British Photographic Industry News November 2015 by British Photographic Industry News (BPI News)

INSIDE: CHRISTMAS CASHBACKS COVERED + BLACK FRIDAY: READY FOR THE RUSH?

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NOVEMBER 2015 • £3

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Festive Firecrackers Our latest recommendations for profitable, high margin equipment & accessories to drive footfall and increase profits - whether you’re a photo retailer or a mini lab

PLUS! Black Friday, Cyber Monday & Copious Cashbacks A triple retail advantage you won’t want to miss!

OPEN NOW FOR: FLAGHEAD + FUJIFILM + ANSMANN + LEICA + SIGMA + PHOTOXPORT!

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BPI News

EDITORIAL

November 2015

Photographic British

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news

published monthly by

A EDITOR Gavin Stoker Tel: 020 8274 0578 Tel: 07990 974 367 ART EDITOR Michael O’Connell EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Please direct all editorial requests, news and press releases to info@bpinews.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Please direct all advertising enquiries and sponsorship opportunities to gavin@bpinews.co.uk.

Follow us on Twitter... @bpi_news Publisher’s Office: 31 New Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7HZ. Legacy Media Ltd accept no ultimate responsibility for accurate reproduction of digital artwork created by third parties. Insurance and carriage of products submitted for inclusion in reports rests with the owner. News, data, prices, interviews and opinion are printed in good faith E&OE. Content including advertising artwork created by Legacy Media Ltd or its agents is ©2015 Legacy Media Ltd. ISSN: to be advised.

TE E DA U D Y INED COP ER OMB C COV R N A FO . E C/J 17 T H WS D E R E N MB BPI UT OV E ED O T IS N S E PO ONTH ISSU OF M END

Shining a light on Black Friday, Cyber Monday & everything else

s the days get shorter and the nights month, as traditional as bonfire night and draw in, the flicker and warmth of our Christmas itself it seems. However, again, computer screens beckon us in, with these are no cause for cynicism; from speaking tempting offers accessible – all too easily, all to those of you in the trade at the sharp end of too readily – at the click of a mouse. Why fight, the retail business, such potential drivers of inthe reasoning goes, with the crowds in the store footfall and online traffic are a real boost local high street in December, when you can to the bottom line, even if there’s the potential grab an apparent bargain online a few weeks danger that customers hold off making a before the traditional Christmas rush. Yes purchase until the next round of special offers Black Friday and Cyber Monday have quickly goes up in the shop window. Gavin Stoker, become fixtures of the sales calendar, it seems, As usual this month, I’ve been talking to a Editor and, like many of you, I’m not immune to the wide variety of people in our industry. This gavin@bpinews.co.uk panic-infused ‘buy it quickly, buy it now’ hype has included retiring traders, and even one @GavinStoker generated by time limited offers on limited celebrating his 75th birthday who is still stock (a Blu ray box set of Alien movies still sits in its shrinkworking, to those very much engaged, impassioned and wrap from last November). The point is, such tactics work, motivated to keep the photographic trade on track and and, as such trade stalwarts as Jason Mitchell and David in business – not just in the immediate future, but for the Parkinson suggest in our specially commissioned article foreseeable future. Again the perennial subject of how we on page 27, if you’re not part of Black Friday – and taking all encourage people to print more, now that more images advantage of some of the additional offers manufacturers are taken than ever, has cropped up. But perhaps rather are plugging – your business is potentially missing out. than giving dire warnings about printing pictures or losing The same article also covers important details of the new them, future campaigns should be a celebration of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that came into force at the printed image – a positive twist that engenders a positive beginning of October; so do have a read. response. Let me know your thoughts. We are, after all, Cashback offers are also back out in force again this truly all in this together.

CONTENTS 04 NEWS Cashbacks are back this Christmas from all the major brands. We have the round up of who’s offering what 05 PLENTY TO LIKE ABOUT LEICA The prestige German brand returns with the Leica SL system camera, on the back of a new London City store

21 DNP LAUNCHES ‘BEST ALL-IN-ONE PHOTO KIOSK’ Japanese group Dai Nippon Printing has a new combined printer, software and order terminal to introduce

12 SURE-FIRE HIT FROM THE DPS GROUP The Epson partnered Kent-based outfit introduces the SureColor P-series printers to the trade

22 ROTOLIGHT: LIGHT YEARS AHEAD FOR CHRISTMAS DEALS In conjunction with Digital Distribution there are special festive deals running on its award-winning LED light kits

14 FLAGHEAD LEADS CHARGE FOR LENSES & ACCESSORIES The distributor suggests Voigtländer, RayFlash, Custom Brackets and Honl Photo products this Christmas

26 ALL CHANGE AT RETAIL & THE BLACK FRIDAY FRENZY How a change to the consumer rights law and November’s Black Friday are going to give the trade plenty to think about

15 FDIS WINNING STREAK & CHRISTMAS PROMOTIONS Fujifilm’s Peter Wigington reveals his festive promotional pushes and ideas for boosting seasonal revenue 18 PLENTY OF INNOVATION ON SHOW The PMA’s Georgia McCabe & industry expert Gary Pageau report back from San Francisco’s InnovationNow imaging summit

29 PHOTOXPORT URGES TRADE TO GO ‘GREEN’ WITH NORITSU The UK distributor flags up the Green II dry lab as probably the best machine of its kind in the world for getting the job done

SUBSCRIBE Overseas annual subscription £58 (Cheques payable to Legacy Media Ltd). For details email info@bpinews.co.uk. View current and back issues online at www.bpinews.co.uk

W800 Compact Camera with 20MP & 5x Optical Zoom

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when you sell card at £19.99. W.B.W Shows

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NEWS

Christmas cash backs are back Customers can claim £100 in booty A HOST of the big names have upon purchase of an EOS 6D, whilst announced their regular seasonal cash back schemes to drive trade to £150 cash back can be had if buying an EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS lens. In all your door. there are 37 products covered by the Nikon’s latest deals launched winter deals, including Legria video mid October and run until January cameras and Pixma series printers 13th, 2016, offering up to £50 such as the iP8750. cash back on individual DSLRs, For all the details, visit Speedlights and the Nikon 1 J5 in particular, or up to £70 if say buying www.canon.co.uk/wintercashback the D5500 and SB-700 together. All claims need toGREAT be receivedClaim by 15th cashback on LAKE ST. MORITZ. ON 32 A LUXURY TRIP any of the following WIN WINTER ICE. CENTIMETRES OF February next CASHBACK year, and there a products: greatis DEALS maximum of one claim per person FEEL THE THUNDERING HOOVES IN on each model in the promotion. ST. MORITZ WITH CANON “With Nikon’s vast selection of Speedlights and entry-level DSLR cameras on offer, this is the ideal promotion for those looking to step into the world of photography this Christmas, or give a meaningful gift to someone special,” says Nikon UK’s Simon Iddon, who has a new title in £75 Head of Product Management. CASHBACK For more see: www.nikon.co.uk/promotions Every winter, across Switzerland’s Engadin valley, temperatures of -12 shape nature into something jagged, brutal, and mesmerising. The great lakes freeze, creating a tundra of crystal-bright ice.

DSLRs EOS 6D EOS 70D EOS 750D/760D EOS 700D EOS 100D EOS 1200D

And then, into this frozen stillness, there erupts a cloud of white, a thunderous flood of noise and colour.

CASHBACK £100 £60 £50 £50 £30 £20

COMPACT CAMERAS PowerShot G3X PowerShot G1X MKII PowerShot G7X PowerShot SX60 PowerShot SX530 PowerShot SX710

Skijorers – ski drivers – pulled by thoroughbred horses, hurtling at breakneck speed across the icy strait in an avalanche of hooves and steaming muscles.

To find out more search Canon come and see

CAMCORDERS LEGRIA G25 LEGRIA Mini X LEGRIA R66/R67/R68 LEGRIA R606

LENSES AND ACCESSORIES

KEY TERMS OF THE PROMOTION:

· Only available on purchases of any of the products listed here within the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland from a United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland retailer between Wednesday 14th October 2015 and Wednesday 13th January 2016 inclusive. · The closing date to claim your cashback is midnight on Saturday 14th February 2016.

