BoatingOnly.com.
About Ritz Interactive, Inc.
Ritz Interactive, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., (www.RitzInteractive.com), is an e-commerce network of interactive Web sites dedicated to providing a wide selection of leisure-time products at the most competitive prices for the online shopper. In addition to its leading photo-specialty e-tail destinations RitzCamera.com and WolfCamera.com, Ritz Interactive owns and operates marine e-commerce leader BoatersWorld.com (www.BoatersWorld.com) and several popular community portals serving the photography and marine niche markets. Ritz Interactive's e-commerce sites, besides featuring incredible selection, offer the added benefits of a "Low Prices Guarantee," and no sales tax. Shipping is also free for orders over $100 at RitzCamera.com and $200 at BoatersWorld.com. Ritz Interactive shares a strategic business alliance with Ritz Camera Centers, Inc., which owns and operates more than 1350 Ritz Camera Centers and over 100 Boater's World Marine Centers nationwide.
About PhotoAlley.com
PhotoAlley.com (www.PhotoAlley.com) is one of the most popular photographic sites on the web. It is built around three key activity centers - Commerce, Articles, and Galleries. These three activity centers are closely integrated to create a unique resource for photographers of all skill levels and topical areas of interest. |
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