The overall incidence of printing any type of digital camera image out at photo specialty retailers was 8% according to The NPD Group’s “August 2010 Recent Digital Camera Buyer” study, and the intent to print at a specialty store over the next six months is not on the rise versus last year. Specialty dealers must pull out the stops to invite new consumers into their stores, and create messages of quality and service that trump pure price consideration.
The reasons for printing at a photo specialty shop were unique from other retail stores or online, and the specialty dealer must flaunt those differences to attract business. According to the study, 39% of photo specialty frequenters reported printing there due to the expertise in printing, compared to 26% for retailers other than specialty. Knowledgeable sales staff was another striking factor in deciding to use the photo specialty channel, at 34% versus 16% for non-specialty retailers.
Finally, photo specialty frequenters had the highest incidence of all brick-and-mortar retailers to be influenced by word of mouth, at 36% compared to mass merchants at 28%.—Liz Cutting, Senior Imaging Analyst, The NPD Group
