Camera stores forced to close

Dwindling sales will shutter both shops for business in October

PALO ALTO — Keeble & Shuchat Photography will close both its stores on California Avenue next month after a 51-year run in Palo Alto.

Terry Shuchat, who owns the business and buildings, said last week he has not set an official closing date, but it’ll be sometime near the end of October.

“We’ve had some of our best business here since we announced our closing,” Shuchat said Tuesday.

An ongoing store-closing sale has merchandise at 10 percent off with no sales tax charged.

“Internet sales cannot beat this,” a sale sign inside the store advertises.

Shuchat said the store has seen diminished profits over the years as customers turned to online shopping for better deals or quit buying cameras altogether because smartphone cameras suffice.

The store gets visitors with questions about cameras they’re interested in buying who then leave and make their purchase online. The store also gets visitors who need help using or fixing a camera they’ve bought elsewhere.

Shuchat said he and his 35 employees have been happy to help, but these consumer trends have hurt their bottom line.

“We’ve become showroom for stores,” he said.

“We always hear how people want to support local retail, but in reality they’re not showing that in their spending.” a big online