A variety of factors has led Roberts Camera owners to close the Carmel store.
Meredith Reinker, a partner with her father Bruce Pallman, said changes in the camera industry, a shift to online shopping and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed them to determine the best way to move the business forward. They decided it was best to close the Carmel store, 12761 Old Meridian St., and consolidate staff and services at the downtown Indianapolis store, 220 E. St. Clair St. The Carmel store will remain open through March 27. A close-out sale will start March 1.
“This was a very hard decision,” Reinker said. “We have staff members that have been with us for over 20 years. We have an incredible customer base and a beautiful store. We have obviously seen an increase in our online business over the years and a downward trend in walk-in retail traffic over the last five years, but COVID accelerated those changes significantly. Carmel is an incredible community and one that we love dearly. We live here, my kids go to school here, but when we looked at what long-term retail looks like, it made sense for us to consolidate everything into one location. This will allow us to streamline a lot of what we are doing, hopefully do it better and continue to grow.”
Reinker said there are seven employees at the Carmel store and most will move downtown.
Reinker said her father owns the Carmel building. Oberer’s Flowers will continue to operate out of the location and Pallman will seek a tenant to lease the remaining space. The building is 8,000 square feet. Roberts occupies 5,000 square feet.
The downtown store is larger, has more inventory, rentals, a photo lab, offers more classes and events and ultimately draws more people, Reinker said.
Roberts plans to continue offering classes and events throughout the Indianapolis area, including in Carmel.
Learn more at robertscamera.com.
