
sector: Electronics
district: Chelsea
420 9th Ave, New York, NY 10001, United States
In a nutshell
Old-Skool pro-tech emporium. Deep stock, deep knowledge, old-school service (knowledgable, grumpy, helpful if you're quick!), with multichannel prowess.
In their words
“Get to know the people who know your gear best.
B&H is not a big box store, or a faceless chain... or a personality-free zone. B&H is a group of people who are passionate about the things you're passionate about—from photography, film, music and audio to art and technology, creating and imagining.”
Visit Field notes
The old-skool 1950s vibe (signage, layout, flooring, decor) is exemplified by the ceiling-hung conveyor belts that move product around the store to the cages for payment and pickup. Part future, part past, this is a steampunk emporium to tech, to modernity and to history. A must-visit for the product, staff and experience.
During COVID they converted their service points into perspex-clad online service areas - video-conferencing with a member of staff. Since the pandemic the "call a staff member" has continued, brining the one-to-one expertise to more people. In addition the store has a long history of knowledgeable and accessible gear reviews on its YouTube channel.
Other Reading
The store's history on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26H_Photo
LAST VISITED
18/11/2024
Added
2019
COMPARE WITH
A warm glowing Federal-style corner plot that oozes Provencal light onto a prestigious corner plot. A minimal home-meets-museum for this stripped back spectacle in French stone and light.
Showcase, training and resource for the Shopify store tech and highlighted sellers.
A three-floor, 23,000 square foot experience with a Reserve on the ground floor, their first Restaurant on the first floor, and a bar-cum-training-cum-experience area in the basement.
A flagship, cartoon-like store, featuring tinned Portuguese sardines. The decor is Phileas Fogg meets Circus, and the inescapable reality of canned fish is dressed up as a humorous, gifting experience...
Similar shops
A three-floor, 23,000 square foot experience with a Reserve on the ground floor, their first Restaurant on the first floor, and a bar-cum-training-cum-experience area in the basement.
Upmarket grocery-focused supermarket with a reputation for quality, taste and good ingredients. This store brings their produce to life as well as showcasing their fishmonger, butchery and food prepar...
The recent refurb expands the store into a gentlemen's-club-vibe location for this near decade-old Queens brand. Their zeitgeist-fuelled take on the 1990s goes from the street to Bill Clinton.
Louis Vuitton ramps up our understanding of "Landmark" with two buildings on 5th Ave (one, a gastro-theatrical brand experience, and the other a near-art homage to their luggage). "Bold" is one word!
Upon opening this was one of the best men's department store ranges and experiences, but over time it's become more normal than 'wow'
A dedicated womenswear store in a walnut and pink corner plot, extending 'Kith village' (Lafayette, Bleecker, now Broadway), and adding flower shop and cafe.