Nancy Packard

Film processing continues to be available at area stores despite the growing popularity of digital cameras, retailers say, though some businesses are shuttering the service at certain locations.

Staff Photo by Angela Lewis Mary Ledford, photo lab supervisor at the CVS on Signal Mountain, sleeves negatives in the store on Friday.

“I don’t want people to think ‘I can’t enjoy the use of film again,’” said Nancy Packard, district category specialist for photos and cosmetics at CVS Pharmacy. “That’s not true.”

CVS is rearranging its operations to continue offering drop-off processing since the recent closing of a lab in Atlanta that handled developing for the pharmacy, she said. Film dropped off by a customer at any local CVS will be taken to a store that has a lab, she said. The photos will be ready in two or three days. Most, but not all, CVS stores have film processing, while all offer digital processing.

CVS still offers one-hour film processing at participating stores for now, Ms. Packard said, but will convert to digital-only services at most stores within 12 to 18 months. Stores on top of Signal Mountain, on Lee Highway, in Cleveland, Tenn., and Jasper, Tenn., will keep their film processing equipment, she said. Those stores’ processing machines are more advanced than other machines and can make photo CDs from negatives.

“We have a plan in place to make sure our customers are still taken care of,” she said.

Other area stores offer both film and digital photo processing.

The three Wolf Camera stores in Hamilton County offer film and digital photo processing, said district Manager Tod Strain. The East Ridge store is closing in seven to 10 weeks, but will continue to offer processing services for two to three more weeks. The Hamilton Place and Northgate Mall Wolf stores will continue to offer film processing.

Walgreens continues to offer one-hour and drop-off processing, as well as on-site and online digital printing service, said spokeswoman Vivika Vergara.

“Although interest in digital photography has definitely picked up, we still help many customers who want to make photo gifts like calendars, mugs and albums,” Ms. Vergara said.

Rite Aid also offers various photo services, said spokeswoman Cheryl Slavinsky. The chain does drop-off and one-hour film processing, digital processing and puts photos on such products as coffee mugs and rugs, she said.

Wal-Mart sells only digital cameras in response to their ever-growing popularity, said spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien. Most stores in Hamilton County have dropped their one-hour film processing, she said, but still offer drop-off service as well as on-site digital services. The Signal Mountain Wal-Mart will convert to digital-only service sometime around May, she said.

Wal-Mart stores in Dayton, Athens and Cleveland, Tenn., have one-hour film service, Ms. O’Brien said.

“Film processing is not as regular a request,” Ms. O’Brien said. “We are trying to keep up with where customers are moving, the same as we did with the conversion from VHS to DVD.”

Ms. Packard said she agrees that digital is now the dominant photo format.

“Fifteen percent of our photo business is film, and the rest is digital,” she said. “Film will never go away, but it is getting smaller.”