· The closing date for entry into the Prize Draw is Wednesday 13th January 2016. · Claims for the cashback and Prize Draw must be submitted by fully and correctly completing (including specifying a valid EEA product serial number) a claim form online. · Prize Draw Winners will travel on Friday 12th February and stay for 3 nights

To find out more about our promotion, how to claim and terms and conditions visit canon.co.uk/wintercashback

If you have any questions about your claim, please email us at canon@ promotion-support.com or call us on 0800 044 3251

EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Pancake EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Flash Speedlite 600EX-RT Flash Speedlite 270EX II PRINTERS PIXMA iP8750 PIXMA MG7750 Series** PIXMA MG6850 Series** PIXMA MG5750 Series**

deals runs: £75 ‘bonus’ with purchase of the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8, the same amount with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8, and again when purchasing the E-M5 Mark II, if said body is bought with an Olympus accessory worth over £100 (which can be one of the lenses in the scheme, with the ability to claim that ‘bonus’ too). Meanwhile £100 bonus is to be had on purchase of the M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 and/ or the OM-D E-M1, which also comes with a free HLD-7 battery holder (worth £189.99). Lastly a £50 bonus is to be had on buying the M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8, or £30 claimed on the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8. www.olympus.co.uk Flaghead Photographic has also announced £50 cash back on purchases of its Quantum Qflash units, Turbo batteries, and Omicron Ringlights. This scheme kicked off mid October and ends on December 15th. The offer applies to the following products: Qflash T5DR, Qflash Trio (Nikon or Canon), Turbo Third party lens and accessory manufacturer Sigma has chosen the Blade, Turbo Slim Compact, Turbo 3, Omicron 3 & 4. Customers simply 1st of November to launch its own festive cash backs and product deals. send a copy of their invoice, with a record of the serial number, to For example there’s the chance to Flaghead Photographic and payment claim a free flashgun when buying will be issued in return. a Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 lens before December 31st, 2015. Until 31st January 2016 meanwhile, there is the opportunity for your customers to grab £50 cash back on the Sigma 12-24mm II DG HSM, or £75 on the 30mm f/1.4 DC. www.sigma-imaging-uk.com Olympus is likewise looking to increase footfall for dealers with what it terms ‘bonus offers’ on its Micro Four Thirds lenses for PEN and OM-D bodies. The full range of £40 £30 £25 £25 £20 £20

£50 £50 £30 £20

£150 £110 £75 £75 £45 £45 £45 £20 £20 £20 £20 £20 £50 £20

£30 £20 £15 £10

**Includes all colour derivatives in the series

Not to be outdone Canon has also pitched its hat into the ring with savings to be made on its gear, plus the chance to win a VIP trip to St Moritz in Switzerland when registering to claim cash back. The photo stalwart’s scheme also kicked off mid October and runs until January 13th, 2016.

4 November 2015 | BPI News

UP TO

on selected products*

hback. *Offer subject to full Terms and Conditions – see canon.co.uk/wintercas and 14.10.2015 Available on selected European products purchased between 13.01.2016 from UK retailers.

See also our Flaghead Photographic feature on page 14 of this BPI News. www.flaghead.co.uk Panasonic has joined the festive choir of cashbacks with news of its own, which runs until January 25th next year, with up to £150 able to be claimed back upon purchase of its Lumix cameras plus camcorders. Included in the deal are the G7, FZ330, LX100, GX7, GX8, GH4 and many more. For further details and the online registration form, head to: www.panasonic.co.uk/promotions

BPI NEWS EXTRA

Plenty to like about Leica With new cameras in the Leica Q, Leica S and Leica SL following in quick succession these past few months, not to mention promotional turns at the Goodwood Revival Festival, a new store opening in the City of London, and an EISA win, all eyes are back on this most prestigious of German brands…

eica isn’t a brand we’ve covered in the pages of BPI News that often – but it’s one that seems somewhat reenergised of late…. on the back of some exciting launches and the announcement of a new ‘boutique style’ store opening in the Royal Exchange, City of London, known as ‘Leica Store City’. Back in late August we also attended the launch of the medium format Leica S at its Bruton Place Studio in London (“We’re not pausing at ‘good enough’, we’re actually going beyond that,” said MD Jason Heward at the time), which had arrived on the back of a successful launch and EISA win for its Leica Q, named European Premium Compact Camera 201516 at this year’s Awards (see BPI September). This model has seen phenomenal success. Then, just as this edition was going to press, we were invited back to take a look at the brand new Leica SL, a high-end system camera designed to tempt users away from their Canon and Nikon DSLRs.

Other news that suggests the brand is going through a bit of a purple patch includes that fact that independent retailer Stephens Photo Centre in Manchester has recently re-branded itself as the Leica Store Manchester, complete with all the perceived prestige an association with the brand brings; it’s also the first in the UK to do so. “This is something very exciting and very different,” Leica’s Jason said at the London launch of the newest Leica SL. “This is a top performance video and stills camera, mirror-less and full frame. It completes our portfolio and additionally offers compatibility with S, M and T lenses.” Access to 48 ‘M’ lenses is via adapter.

Not only new cameras, but new lenses too The new system camera is set to go on sale November 16th, alongside a new lens in the 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH at £3,150 SRP. Two further lenses were announced at the launch in the 90-280mm f/2.8-4 and

The new Leica SL comes with an asking price of £5,050 for the body, seeking to tempt high end Canon and Nikon users away from their DSLRs

the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH – both due to arrive 2016. As regards the physical heft of the L-mount lenses for the Leica SL, MD Jason explained that: “the lenses are larger than DSLR lenses because of the quality of our lenses, plus their ability to provide videographers with a smooth follow-through focus.” It was also divulged that Leica is coming out with an adapter to enable its Cine lens range to be used with the newest camera. Additional sales points to note with regard to the Leica SL include an extremely high-resolution viewfinder at 4.4MP, with 0.8x magnification and a 60fps refresh rate, thereby providing visibility akin to the optical viewfinder on a medium format camera, according to the brand. There’s also that 24 MP full frame senor capable of shooting speeds of up to 11fps at full resolution, and twin SD card slots provided. The camera, made from two blocks of aluminium and weather sealed, is powered by an evocatively named Leica Maestro II processor and provides 4K-video capture at 30fps or 1080P at 120fps, thereby enabling slow motion effects. The AF is also said to be the world’s fastest for full frame system cameras. With built-in GPS and a Wi-Fi module, keeping things bang up to date there’s a dedicated app for the camera, allowing images to be uploaded to the online Leica ‘fotopark’ (www.leica-fotopark. com), or users of the camera to have full control, wirelessly. The rear screen is also a touch screen, and there is a separate OLED panel on the top plate showing the chosen settings. “This camera is about stripping everything back to the essentials – the backplate controls are unmarked – and it is very much geared to the professional sector,” concludes Jason Heward. SRP is £5,050 for the Leica SL body. uk.leica-camera.com

Leica UK MD Jason Heward and Colin Johnston, professional camera specialist, at Leica, model the ‘more aggressive, more accessibly priced’ medium format Leica S

Leica furthers its prestige image with a boutique style store within London’s Royal Exchange

JPEG test image straight from the newest Leica SL model (also captures simultaneous DNG files), camera set to auto, taken at the London launch

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk BPI News | November 2015 5

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Sigma’s new wide boy fully in retail frame The manufacturer’s new 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens – the world’s 1st ultra wide angle lens for full frame DSLRs – has been granted a November release date at £849.99 SRP. BPI News learns more from UK General Manager Graham Armitage

igma’s much trumpeted ‘Global Vision’ of three distinct strands of lenses – Art, Contemporary and Sports – expands further with the introduction this month of a new Art lens: the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM. The pitch to your customers is that this is the ideal high speed lens for many types of stills photography and videography – including street photography, landscapes and interiors where you want to cram as much into the frame as possible. “In fact, for just about any shooting scenario where photographers might find themselves in need of the world’s first f/1.4 ultra wide angle lens for their full frame DSLR, this 20mm optic will more than do the job,”

adds Sigma UK General Manager Graham Armitage. The ‘Art’ tag has been applied to the lens because Sigma believes that this optic is capable of delivering a high level of artistic expression, according to the blurb. Furthermore, in terms of firmware updates, the lens is directly compatible with Sigma’s USB Dock, making customisation and adjustments possible.

A perfect fit for full frame DSLRs “In terms of compatibility with existing AF mounts, the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM is a perfect fit for owners of Canon, Nikon and Sigma high resolution, full frame digital SLRs, whereby the lens’

resolving power can really strut its stuff,” continues Graham. “That bright/fast aperture is obviously a prime candidate for enabling photographers to de-focus backgrounds and achieve beautifully subtle ‘bokeh’ type effects – as well as image capture in low light, or simply capturing wide angle subjects like landscapes or starry skies.” In terms of lens construction, the 20mm features two FLD (F Low Dispersion) and five SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements to minimise chromatic aberrations around the edge of the image – an otherwise common issue in large aperture ultra wide angle lenses. The result is said to be consistently sharp images with a high contrast performance. As one would expect,

Sigma has also taken steps in the build of the lens to minimize flare and ghosting, with the application of Super Multi Layer Coating. The lens weighs a substantial feeling 950g and offers a minimum focus distance of 27.6cm. The lens is supplied with a matched, plastic lens cap, but as an optional extra to pitch to your customers for anyone looking to piggyback a sale, there is a metal lens cap (LC907-02) that goes on sale simultaneously with the lens and is said to match the high quality finish of the lens exterior. The other part of your customer pitch is that this is a Japanese made lens, with all the assurances of quality that implies. It’s worth adding that Sigma is now one of the very few manufacturers whose products are truly made in Japan, rather than farmed out to another factory in Asia. “We like to think our products are somehow imbued with the essence of Japan – blessed as it is with clean air and water and hard working people who are incredibly ‘focused’ – if you’ll forgive the pun,” concludes Graham Armitage. For further information please contact the Sigma Imaging (UK) team on 01707 329 999 or email sales@sigma-imaging-uk.com

