Besides looking into a crystal ball, the best way to get a sense of what will be hot in 2008 is to see what has been selling successfully in the photo channel. Over the past 12 months, products at WYNIT that moved through our warehouses in strong numbers included digital frames, printers, printer paper, inks and digital cameras.
Much of that sales activity was driven by price competition and product enhancements. Digital frames were at the top of the list – which makes sense because globally, digital frames saw a 400 percent growth in units sold (2006 over 2005, according to Park Associates). WYNIT carries a wide variety of digital frame brands including Mustek, Portable USA, KODAK, High Touch, Smartparts and X-Digital Media with price ranges to meet every dealer’s need. Visit www.wynit.com/DIGITAL_FRAMES.
Digital frames certainly are one product category your customers will be looking for, but there are others expected to sell very well next year like memory cards, portable drives and even digital camcorders. Once considered accessories to computers, storage devices are a great way for consumers to save their memories in a safe environment and allow them to free-up space on their MP3 players and other devices that show pictures and videos.
Hardware for storing pictures, movies, video and music comes in all shapes and sizes these days and WYNIT carries a full line to match everyone’s needs. For example, you can find tough and speedy portable hard drives for people on the go all the way up to mass storage units that can keep a lifetime of memories. There are even a few products offered by Western Digital that allow photos, video or other files to be stored at home and viewed over an Internet connection from anywhere in the world.
Digital photos and music were first, but digital video isn’t far behind! Already, there are companies that let consumers download films from the Internet. Before long, users could have a library of movies in their vehicles for passengers to enjoy.
Of course, in addition to compact flash cards, USB storage devices, etc., there are CD and DVD burners available for consumers to store and view photos, video files, music and all sorts of entertainment. Moreover, as larger storage devices become more affordable, they become great accessory add-ons for your customers.
When you work with WYNIT, it’s not necessary for you to carry inventory because we offer same-day shipping, no minimum-order requirements and other no-cost services to help grow your business.
After the holidays, dealers can see a great selection of hot products for 2008 at WYNIT’s trade show booths at CES (#31573) and PMA (#H201) or, visit us on the web 24/7 at www.wynit.com for more details.
Pete Richichi is Executive Vice President for WYNIT, Inc., a leading national distributor of digital photography, computer peripheral and consumer electronics for personal and professional use that are sold to resellers throughout the U.S. The company features same-day shipping, no minimum orders, dedicated sales reps and drop-ship capabilities from multiple warehouses. For more information, call WYNIT at 1.800.GO.WYNIT (469.9648) or visit www.wynit.com.
