Camera shop will not be shuttered

WINCHESTER — The Ritz Camera store at Apple Blossom Mall will remain open while the company reorganizes under federal bankruptcy protection.

The Beltsville, Md., company filed Chapter 11 in February, citing slumping sales brought on by the economic downturn.

Ritz is the nation’s largest camera and photography equipment retailer.

The company began liquidating about 300 stores on April 4. A joint venture group is conducting the sales.

The Ritz Camera store in Valley Mall in Hagerstown, Md., is among those being shuttered. So are 11 locations in Northern Virginia, including Leesburg and Gainesville.

The liquidation does not affect the company’s e-commerce segment, Ritz Interactive Inc., which operates RitzCamera.com and WolfCamera.com.

Ritz Camera’s downsizing follows a number of company-wide liquidations in recent months, including Circuit City, KB Toys and Linens ‘N Things.

— Daily Staff Report