All lenses ordered via Sigma Imaging UK Ltd come with the bonus of a 3-year UK warranty 6 November 2015 | BPI News

NEWS

On with the Show! AS we enter the last couple of months of 2015, all eyes are on The Photography Show, which returns next March at the NEC Birmingham. After two successful years already at the same venue, once again the pitch is ‘something for everyone involved with the world of imagery’. The dates for your diary are March 19th through 22nd, and, whilst the organizers tell us that the event is pretty much a sell out in terms of exhibition space, those looking to grab the last available stands should

contact Sales Manager Richard Macey on 0207 042 4284 or email Richard.macey@futurenet.com Over 200 exhibitors are already taking part and big names returning include Nikon, Panasonic, Sony, Olympus and Fujifilm – with the pitch to visitors being the chance for them to get hands on with the latest kit and hear from experts with the aim of sparking their creativity. For the latest information, head now to the below URL: www.photographyshow.com

Sony RX1R II has pulling power COMPACT dimensions but a ton of resolving power is the main pitch for the new RX1R Mark II, with the 42 megapixel resolution of the latest full frame premium compact theoretically ensuring the best ever picture quality of any of the maker’s other pocket cameras. For those who want to eke out extra detail, the unit features the world’s first optical variable low pass filter that can be set to off, standard or high – with low pass filter bracketing also available. The RX1R II’s sensor is twinned with a Zeiss branded 35mm lens with f/2 maximum aperture to enable your customers to achieve those striking bokeh type effects – with a macro shift ring allowing for focusing as close as 14cm. The camera’s AF response is claimed to be faster this time too, by 30% compared to its predecessor. Another plus for photo enthusiasts or pros looking for a compact back up camera, is the retractable/pop-up OLED viewfinder for eye level image composition. It is only the asking price of £2600 SRP that may place it out of reach of non-professionals. www.sony.co.uk

New Zeiss for Sony users

Fixation a new Wex fixture ©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

ONLINE photographic retailer Wex Photographic has acquired bricks and mortar photography hire and repair company Fixation. The latter is a company long renowned amongst Complimentaryprofessional 12 month national trust membership with the lumiX FZ200 or FZ72 photographers, due to it being an authorised repairer of Canon and Nikon gear. Having founded Fixation in 1998, Mike Allen plans to retire and will progressively reduce his involvement in the business over the coming months. Despite the hook up, Fixation will continue to run its operation as a standalone entity from its Kennington, A3 Poster London base. “We have long admired Fixation as a market-leading business which shares our ethos of providing top ©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

national trust iX FZ200 or FZ72

class customer service,” comments CEO of Wex Photographic David Garratt. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to support Lumix National developing Trust POS Fixation in further its business to support professional Description • Complimentary National photographersTrust across the UK.” Membership Campaign POS

SONY and Zeiss have a relationship going back many years, so it’s no surprise to find a new heavy-duty lens announced in the Zeiss Loxia 2.8/21. This is compatible with equally top-end E-mount cameras, such as Sony’s ever expanding A7 full frame CSC series (including the A7S II last issue). As the name indicates this is a metal barrel 21mm lens offering a maximum f/2.8 aperture for delivering bokeh effects, with a mechanical aperture setting and new optical design

based on the Zeiss Distagon. It’s also relatively compact and lightweight, suggests Zeiss, so particularly suitable for travel and street photography. A smooth focus operation makes the new Loxia as suitable for video work with Sony’s A7 series, with precise control promised for those who prefer manual focusing (closest focusing distance is 2.5 metres). Like other Zeiss Loxia lenses, the filter diameter is 52mm and a lens shade comes as standard. www.zeiss.com/photo

to take a speCial piCture you need to go to speCial plaCes Now you and your family can discover hundreds of new special places with the National Trust and capture every stunning detail with the award-winning new LUMIX FZ200 or FZ72.

New Canon G9 X via DirekTek

Promotional period: 22/08/2013 – 31/12/2013. Promotional terms apply, please see panasonic.co.uk/promotions *Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH. ELMARIT is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG

T48046 Panasonic_A3_Poster.indd 1

21/08/2013 13:54

Wobbler

©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

Complimentary 12 month national trust membership with the lumiX FZ200 or FZ72

Hang Tag

21/08/2013 13:56

T48046 Panasonic_A4_Cling.indd 1

THE distributor is offering the trade stock of the brand new PowerShot G9 X – see also page 10 of this issue – for a compelling trade price of £276, with availability from early November. The premium look G9 X’s features of note include 28mm wide-angle lens with f/2 maximum aperture, 3x optical zoom lens, plus a build that is more compact and slimmer than the previous G7 X by 25 per cent. There’s also the draw of a 3-inch touch screen to pitch to your customers, along with Full HD video clips. Contact DirekTek now on 01494 471100 or email sales@direktek.co.uk

21/08/2013 13:59

A4 Cling

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BPI News | November 2015 7

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

Kodak Express Express Newmarket Kodak starts the the makeover revolution starts

MyFotoshop Fotoshop in in Newmarket Newmarket is is now now aa true true thoroughbred My thoroughbred store store Tetenal,the theUK UKdistributor distributor Tetenal, for Kodak Alaris, have for Kodak Alaris, have beenworking working with with Kodak Kodak been Express store My Fotoshop Express store My Fotoshop in Newmarket in a joint in Newmarket in a joint venture to illustrate how venture to illustrate how our new initiatives can our new initiatives can transform a store on a transform a store on a limited budget. limited budget. Tetenal UK Sales Director Phil Tetenal UK Sales Director Phil Barker worked closely with Barker worked closely with store owners Denis and Leslie store owners Denis Leslie to understand theirand business, towho understand their business, their customers were who their together customers and how they were could and how together they couldto make some key changes make some key changes to the store. the store. INVITING & WELCOMING INVITING & WELCOMING The desire was to give the The desire was tonew give look, the store a fresh store a fresh new look, maximise the space available maximise the space available and create an inviting and and create an inviting and welcoming environment, welcoming environment, where customers old and where customers old new could be inspiredand by new be and inspired by the could products services the products and services offered by My Fotoshop. offered by My Fotoshop. Denis and Leslie worked Denis andto give Leslie tirelessly the worked outside tirelessly to give the outside of the shop a fresh lick of ofpaint the and shop internally a fresh lick of a new paint and internally a new hard wearing floor instantly hard wearingupfloor brightened theinstantly interior brightened theofinterior and added auptouch style. and added a touch of style.

Moving the the kiosks kiosks to to the the Moving centre of the store opened up centre of the store opened up the wall space to enable more the wall space to enable more products to be displayed in products to be displayed in clearly zoned areas, complete clearly zoned areas, complete with new Header Panels with new Header Panels to help customers see the to help customers see the variety of products on offer. variety of products on offer. USING LOCAL IMAGERY USING LOCAL IMAGERY The centre piece of the store is The centre piece of the store is a new counter, complete with a new counter, complete with a personalised welcoming agraphic. personalised welcoming A superb image graphic. A superb image of Newmarket Racecourse of Newmarket Racecourse which shows the couples pride which shows couples pride in their localthe environment and indesignates their local environment My Fotoshopand as designates My Fotoshop THE photographic store as in THE photographic store in the town. the town. A built addition to the store Awas builtanaddition to unit the which store overhead was an overhead unit which acts as a storage area behind acts a storagebut areaprovides behind the ascounter the counter but provides a clear space to add a full alength clear graphic space todetailing add a full the length graphic and detailing the key products services key products and services offered. offered. My Fotoshop is the first store My Fotoshop is the first store who have benefited from the who benefited from the new have initiative instigated by new initiative by Tetenal and theyinstigated are currently Tetenal theyaare currently workingand with number of working with toa develop numbertheir of other stores other to and develop their retail stores offering customer retail offering and customer experience. experience.

My Fotoshop Newmarket before the makeover. A little tired and dated.

8 November 2015 | BPI News

Above and below: My Fotoshop Newmarket after the makeover Above and below: My Fotoshop Newmarket after the makeover

After the makeover. New floor, counter, overhead menu board and layout.

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

Changes are met with with great great enthusiasm enthusiasmfrom from the store owners and and customers customersalike! alike! Store Denis Store owners owners Denis and are excited excited and Lesley Lesley are about the reaction to about the reaction to the and the recent recent changes changes and also it’s had had also the the effect effect it’s on on them personally! ‘It’s exciting ‘It’s been a really exciting process Tetenal process working with Tetenal to shared to implement our shared vision for the store” said vision said Lesley. Lesley. “We’ve good “We’ve had some really good feedback customers. feedback from customers. They think the store seems They seems not only brighter but bigger not bigger than it was before! They also than also feel there is more space now feel now that we’ve moved the kiosks that kiosks away from the wall and into away into the centre of the store. the People are are now now starting People starting to to ask about about other other services ask services we we offer rather rather than than just offer just coming coming in for prints. in for prints.

