Photography retailer snaps up new Leeds store as part of "major" expansion plans

A UK photography equipment retailer has announced that it is opening a new Leeds store as part of its “major” expansion strategy.

Wex Photo Video, headquartered in Norwich, is adding a tenth retail unit in Leeds to its suite of national stores across the UK, creating multiple job vacancies.

The new Leeds store will be the largest camera store in Yorkshire, with the company saying that the new branch cements its move into the north of England.

Wex Photo Video Leeds branch spans 3,000 sq ft of space and features a selection of products displayed across play-tables and store furniture.

Founded originally as a Norwich camera shop, Wex Photo Video is aiming to retain its bricks and mortar presence despite its online presence representing the majority of its consumer business.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the impact felt by much of the high street, Wex saw an increase in online demand during lockdown and has maintained its commitment to multichannel growth.

While interest in photography and filmmaking reached new heights over the last year, Wex also benefited from the rise of new hobbies away from the core business, including birdwatching and computing.

For astronomy, Wex saw a 260 per cent increase in web traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a number of other categories also showing strong growth.

Louis Wahl, CEO at Wex Photo Video, commented: “The last year has been challenging but Wex remains in a strong position, thanks to thriving online sales driven by a spike in demand during lockdown.

“We’re committed to multichannel growth and will continue to invest in physical stores to serve our customers all over the UK.

“With such a high density of photographers in the Leeds area, alongside a growing media presence, this was the natural location for Wex’s tenth store.”