Wex Photo Video is the UK's largest specialist photography and video retailer, established in 1997 in Norwich by Howard Utting following his earlier success with the Uttings brand specialising in optics, telescopes, and cameras. Originally trading as Warehouse Express, then rebranded as Wex Photographic, the business merged with Calumet Photographic in 2017 (following both companies' acquisition by investment firm Aurelius) and rebranded as Wex Photo Video. The combined business now operates 14-15 stores across the UK, a Norwich-based contact centre, and the UK's largest online photographic specialist operation with over 30,000 products.
The store network includes the London flagship at Commercial Road, Whitechapel; substantial showrooms at Birmingham (100 Hagley Road, 3,752 sq ft) and Milton Keynes (3,000 sq ft, opened 2020); plus Belfast, Bristol, Manchester (with event/seminar space) and other regional stores. The Manchester store includes integrated demonstration areas and a gallery space hosting exhibitions, talks and workshops. Through the 2017 acquisition of Fixation (the 1988-founded photographic repair specialist), Wex also operates one of the UK's most established camera repair and rental services from the London base.
The Pre-Loved used range comes with a notable 12-month warranty on second-hand items, alongside the 30-day return policy on nearly every product. Wex has been named "Retailer of the Year" by readers of Digital Photo and Practical Photography magazines for six consecutive years, ranked number one in the 2019 Which? consumer survey for service, value for money and product choice, and surpassed 50,000 Trustpilot reviews in 2023, the most-reviewed UK camera retailer. For UK photographers buying new or used at any scale, Wex is the default first option to check, with the combination of inventory depth, store network, repair/rental capabilities, and 12-month used warranty representing the most complete single offering in UK photographic retail.
Wex operates at the very top of the UK photographic retail market alongside London Camera Exchange (26 branches across England, different geographic footprint), Park Cameras (two large showrooms with Burgess Hill HQ, narrower geographic reach), and MPB (online-only used specialist with global operation). The Wex differentiators are the combination of largest single-source inventory (30,000+ products), the most stores in densely-populated areas, the 12-month used warranty, the Fixation repair specialist integration, and the rental operation, making Wex a more fully-featured single offering than most competitors.
Compared to MPB specifically, Wex's used inventory is smaller but includes a 12-month warranty (vs. MPB's 6-month) and benefits from the in-person handling that physical stores enable. Compared to LCE's 26-branch geographic spread, Wex's 14-15 stores are typically larger individual showrooms in major cities. Compared to Park Cameras, Wex has more stores and a larger online operation, while Park has the Leica official dealer status that Wex doesn't formally hold at the same depth.
For UK photographers buying new or used at any scale, Wex is the default first option to check across virtually any category, the inventory depth, store network, 12-month used warranty, and Fixation repair integration combine into the most complete single offering in UK photographic retail. The Norwich heritage and the 25+ year continuous trading history under various brand names give meaningful weight to the operation. For UsedLens users, Wex is one of the partner retailers featured prominently, making them a natural first-check destination alongside MPB, Park Cameras, and the eBay marketplace.