That’s aa result result of of the the large large That’s menu board we’ve installed menu board we’ve installed above the the counter counterwhich whichlists lists above the products and services we the products and services we offer. In the past customers offer. In the past customers would just just come come inin for for the the would product or or service service they they product wanted, the the menu menuboard boardhas has wanted, prompted them them to to enter enterinto into prompted dialogue with withus.” us.” dialogue However it’s it’s not not just just their their However customers who have noticed customers who have noticed the change changesays saysLesley, Lesley, the

Above:Large Largeflags flags have been installed promote core services Above: have been installed to to promote core services

Turn perfect moments Turn perfect moments into perfect into thethe perfect giftgift

“As aa result result of of all all the the work work “As that’s that’s been been carried carriedout outDenis Denis and and II have have found found that that we we have have increased increased enthusiasm enthusiasm for for the the business businessand andwhat whatwe we can achieve. can achieve. It’s It’s been been aa great greatprocess processand and II encourage encourage other other stores stores toto talk talk to to Tetenal Tetenal to to see see what what help help they they can canoffer”. offer”.

Treasure all your favourite Treasure all your favourite memories in a photo book. memories in a photo book.

© 2015 Kodak Alaris Limited. The Kodak and A Kodak Moment trademarks and Kodak trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company. Print products illustrated vary by app, software and equipment available in store. © 2015 Kodak The Kodak andtrademarks A Kodak Moment trademarks © 2015 Kodak Alaris Limited. TheAlaris KodakLimited. and A Kodak Moment and are Kodak trade dress are used license from Eastman Kodak Company. and Kodak trade dress used under license from under Eastman Kodak Company. Print products illustrated vary byequipment app, software and equipment Print products illustrated vary by app, software and available in store. available in store. © 2015 Kodak Alaris Limited. The Kodak and A Kodak Moment trademarks and Kodak trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company. Print products illustrated vary by app, software and equipment available in store.

Moments Moments

Above: poster system installed to to publicise current promotions Above:Window Window poster system installed publicise current promotions

“customers are are now “customers now starting to to ask ask about starting about other products other products and and services as a result services as a result of us us installing installing the of the overhead menu overhead menu board” board” Welcome to My Fotoshop Helping you make the of yourFotoshop favourite images. Welcome tomostMy Helping you make the most of your favourite images.

• Passport, Visa & I.D. • Canvas Prints Canvas Prints Passport, Visa & I.D. ••Poster Prints •• Instant prints Poster PrintsGifts Instantfrom prints ••Personalised •• Prints mobile

Prints from mobile •• Enlargements • Enlargements

Personalised Gifts ••Photo Restoration • Photo Restoration

• Framing & •Mounting Framing & Mounting • Video transfer

Print from mobile using the latest App Print from mobile using the latest App

DVD/USB •toVideo transfer to DVD/USB

Above and left: Store owner Denis in front of his newly installed counter Above and left: Store owner Denis in front of his newly installed counter

JOIN THE THE PHOTO JOIN PHOTO RETAILING RETAILING REVOLUTION REVOLUTION Phil Barker, Tetenal Sales Director Phil Tetenal Sales Director andBarker, the driver behind the initiative and the driver behind the initiative is confident that Kodak Express is confident that Kodak Express can be the leading photographic can the leading photographic printbe retailer on the High Street. print retailer on the High Street. “The initiatives we are looking to “The initiatives we are lookingthe to implement revolve around implement revolveExpress aroundstores the individual Kodak individual Kodak Express together with Kodak Alarisstores and together Kodak and Tetenal with entering intoAlaris a joint Tetenal entering into a joint venture for the benefit of all. venture for theexpertise, benefit design of all. Shared funding, Shared funding, expertise, and implementation shoulddesign result and result in a implementation network we canshould all be proud in network we can alllove” be proud of aand that consumers of and that consumers love”

The first stage of this new initiative The first stage ofgiving this new is based around theinitiative stores is based around giving thea stores some tools to help present fresh somelook toolsand to help present a fresh new approach both innew look instore and and out. approach The mainboth focal storeofand out. Theis to main point the initiative buildfocal on point of Kodak the initiative is toApp. build on the new Moments the new Kodak Moments App.

MAXIMISING THE KODAK MAXIMISING THE KODAK MOMENTS MESSAGE MOMENTS MESSAGE

Kodak Moments has long been Kodak Moments has long been held in the public consciousness heldmeaning in the public as an consciousness instant that as meaning an for instant that should be captured posterity. be message captured that for posterity. Itshould is this Kodak It is this message that Kodak

Alaris and Tetenal want to be the Alaris and Tetenal to be the foundations on whichwant the network foundations on which the network is built. is built. “We want consumers to see that “Weimages want consumers to seeare that the they capture the images they capture are precious and they shouldn’t put precious and they put those memories at shouldn’t risk by not those them. memories at risk by not printing printing them. Kodak Express has experts in Kodakstore Express hasthe experts every to help publicin everythe store public make mosttoofhelp thosethe images make the those images through a most varietyof of fantastic through a variety of fantastic display products. display products. We want to strengthen and build We want to strengthen and build

the network so we ensure as the network so we many consumers as ensure possible as many consumers as possible have access to a Kodak Express have access to a Kodak store locally.” added Phil. Express store locally.” added Phil. You can find out more about You can out more about joining thefindKodak Express joining bythe Kodak network calling TetenalExpress on network by calling Tetenal 0116 289 3644 or speak to Philon 0116 on 289 3644203764 or speak to Phil directly 07595 directly on 07595 203764

www.tetenaluk.com www.tetenaluk.com BPI News | November 2015 9

BPI NEWS EXTRA

Canon fires two new ‘Shots… and one EOS M The photo stalwart has unleashed three new cameras onto the market in time for Christmas in the interchangeable lens EOS M10 and fixed lens PowerShot G5 X and G9 X models. BPI News discovers how you should be pitching them to customers…

t’s not just its traditional Christmas cash backs putting Canon in the news this month. Only the manufacturer’s third-ever compact system camera to hit the UK market has arrived in the EOS M10, not to be confused with Olympus’ own E-M10, which, in Canon’s case, appears obviously targeted at those stepping up from using a smartphone for photo and video capture. The M10 incorporates an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 49-point AF system, latest generation Digic 6 processor, plus boasts Full HD video clips. Added to this, built in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity should make for an easy transition from your customers mobile device to a dedicated stills and video camera. Whilst sale of an adapter alongside the camera widens the scope for adding lenses compatible with the camera’s EF-M mount, a new 1545mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM compact zoom has been introduced alongside the EOS M10. This has given rise to a kit option that bundles body and lens for £399.99 total, which can be pitched to your punters as a veritable bargain, whilst noting that the lens alone is a suggested £229.

Put an ‘X’ in your Xmas stock cupboard Meanwhile, for any customers of yours wanting a compact camera on which they don’t have to change the lens in use, but which handles like the EOS DSLR they’ve come to know and love nonetheless, the latest G5 X, released this November alongside the more affordable G9 X (£399.99) pocket camera, both of which incorporate a large one-inch 20.2MP CMOS sensor, has got to be worth pushing. With a tank like construction incorporating a centrally positioned OLED electronic viewfinder, offering a life-like 2.36 million dot resolution, pop-up flash, and 24mm equivalent wide angle 4.2x optical zoom, the

Above: EOS M10 (top), G5 X (Centre) and G9 X (Bottom)

solid looking G5 X boasts a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture for delivering sharp foregrounds and subtly blurred backgrounds, thereby appealing to the enthusiasts. On top of that a variable angle, 3-inch flip out, 3.2-aspect ratio touchscreen on the back plate affords convenience and ease of use for any customer who might happen to be stepping up from a smartphone. As with most premium compacts, on the G5 X a Lens Control Ring can be quickly customized to provide a short cut to your settings of choice, including if desired swift adjustments of aperture and shutter speed. Alongside that, a fast/bright aperture lens and five-axis image stabilisation

allows for hand held shooting in lower light conditions; either for capturing stills or 60fps Full HD video clips this camera is also capable of; the data crunching again helped along by Canon’s latest generation Digic 6 processor. As this is a camera that will most likely be used for hand held shooting, the belt and braces of five-axis image stabilization is more than welcome, especially given that it is portably lightweight compared to the average DSLR or even CSC at 377g with battery and card inserted. For your customers wanting quality and convenience, this may just tick all the boxes. www.canon.co.uk

Three new Canons arrive November: the PowerShot G5 X (£629.99 SRP), G9 X (£399.99 SRP) and EOS M10 (from £309.99 body only) 10 November 2015 | BPI News

MORE AWARD WINNERS Following last month’s impressive 5 Star Gold awards in the Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera magazines for our best selling Powerline Vario (see below) we are pleased to announce that another member of the Powerline family has gained 4.5 Stars and has been awarded a ‘Recommended’ status with the same tester. The Powerline 4 Pro is a truly amazing battery manager with the ability to charge 1 to 4 cells with individual monitoring, displayed on a clear, back lit LCD screen. It can charge at high speed or you can reduce the current to allow a more gentle charge. It comes in an attractive display shell and is supplied with mains as well as in-car adapter. The Powerline 4 PRO awarded Silver 4. 5 STARS in Powerline Vario - 5 STAR Award Winner Amateur Photographer Testbench test 05/09/2015 edition - by Andy Westlake.

