Shopfront: Photo gifts not just for the festive season
The photo business can be extremely seasonal but opportunities are available year-round, according to Chris Wilkinson.
Not surprisingly, many store owners consider gifting products only for Christmas or other traditional seasons. The fact is, consumers have a need for gifts year-round. You only have to look at stores like Kenny's Cardiology to see this demand.
The shift of our industry into gifts, along with photo books and photo decor helps lift quieter times and maximises opportunities. It also brings in an entirely new customer demographic - many of whom previously may have never stepped inside a photo shop.
Previously, creating gifts involved special printers, transfer systems and heat presses. The investment and technical requirements meant many retailers outsourced their orders - rather than producing in-store. Recently, new product ranges have come to the market where prints are simply inserted then sealed into blanks. This provides an immediate solution to consumers, who often leave ordering till the last minute.
Consider business-to-business opportunities using gifting products. Organisations of all sizes have an ongoing need for promotional material. The photo shops' edge is that they can deliver one-off or multiple orders quickly and efficiently. Most suppliers focus on volumes only - leaving the way clear for imaging specialists to enjoy a healthy slice of this market.
To fully take advantage of the gifting category, stores should develop a dedicated display area showcasing their range. Examples that include
Engaging customers with simple creation systems is also critical. Building templates into your kiosk and web fulfilment systems enable users to see their images in the finished product on-screen.
While most gift products use standard print sizes, or multi-print templates, it can be a benefit to create their own category. Many kiosk software systems deliver sales prompts asking users whether they would also like to order gifts. This has found to be real driver in building volume ? particularly in shops with multiple kiosks.
Consumers are now turning to the web for photo services and gifting is one sector that has seen tremendous growth. A wide range of suppliers provide software that enables online creation, editing and ordering of gift lines - suitable either for single stores or chains.
It?s up to the industry to embrace these products otherwise mass merchants will become the destination of choice. Look at the competition, develop a strategy then aim to be the best in your area. Work now will pay dividends in the future.
Developing a year-round marketing plan for photo gifts will ensure that this category could become as popular as established staples like enlargements and digital prints. While they will always be more popular around Christmas, it doesn?t mean you shouldn?t be enjoying good sales year round.
