The message at last year’s PMA was one of moving beyond the 4×6-inch print and we expect that message to resonate once again at the 2007 show. In fact, the trend at imaging retail today is about realizing that there will likely never be a single core product such as the 4×6-inch print. Instead we can expect to see an endless evolution of new products – many more products – that will require retailers to become fast learners, early adopters, and risk takers by nature.
As our columnist Ravid Butz recently explained, “If this is the future of our industry then how do you feel about it? And how prepared do you feel your company is? For some retailers this may seem like a lucky break, a chance to distinguish themselves from the mass retailers, get to market faster and inject lots of creativity into their companies and the products they sell. For others, though, this new reality may prove very alien. (If you felt a certain rush while reading then you’re probably a dynamic adapter, but if you felt a slight sense of panic and increased anxiety you likely thrive on status quo). Some companies thrive on constant change while others thrive on predictability, still, both must institutionalize a culture of change in order to succeed and thrive.”