The Powerline 8 This charger has been tested against other rechargeable battery chargers in a German consumer magazine “Vergleich.org” being awarded “test winner”. The Powerline 8 is an intelligent desktop charger with some impressive features: Charges 1 - 8 AA or AAA batteries individually Clear LED charge status indicators Discharge function for optimum battery health USB Charging socket with 1000mA Mains lead with UK/EU capability

Don’t forget our extensive range of Digital Camera Batteries which carry a huge ANSMANN

5-YEAR WARRANTY!!

Interested in selling our range of products in your shop? Contact us by email or telephone us - details below and we’ll be happy to talk.

T: 0870 609 2233

www.ansmann.co.uk

E: info@ansmann.co.uk

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

A ‘Sure’-fire hit from the DPS Group As one of Epson’s largest authorised partners, the DPS Group, which we introduced in BPI News October, is pitching the new SureColor P series printer range to Epson Stylus Pro users and the trade at large

ast month we learnt how Kent based Digital Photo Solutions had evolved into the DPS Group over the course of a decade of trading, with three distinct product marketing strands and an exciting Epson Print Tech Day planned for 20th November. This month the focus is on some of the Group’s newest offerings to the UK photo trade and minilab network. The big news is that these have arrived in the shape of the innovative Epson SureColor P series 24-inch and 44-inch printer range. This latest batch of printers – comprising the P-6000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 – replaces the sevenyear-old Stylus Pro range, meaning the time is right for anyone who has been considering an update. In short the DPS Group is looking to become your printing partner, whatever the size of your business or print requirements.

“As one of Epson’s largest authorised partners, the DPS Group can help BPI News readers make the decision to upgrade to the Epson SureColor P series from their existing Epson Stylus Pro range or from any other brand they might own…” – Maneesh Patel, MD, DPS Group Colourful array of options “As one of Epson’s largest authorised partners, the DPS Group can help BPI News readers make the decision to upgrade to the Epson SureColor P series from their existing Epson Stylus Pro range or from any other brand they might own – for example Canon or HP – to Epson’s SureColor P series range,” enthuses DPS Group

MD Maneesh Patel. “We can offer trade ins to sweeten the deal for anyone thinking about making the switch, and make it even more cost effective for everyone. In addition there’s the opportunity of a low cost outright purchase or even leasing the equipment via Photolease (www.photolease.co.uk), our leasing partner.” Photolease – an independent finance company established for over 30 years – specialises in helping small and medium sized businesses. For more, see box out. Whichever scenario suits your business best, there is the chance of investing in new kit which will boost your business and potential customer base, yet with a minimal outlay of capital up front.

Maneesh also adds that he is able to offer BPI News readers with ongoing low prices for the inks required for SureColor P series printers. “Apart from inks, we supply the full range of consumables; from maintenance tanks and ancillaries, to over 15 of the key photo and photo finishing brands as regards papers in roll and cut sheet format,” he reveals. “These range from high end Hahnemuhle and Innova fine art media through to the very cost effective but high quality Indigo Inkjet range which covers poster paper, photo, and general usage paper at great prices. We will provide

bundles on the new range that will suit customers who want everything covered – for example extra inks/ media, delivery/installation, or a three year extended warranty for peace of mind – and all for a very reasonable monthly cost via lease rental which is highly tax efficient.” The DPS Group ad opposite shows indicative daily lease rental prices for the new printers - call the DPS Team on 020 8466 7230 for more details on the printers and bundles. www.dpsb.co.uk www.indigo-inkjet.co.uk www.thedpsgroup.co.uk

DPS Group & Photolease Advantages of Photolease lease rental via the DPS Group: • Photolease – an independent finance company established for over 30 years – specialises in helping small and medium sized businesses • A personal and considered approach offers genuine benefits and leads to the establishment of a long term relationship • Leasing does not require a significant outlay of capital upfront • It also doesn’t tie up your funds all at once, but rather lets you spread the cost of adding the machine to your business • Allows you to work in partnership with a leading supplier of products and services – with fantastic service and back up provided by a team of dedicated professionals Lease rental is available via Photolease for business customers only. Terms & conditions apply. Written details available upon request. Offer subject to status & availability. Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Contact DPS Group’s Gary Crawley on 020 8466 7230 regarding Epson SureColor P printers 12 November 2015 | BPI News

Friday 20th November 2015

Come and join us for hands on demos with the latest Epson printer hardware!

dpsb.co.uk

Upgrade to the latest Epson printer technology for less than the cost of your daily coffee!!* 8 Colours

SureColor SC-P6000 24 inch Printer

Epson SureColor P-Series Printers

SureColor SC-P8000 44 inch Printer

11 Colours

SureColor SC-P7000 24 inch Printer

SureColor SC-P9000 44 inch Printer

* All indicative daily prices quoted above are based on a three year period of hire, exclude VAT and are subject to status for business users only. Lease period can range from 1 to 5 years - indicative daily amount will vary depending on term. Lease rental payment will be paid monthly or quarterly.T's and C's apply.

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Flaghead leads charge for lenses & accessories Flaghead Photographic is offering a series of interesting and unusual product lines in the run up to Christmas, including distinguished brands such as Voigtländer, RayFlash, Custom Brackets and Honl Photo

ith the popularity of compact system cameras – particularly the Olympus OM-D series, Fujifilm ‘X’ family and Sony A7 series with their E mount lenses – and the fact that there are now third party mounts available to add almost any lens to any camera body, Flaghead Photographic is recommending optics from Voigtländer to the trade. It’s one of nine brands on its books, and is already promoted by pro photographers Damian McGillicuddy (who shot BPI News’ October cover), John Nassari, Robert Pugh and Edmond Terakopian – all Olympus shooting ‘brand ambassadors’. “Voigtländer is a famous German brand, offering lenses made in Japan,” explains Flaghead’s MD Hardy Haase. “Voigtlander offer a large range of Leica M lenses and have recently expanded into Micro Four Thirds, which is obviously a big growth market. All lenses are of traditional metal and glass construction with manual focus and a fabulous ‘bokeh’! They are also the fastest on the market at f/0.95. We have a strong following with Olympus OM-D and Panasonic users – and even the Black Magic entry-level video camera has an MFT mount. Voigtländer lenses are widely used because the aperture ring can be ‘de-clicked’. “More dealers are being asked for these lenses,” he continues. “A lot of the demand has been generated by word of mouth and social media. The Olympus user group is particularly strong because of the Olympus photographers that we sponsor (listed above). It’s just amazing how many young photographers know the Voigtländer name and comprehend what it stands for: old German quality and design, which gives it a desirability factor.”

hot-shoe and places it to the right of the camera. The flash is positioned above the lens axis and therefore avoids harsh shadows in both landscape and portrait orientation. “The Mini RC is popular with press, fashion and events photographers due to its compact size and improved camera to flash balance. Custom Brackets was started by a guy who was an engineer first and a photographer second and he designed high quality brackets where the flash always remained over the top of the lens which means the shadow is always behind the subject.” Some brackets have a ‘flip-over’ arrangement, others a sophisticated camera rotation mount. Staying in the States, we have a further Flaghead offering in the Honl Photo brand, started by a press photographer who wanted to fashion lightweight accessories for himself. The aim is to provide a studio lit look on location via a system of light modifiers for Speedlites. “They’re all made by military contractors, using the best materials and heavy duty stitching and are small and lightweight so that they fit into your gadget bag. You can have a choice of snoots, honeycombes, filters, reflector panels and softboxes – everything is small and lightweight.” Prices for the light shaping Honl range start as small as £8.76 for a Speed Strap, rising to £151.80 for a Starter Kit & Bag. Though we’ve spot-lit the key brands here coming up to Christmas, dealers wishing to place orders can view all of Flaghead Photographic’s product lines at www.flaghead.co.uk

“Voigtlander offer a large range of Leica M lenses and have recently expanded into Micro Four Thirds, which is obviously a big growth market” – Hardy Haase, Flaghead’s MD Voigtländer lenses retail between £332 and £949 – premium lenses that won’t break the bank yet offer a very good dealer margin. Early next year Flaghead will launch Sony E-mount lenses too. Because the Voigtländer Leica M lenses are very small and lightweight they are also popular on non-Leica cameras, and are often used by photographers on Sony E or Fujifilm X cameras via adapter, of which there are a multitude available from several manufacturers.

