Dearest Looking Glass Family and Friends-

It’s been a tough and crazy couple of weeks, and we want to be transparent and talk to you as friends - not a retail store. That’s how things should be right? We’re a community – not strangers passing in the night. To this end, we want to tell you a bit about why we have made this move and the exciting changes that are coming. In this installment, we delve into the “Why.”

The WHY:

In the simplest terms, nothing stays the same. Ten years ago, when we moved to the Ashby location from our small hole in the wall on Telegraph, we were filled with excitement about having all our products out to see and touch – a truly immersive experience that we had hoped would inspire people. And from what we could tell, it did just that for many years. This immersive, walk-in experience was what our local photography community needed from us at the time and supported us because of it.

Then the pandemic / lockdown happened. Everyone was nervous. We didn’t know what to expect. First being told we would be shut down for a few weeks. Then that turned into months. And before long, over a year had gone by… When we eventually re-opened, much had changed. We waited it out, hoping these changes would subside but it soon became clear that these changes were here to stay. We’re sure there are many reasons for this, but rather than speculate, we knew we had to either figure out what the photography community wants from their local camera store in this new reality or simply make this our final chapter.

We just couldn’t bear the thought of letting you down, our friends and local community, by closing one of the only remaining local camera shops in the Bay Area. We refused to be a casualty of events that we had no control over. And with that, we chose to evolve.

We picture ourselves as the stewards of this Berkeley institution, and understand we exist because of each of you. So we rolled up our sleeves, observed and spoke with many people about what their hopes were from a local camera shop. From this, we learned that the following is most important for many of you:

• More Community

• More picture taking opportunities

• More accessibility to various cameras and gear

• Expert & personalized gear selection

• High value in the services you receive

• Learning and growth in your photography

What we also learned is that while it’s nice to have a “super store” to browse through (ours was close to 8,000 square feet), in time it took away the intimacy of getting to know the community and began feeling more like any other traditional retailer. The “specialty” factor of Looking Glass started to feel a little lost.

So now we’re a smaller team in a much smaller space (about 2,300 sq feet). But this space, when all is said and done, is going to be completely about community. It will be about learning. It will be about having a true relationship with your local camera store again. It will be about creativity and a place that supports local artists. And YES, it will be about all the gear and fun tech, while also receiving incredible value when you shop with us.

We are nowhere near finished with setting up the new space. BUT, we want to be able to see you and help you in person again. So if you’d like to stop by, say a quick hi, or need something that we can help you with, we’d love to see you starting next week. No big grand opening. No big sales. That’s not the traditional direction we’re headed anymore. Just “family” and community supporting one another. Please note, this doesn’t mean we’re not going to offer amazing deals. In fact, once we are completely set-up and comfortable in our new space, you’ll have opportunities to save more than you would shopping anywhere else – while also receiving a friendly, caring, and personalized experience. We’ll be announcing the exact address no later than Wednesday of next week.

Anyway … Moves are hard, aren’t they?

We’ll be sending more updates soon about our new and improved service offerings. Keep an eye out!

Sincerely,

-The Looking Glass Team