Henry’s Opens First-of-its-Kind Camera Store Minutes from Mississauga

Shutterbugs rejoice! Popular camera store Henry’s is celebrating the upcoming grand opening of its innovative new Oakville store (just seconds from the Mississauga border) this month and organizers are saying that the brand new operation is a completely new beast from the usual camera store.

“This store is a total departure from the traditional camera store and any store that Henry’s has done in the past,” says Jeff Tate, Vice President of Marketing at Henry’s.

The new store, which is the first of its kind for the company, welcomes customers with a bright open feel and new look that eliminates the typical camera counter seen in most specialty stores, making it much easier to shop and move around in. The space boasts massive backlit images showcasing photos from Canadian photographers and the back wall of the store has a large nine-panel TV wall that displays different types of photography and videos (and it also doubles as a screen to teach courses or how-to events for customers).

In terms of how the products–the main event, of course–are showcased, the hardware displays consist of glass cases that are bottom lit by LED panels. This helps to emphasize the beauty and differences between camera models and lenses.

“The layout also helps the customer to shop by function and category – it’s a real change versus what customers are used to,” says Tate.  “We even have a VR system setup to check out 360 images as if you are really there.”

While the store has been open to customers since March 19, the grand opening–an event that will formally introduce the new concept to both casual and experienced photographers–is slated for Saturday, April 29. That event will kick off at 10:00 a.m.

In the meantime, customers are responding well to the store–especially since it emphasizes and exposes local talent.

“The reception has been excellent so far,” says Tate. “We have both store staff and customers raving about the new design and we even have our other stores and their customers asking when we can make similar changes into their local Henry’s. Our tagline is ‘Canada’s Greatest Camera Store’ and we love that this store celebrates all of the great creativity we have in Canada.  We’re photographers and videographers too, so it’s nice to be part of the community and showcase it.”

In terms of products, Henry’s carries tons of cameras, attachments and accessories. That said, Tate said it’s the brand’s assortment of DSLR and Mirrorless cameras and lenses that often stand out to customers.

“We carry much more than what you would find in a typical big box store and if you’re looking for something and don’t see it, odds are we can get it for you.  Also, we offer photofinishing (and passport photos) which are always popular,” he says.

At a time where most people are happy enough with the cameras on their smartphones, it can seem like a challenge to get the average consumer into a store that carries traditional cameras. Henry’s has learned from trends set by phone usage and has done its part to ensure customers can get something they’ve become accustomed to in the wake of the smartphone craze–devices that can be used for both photos and videos (and that make social media posting even easier).

“What we are commonly seeing is people now using one camera to do both video and photos as many of the modern cameras can do both very well.  We are also seeing more and more people buying equipment to create online content for social media and for VLOGS which includes ‘rigging up’ a camera with lighting and a microphone.  Also, 360 cameras are starting to get more popular as well. The viewer can relive the moment as if there were standing right there – it’s pretty cool.”

As for the grand opening itself, the first 50 guests can expect a gift card giveaway, the first 100 a loot bag giveaway (the bag includes a 16GB Lexar memory card, lens cleaning cloth, and more), and prizes, product demos, door crasher specials and a contest.

In terms of savings, shoppers can save an additional $25 on their purchase when their invoice (before tax) is between $125-$399, $50 when they spend between $400-$599 and $75 when they spend $600 or more on top of the already great deals they have going on at the store.

To learn more about the new store and grand opening, click here.