Ray of light at retail Another photo accessory to pitch to customers is the Rayflash ring-flash adapter, which Hardy describes as the original and leader, at £99 SRP. “It was the first to appear and any others are copies or derivatives,” he explains. “The RayFlash is the best priced ringflash adapter and is mounted on the flash itself.” It will fit almost any speedlite, old or new. It’s pitched as perfect for macro photography, with a much higher output than a dedicated macro light, whilst costing less. “It’s also widely used for beauty, fashion, portrait and events photography. Anyone who uses a Speedlite can use this clever adapter.” Talking of customising accessories, Flaghead offers a range of camera brackets from US manufacturer Custom Brackets, designed to eliminate the harsh side shadow created by camera-mounted speedlites when used in vertical orientation (portrait). The range starts with the Mini RC, a small and lightweight camera and flash-mounting bracket at £43.20 SRP, which takes the flash unit off the camera

To order from Flaghead Photographic for this Christmas phone 01202 733 123 or e-mail info@flaghead.co.uk 14 November 2015 | BPI News

FUJIFILM DIGITAL IMAGING SERVICE

FDIS winning streak continues & Christmas promotions launched Potentially profit boosting stories this month from the dealers who make up Fujifilm’s FDIS group… revealing how adding additional services have lead to a winning situation of bigger profits for their respective businesses. Plus a festive promotion idea to get you started straight away

Three wins in a row this year for FDIS member Enniskillen Photo Shop.... 2nd from left to right: owners Neil McConnell, sister-in-law Sabrina, and Neil’s brother Justin

t appears sometimes that good things, rather than bad, can arrive in threes – particularly when it applies to members of the Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service group. Our case in point this issue is the Enniskillen Photo Shop, run by Neil McConnell with brother Justin and sister-in-law Sabrina. Not only did the store, which has only been an FDIS member since 2013, pick up an annual Business Endeavour Award back in March this year, it also added the overall FDIS Shop of the Year certificate to its prize tally. Now news reaches us that it has scored the hat trick and been independently

named ‘Best Start Up Business’ in the Fermanagh Herald Business Awards. Enniskillen Photoshop provides a multitude of photographic services, which include image printing, photo blocks, picture framing, personalised merchandise and an in-house studio. As a point of difference, they also have a photographer’s corner and promote someone different every couple of months. With an initial start up comprising two staff members, the growth of the business means they now employ eight staff, which increases during the Christmas period. The plans for the future are promising, with the recent photo

blocks printing investment, a new embroidery machine and the aim of expansion becoming a distinct possibility.

to add extra services to expand his customer base – photo restoration being one of them. This can obviously be tied into Christmas – a restored family photograph in a nice new frame from your store would be perfect as a photo gift – whilst other events can be commemorated with a special promotion. “At Colliers we have always specialised in providing a range of services for our customers: from archiving to reproduction prints and restoration,” confirms Neil. “There is a lot of clever work that can be done to your customers old photographs – you could even tie it in to a theme, such as running a promotion commemorating 100 years since the First World War. “So in fact, this example shows a classic case of a torn and damaged photo from the First World War period. We scanned the original at high resolution and then digitally repaired

Bringing prints back to life & back to profit We’ve featured FDIS store Colliers Photo Imaging in Swansea in BPI News on a number of occasions, as a previous winner of one of the annual Fujifilm Business Endeavour Awards. It has been a part of the FDIS group since 2012 and is owned and run by Neil Collier. Like the rest of the FDIS members , Neil is always looking

BPI News | November 2015 15

FUJIFILM DIGITAL IMAGING SERVICE the image. We then produced a high resolution CD for the customer to keep and also a replacement print of approximately the same size. “We try and make these images a standard frame size, such as 6x4 or 7x5 inches, for example, so the customer can easily frame the new image. This image cost about £30 to fully restore. This price included the work involved, the high resolution CD and the replacement print. From now on, the

customer can now order standard reprints from this CD, at the standard digital rate. We’ve also repaired images where a photograph has been torn across the face – another classic example of damage to a photograph! Not a problem though: we were able to carefully scan the two sections independently and then digitally reconstruct the image. Again, this image cost approximately £30 to fully restore. “Colourisation is another a very clever and more recent addition to the services offered by Colliers Photo Imaging. We can actually colourise an original black and white image, when the original itself was pure black and white to start with. We liaise with the customer to discuss likely colours within the image and then produce a hand-tinted colourised image of the original. This service costs from £39.99 and includes the

work, a high resolution CD and, of course, a replacement print from the finished image.”

The FDIS store Christmas Promotion Campaign is providing its members with assets such as these, with which to promote their potentially revenue boosting services

For more information on FDIS membership or to request a brochure 16 November 2015 | BPI News

Photowonder Christmas promotion At this point you may be asking yourself how you might go about running your own

FDIS pre Christmas promotion on restoration. Fortunately Fujifilm’s Marketing Manager Peter Wigington is once again ahead of the curve and the FDIS store Christmas promotion campaign is/was all set for launch on November 2nd. How’s that for a boost? “This year we have teamed up with Photowonder to offer all of their restoration and creative photo enhancement services completely free to all FDIS members from 2nd November until 18th December 2015,” says Peter. “We have used this saving to promote the sale of photo canvas and posters in the run up to Christmas. We have created a range of posters, counter cards and wallet stuffers to help promote the offer throughout the store. “We have two specific posters for Photowonders’ Restoration and Enchanted services, with an offer of a canvas print at £45 or a photo poster

“This year we have teamed up with Photowonder to offer all of their restoration and creative photo enhancement services completely free from 2nd November until 18th December 2015” – Peter Wigington, Fujifilm Marketing Manager at £12.50 when ordered with either of these services. In addition, we have also included posters for the commemoration of 100 years since the start of WW1, Remembrance Day on the 11th November, and one that lists the range of restoration services that our FDIS stores can offer.” As usual with FDIS promotions Swains’ regional sales managers work closely with each store to encourage participation in the promotion and to help them with displaying and promoting it to their customers. It’s just another clear example of the extra effort that Fujifilm goes to in order to help promote your business and boost

your bottom line. If you make one New Year resolution, perhaps it should be to add your own store to the existing FDIS network?

Be a photo pioneer with Frontier S Finally, Fujifilm has a new – its first – video promoting its Frontier S DX100 and Shiraz Carbon event photography package, which can be viewed on YouTube. There is also a banner ad that links to the video on the Fujifilm website too. Watch now at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uUN9IgBQGi8

please contact Peter Wigington on 01234 572138 or email pwigington@fuji.co.uk BPI News | November 2015 17

TALK OF THE TRADE

Plenty of Innovation on show PMA CEO Georgia McCabe and experienced US industry commentator Gary Pageau report back for BPI News on the PMA InnovationNow Photo Business and Technology Summit, held in San Francisco; on the agenda, strategies for dealing with the challenges facing our trade – the same whichever side of the Atlantic you’re on

in San Francisco, California. As part of the rejuvenated PMA agenda, the executive-level conference brought thought leaders, top-level retailers and service providers from as far away as Brazil, Europe and Australia. Some uncomfortable truths were laid bare, and the conference programme addressed those truths head-on. One of main takeaways for me was when Scott Brownstein, of Brownstein & McCabe Associates, set the stage with an overview of the challenges facing the photo-output business. This was far from the usual “Gee, our industry is great! We just have to convince consumers to print more,” speech. Part of Brownstein’s discussion was the reality check of the photo business no longer being driven by the traditional photo industry suppliers, like Kodak,

Fujifilm, Nikon and Canon, but by high-tech players like Apple, Amazon Photo and Google. Is this a negative for the photo business? Not at all, he said, tech companies have solved many of the technical challenges – including curation, interoperability, and cloud access – that vexed photo companies for years. Furthermore, because of the wide availability of images and lower barrier to entry, the photo

industry can capitalise by riding the wave of this growth, and by providing ancillary products.

