C&A moving Calumet Photographic forward, though not without bumps

As reported last week, New Jersey based photography retailer, C&A Marketing Inc, which purchased some of Calumet Photographic's assets and debt, opened the Oak Brook Calumet Photographic store last Sunday, May 11^th.

The opening was generally well received with customers noting many of the old Oak Brook staff had been rehired by C&A to run the store.

Customers reported to me that the store had Pocket Wizard, Sekonic, Gitzo, Manfrotto, Calumet, Quantum, Nikon, Canon, as part of a large variety of name brand products, in the store for the opening. Some customers said they were disappointed that many higher end products, for sale mainly to professionals and enthusiasts, were not in stock, such as Nikon professional bodies and lenses.

Calumet Photographic acquired by C&A Marketing Inc.

The Calumet acquisition decision has been made by the US Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Illinois.

New Jersey company, C&A Marketing Inc. outbid the proposal of CalPhotoUS, owned by former principals of Calumet, purchasing some assets and debt of the former Calumet Photographic for just under $4 million. The purchase includes the option to open five of the former chain's 14 stores. CalPhoto had offered $2.825 million for the remnants of the chain.

Chaim Pikarski, executive vice president of C&A Marketing Inc. said they would decide soon how many, if any, of the old Calumet stores, they would reopen, and if they would move any of the stores to new locations.