Leaderless but not rudderless The photo industry has been essentially leaderless for half a decade, maybe longer, Gary Pageau continues. The growth years of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s were driven by

“There’s still huge opportunity there, if retailers begin to understand that the old major players aren’t the new major players anymore: instead, the retailer is. The retailer is the brand trusted by the consumer to deliver price, value and quality.” – Gary Pageau, photo marketing expert

Image: Suzette Allen

he photo industry has undergone a great deal of change in recent years, writes Georgia McCabe. Digitization, mobility, social media and cloud technologies have impacted on traditional players and their revenue streams. What we in the industry must bear in mind is that while mankind has a love affair with capturing memories using images, the photo industry is at its heart a story of technology – and technology moves inexorably forward, constantly evolving. If you fail to adapt to the changes you face extinction. Gary Pageau writes: Fortunately there are those times when a new perspective comes out of the blue. That’s what happened during the PMA InnovationNow Photo Business and Technology Summit Sept. 27-28

Far left, Jim Dolce of Fujifilm makes a point during the ‘Making It Happen’ panel, while Reiner Fageth, CEWE, and Andrew Laffoon, of digital printing start-up Mixbook, look on

UK retailers & trade members can contact Georgia & her team via info@pmai.org, by calling 001-800-792-9287 18 November 2015 | BPI News

Image: Gary Pageau

TALK OF THE TRADE

Utilising web, social and mobile technologies, TJ Rak (second from left) describes the Artona Group’s innovative portrait process during the ‘Getting There…Reinventing the Output Creation Experience’ panel. Also shown are, from left, Gaby Mullinax, Fullerton Photographics (PMA President); Haim Ariav, Glossy Finish by Lifetouch; and Paul Atkins, Atkins Photo Lab

“What we in the industry must bear in mind is that while mankind has a love affair with capturing memories using images, the photo industry is at its heart a story of technology – and technology moves inexorably forward, constantly evolving.” – Georgia McCabe, CEO of PMA one major vendor, Eastman Kodak Co, carrying the weight of the industry on its shoulders. Researchand-development, category awareness, consumer marketing, standards and so on were driven by Rochester and later, by Tokyo. It was a simple world, really. If the consumer wanted to see their pictures, they had to buy film, process it and print it, using industry-accepted practices at a very affordable price. All that has changed. With the introduction of affordable digital cameras and smartphones, barriers to consumer picture-taking have dropped rapidly. This has resulted in a world where annually a trillion images are taken! But capture and storage aren’t viable profit centres any more, especially now

that terabytes of safe, secure and universally accessible online storage can be had for the price of a cup of coffee. That leaves the output side of the equation, and this is where the market could really use some leadership. Without Kodak opening up the tap to allow promotional dollars to flow, most retailers have not picked up the slack. No Kodak yellow at the Olympics, at the Oscars or on TV in the US. No Fujifilm blimp, either, providing overhead views at sporting and cultural events. The economics of the digital photo business don’t reward this kind of brand advertising/promotion. There’s still huge opportunity there, if retailers begin to understand that the old major players aren’t the new major players anymore:

instead, the retailer is. The retailer is the brand trusted by the consumer to deliver price, value and quality. Nobody flips over a print anymore to see the watermark on the back. It’s just not relevant. It’s up to retailers to be marketers, to establish their relevance to the consumer. What is relevant, however, is the ability to quickly adapt to the changing market. Quality and service is a given in today’s digital marketplace, whereas in the film days, photofinishers could differentiate on quality and price. Today’s customers expect ‘digital parity.’ Every business in the real world needs to as good as the best of online: easy-to-use,

fast and offering as wide a selection of product. By focusing closely on specific customer segments and niches – and with cloud storage and mobile apps making universal access possible – startups and apps can focus on providing amazing products and customer experiences. While none will likely reach the $16 billion in revenues achieved by Eastman Kodak Co. at its peak, there’s room for many to do extraordinarily well. And that’s the lesson here: Reducing the amount of friction between the various parts of the system –from image acquisition to access to storage – will enable entrepreneurs to build exciting new output services reaching new heights.

or at Photo Marketing Association International, 7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102, USA BPI News | November 2015 19

MINILAB NEWS

NEWS

DNP launches its ‘best all-in-one photo kiosk’ Looking to add photo finishing to your retail business’ offerings? Look no further than the SnapLab + DP-SL620 combo from DNP…

Instax of appeal & new ‘X’ optics

oised to announce its own Christmas cashbacks as we went to press – see back page ad for the latest – there are a few new Fuji photo items this month. Great fun for families and the young at heart are Fuji’s Instax cameras. A new one arrives in three colour shades for Christmas in the Instax mini 70, which naturally features a new ‘selfie’ mode. RSP is £99.99, it’s available now, and includes 10 shots of Instax mini film in the box. Also new is the Fujinon XF35mm f/2 R WR lens for its X series interchangeable lens cameras, which provides

a focal length equivalent to 53mm. It features the smallest diameter in the XF lens line up and thanks to inner focusing system and stepping motor, delivers an AF response of just 0.08 seconds. SRP is £299, and it’s available mid November. Arriving at the same time is a new Fujinon Teleconverter XF1.4X TC WR, for use with X mount lenses, at £329 SRP. As the model name suggests this multiplies the focal length of compatible lenses by 1.4x, and is weather and dust resistant – so can be partnered with the likes of Fuji’s X-T1 camera body. www.fujifilm.co.uk

I Still going strong LONG time trade member Peter Bowerman has celebrated his 75th birthday – and is still working, presently with Fotospeed, as well as RK Photographic and Thomas Jacks Ltd. Those who know Peter will know his career has been long and distinguished, starting out with the Royal Navy, aged just 15. Offered a job as agent for Bush and Meissner in 1973, he has been an agent ever since. Cheers Peter!

Don’t settle for less (power) IT appears Ansmann chargers have been picking up test report awards left right and centre, with the Powerline 4 Pro Professional Charger receiving four and a half stars from the team at Amateur Photographer magazine. And this comes a month after Ansmann bagged a Gold Award for a five star review for its Powerline Vario charger – also via the guys at AP. See the advert on page 11 for more details. www.ansmann.co.uk

nvesting in any lab service for your photo business is a big decision. However DNP has made that decision easier with the launch of a combined printer, software and order terminal. The SnapLab + DP-SL620 (above) marries its 6-inch DS620 printer to a 10.1-inch order terminal, the DS-Tmini, to provide the complete package. The idea is that, for a small initial investment, you can start your photo business right away. Units were due to start shipping by the time you read this (November). Advantages of the DP-SL620 include its tiny footprint of 0.11 square metres, plus the fact that the DS620 printer is equipped with a rewind feature to optimise media consumption. Part of this optimisation is the ability to print multiple print sizes from a single set of media, as covered in BPI News October. The DP-SL620 can also produce print in nine different sizes up to 6x9inches (15x23cm) – with the ability to offer your customers a square format to print Instagram snaps.

Formatting photos is easy thanks to an on-screen step by step guide, whilst the device has the ability to utilise both wired and wireless connections. DNP reckons that as the growth of printing from mobile phones becomes more widespread, the demand for instant prints from photo kiosks, such as this set up, is also growing. In addition there are other opportunities presented by such instant print services – including ID photos and event photography. Plus, if you did want the option of generating more sales, there is the ability to add DNP’s DS80 or DS80DX printer. By bolting these on you then have access to value added products, including 8-inch prints up to 8x12inches, double side prints, photo books, calendars and greetings cards – the latter obviously being perfect for the run up to Christmas! sales@dnpphoto.eu www.dnpphoto.eu

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 20 November 2015 | BPI News

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The DS620 is to take over as the new flagship model in DNPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s printer line-up. With the new key features of enhanced durability, cost effectiveness and innovativeness, it sets the right tone to become a bestseller. Compact and well-designed body, it is attractive for kiosk integrators and photo retail alike. DNP offers an enhanced warranty included for you, featuring 2 years standard warranty and up to 100,000 prints on the thermal print head. The new DS620 allows you to offer even more photo formats, including the popular square format 15x15cm. The rewind function allows you to offer multiple formats from the same media allowing you to benefit from cost savings and a reduction of media stock keeping units. Last not least, the standby mode reduces your power consumption to a minimum (<0.5W) when the printer is not in operation. The DS620, a reliable performer!

www.dnpphoto.eu sales@dnpphoto.eu

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Rotolight: Light years ahead for Christmas deals In conjunction with its distributor Digital Distribution, Rotolight’s award winning RL48 LED light kits are available with free 360° ball head worth £13.99 throughout November/December. Plus its Rotolight Neo comes with a free add-on Colour FX pack worth £23.99 during the same period. BPI News learns more…

e last wrote about Rotolight and its innovatively portable and powerful Neo light in BPI News June – when American pro portrait photographer Jason Lanier memorably told us, during a practical demonstration, that “using the Rotolight Neo is like having The Force”, referencing the mysterious magic of Star Wars movies. Now, coming up to the busiest sales season of the year, Rotolight and distribution partner Digital Distribution are looking to drive extra footfall to dealers with the time limited consumer offer of a free 360° ball head worth £13.99 with purchase of its award winning RL48 LED light kits throughout November and December. Sales of the Rotolight Neo come with a free add-on Colour FX pack worth £23.99 during the same calendar period. The RL48 kits themselves start at just £99.99, making for a great potential Christmas gift for your customers. Previously featured in BPI News, the multi-award winning RL48 Ringlight is a highly portable 100w equivalent ring light featuring 140 degree beam angle that creates a naturally soft shadow-less lighting effect and sought-after circular catch-light. As an alternative to standard flash, the Rotolight RL48 runs on three AA batteries for up to four hours.

Creative Colour kit that includes a stand, colour filter set and carry pouch. Alternatively opt for stock of the Interview Lighting kit that is comprised of two Rotolight RL48 ring lights plus two stands and arguably suggests better value than the individual kit.

Power, accuracy and control

Rotolight Neo: The evolution of oncamera LED Lighting Key features to pitch to your customers include: • Bi Colour (6300K-3200K), Soft Light output – 50 degree beam angle • Delivers an powerful output of up to 1077 lux at 3 feet • AccuColour technology for Best in Class CRI >95, Skin Tone >99, TLCI > 91 • True Aperture Dimming, CineSFX, and Designer Fade Modes • Flicker free at any frame rate or shutter speed • Power via 6 x AA batteries (3 hours), AC (included) or optional D-Tap cable • Ideal for Videography, Cinematography and Photography. • Delivers signature Rotolight catch light • Dual rotary encoder control knobs for precise colour temperature and brightness adjustments • Hot Shoe Mount and 1/4” 20 female thread for lighting stand / accessory mounting • 100,000 hour LED life

Rotolight’s RL48 kits start at just £99.99, making for a great potential Christmas gift for your customers

It fits most DSLRs via a standard hotshoe, or it can be fitted to a tripod. Mounting studs, clamps and articulating arms are also available by way of system expanding accessories. Apart from the standalone single LED light option, there is also a RL48

The evolution of on-camera LED Lighting: that’s the core pitch behind the striking-in-appearance ‘Neo’ LED on-camera and location lighting product from Rotolight, which normally comes with an SRP of £299.99. The Neo has been designed with demanding professionals such as Jason Lanier in mind. According to the Rotolight team, based at the famous and prestigious Pinewood Studios, it is packed full of innovative features including ‘True Aperture Dimming’ and a programmable fade mode. Its development was based on feedback from leading cinematographers and photographers around the world as to what they would most like to see in the next generation on camera light for professional television, film and photographic use. The result is the Neo, with never before seen technology in a uniquely versatile, highly portable package, proudly designed and manufactured in the UK. “The Rotolight Neo’s are quite simply the most amazing, beautiful, versatile portable continuous lights I’ve ever used,” adds photographer Jason. “I couldn’t recommend them more highly and think that anyone who shoots portraits, weddings, or fashion photography should own multiple sets.”

Neo is the first on–camera lighting solution with an accurate colour temperature display. This claims to enable swift, ‘tune-able’ colour on location. Its output is 1077 lux at three feet (or 707 watts tungsten bulb equivalent), said to be double that of rivals. Other features of note include a

Bettering rivals, perfect for industry professionals The other unique selling point here to explain to your customers is that the

Contact Digital Distribution now for stock of Rotolight products. Full details of offer (subject to availability 22 November 2015 | BPI News

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS Rotolight: a strong history of innovation Rotolight, based at Pinewood Studios, UK, is a leading manufacturer of multi award winning on-camera, studio and location LED lighting systems for photography, videography, broadcast and cinematography. Rotolight’s products have been used on major features including the Bond movies and ‘Captain Phillips’ and are continuously used by leading photographers, Directors of Photography and cinematographers worldwide.

50° beam angle, totally flicker-free continuous lighting performance and the ability to power the LED light via six AA batteries for up to three hours of use, via D-Tap power cable or via mains through the included AC adapter. Dimensions are 145mm in diameter and 50mm in depth. Weight is 354g.

Sell a RL48 LED light kit to customers this Christmas and they can grab a free 360° ball head too. Or sell a Neo (to help achieve the images shown on this spread) and they can get a free Colour FX pack worth £23.99

By way of a further testimonial, Simon Edwards from the Guild of Television Cameramen adds: “I think Neo offers so much to so many people; stills and moving pictures, experienced camera people and those at the start of their careers – I see it becoming an industry standard unit.” Delivering powerful performance in a compact package, the Neo can be a secret weapon wherever a key

light, fill, extra kick or catch-light is needed. Available as a single or 3 light kit, the Neo includes a belt pouch, power supply and 4 piece Filter Pack including Diffusion, Skin Tone and Magenta. SRP is £299.99 all in. Visual effect veteran Stefan Lange, whose credits include Batman, Bond, Notting Hill and the Killing Fields concludes: “This is My ‘go-to’ choice of lighting… small enough for tight

spaces but powerful enough for a multitude of situations.” Good competitive margins are available to trade partners. Rotolight products are available to Independent Photographic Specialists via Digital Distribution (www.ddltd.co.uk). Email sales@ ddltd.co.uk, or call 01442 230022. www.ddltd.co.uk www.rotolight.com

whilst stocks last) from your area sales manager www.ddltd.co.uk and www.rotolight.com BPI News | November 2015 23

BPI NEWS EXTRA

Extra Christmas sales via NEW Fotospeed Easybooks The print media specialist and key trade distributor has just launched a way for your customers to create pro-looking presentations and portfolios with a versatile range of hardcover photo albums in a variety of sizes at value added prices…

The Fotospeed Easybooks advantage: ●

Quick and easy to use, with no additional equipment required

●

Useful for presentations, portfolios, gifts and much more

●

Prints can be added or swapped at any time

●

Easybooks are suitable for all paper types and imaging processes

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Available with a ‘window’ cover or without

●

Normal excellent Fotospeed dealer margins apply

“The customer… can spend from £5.99 and get an instant book. The product doesn’t take huge amounts of explaining – so you don’t need a member of staff on hand to explain how it works” – Toby Herlinger of Fotospeed The ‘Easybooks’ are so called because they are a photo presentation product that is, yes, easy to produce. Simply fold back the cover to open the spine, slot the chosen prints into place, and then close the cover to complete the process. “They involve a very simple sprung loaded hinge,” reveals Fotospeed’s Toby Herlinger. “All you have to do is fold the two covers back which opens the hinge up, slide the images in, and release the two covers for it to grip the paper. You’ve then got an instant photobook, or rather ‘Easybook’.”

For more info or to order stock, call 01249 714 555 or email sales@fotospeed.com

Shopping around Future’s Head of Content and Marketing, Matthew Pierce, on Future’s latest photo special

inter is coming. And with it, hopefully an army of Christmas shoppers keen to invest in their passion for photography. So, just in time, the new Winter 2015 edition of Camera Shopper hits the shelves on 6th November. Packed with buying advice on everything from DSLRs and CSCs through to lenses, tripods and monopods, from bags and filters, to printers and storage, it’s quietly become the UK’s biggest and best buyer’s guide since its launch in 2011. Four years ago, the first edition was something of an experiment. Like many specials or ‘bookazines’ we produce at Future, back then we decided to collate some of the year’s best reviews from the UK’s marketleading Digital Camera magazine and present them in one volume. It was a hit. Obviously since then, exponential growth has seen online retail becoming a natural part of British consumers’ buying behaviour culminating in the extraordinary response to the phenomena of Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the UK. Of course we’re hoping for similar digital success this year: attracting huge numbers of browsing consumers to our free buying advice on websites including techradar.com, digitalcameraworld. com and creativebloq.com. However, print remains an important and attractive method to convey essential buying advice too. It’s the perfect medium to present what are often long-form reviews and in-depth comparisons; data tables and test shots. Readers clearly value the curation of content like this, just as much as its creation. Sure, there’s probably more information to be found on the Internet for free. That’s almost certainly now the case for almost every hobby or sector imaginable. But nothing can replace the convenience, depth and uniquely tangible experience of referencing a magazine or book dedicated to a specific topic. Even more surprising is that

Camera Shopper has few true rivals. It’s easy to see why other buying guides have been tempted into now featuring practical, tutorial-based content within their pages. They’ve watched generalist mags like Digital Camera grow their market share over the years through a successful mix of reviews, techniques, inspiring images and opinion. But by doing so, they risk diluting their main selling point. Far better, I think, to play to each brand’s strengths. In Camera Shopper’s case it’s now the biggest (164 pages) regularly published buyer’s guide in the sector. And copy sales suggest readers like the clarity and transparency of that offering and message. It also provides the perfect environment for anyone operating in the photographic industry to showcase their products and services. But then I would say that! The proof’s in the (Christmas) pudding though. So hopefully after a fantastic Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas period, we’ll have some pretty significant results to share about our performance. And then we can spring into action for 2016, (with not a hint of a hangover), and ready ourselves for The Photography Show! The Winter 2015 edition of Camera Shopper goes on sale 6th November To discuss commercial opportunities, please contact sasha.mcgregor@futurenet.com or call on 01225 442244.

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 24 November 2015 | BPI News

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BPI BUSINESS ADVICE

All change at retail M and the Black Friday frenzy There’s been a lot going on in the world of retail recently; both a change to the law on consumer rights and November’s Black Friday are going to give the trade plenty to think about, suggests business expert Adam Bernstein…

26 November 2015 | BPI News

any have found consumer law relating to the supply of goods and services increasingly outdated in recent years, especially with the arrival of digital content. A radical change to consumer legislation has just been implemented, so it is imperative that retailers understand the new legal landscape. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, which came into force on 1st October, aims to ensure that consumers are better informed and protected when they buy goods, services or digital content. It replaces the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, removes inconsistencies, outlines the standards a consumer can expect when making a purchase, the actions available if the standards are not met, and provides clarity on whether terms are fair or unfair. Sarah Riding, a partner and commercial law specialist at law firm Irwin Mitchell, says the Act’s first notable change relates to accurate descriptions: “Goods, digital content and services must meet the descriptions given by the trader before they are sold. Goods and digital content must be fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality, while services must be provided with reasonable care and skill.” Where this is not the case, the Act grants 30 days for consumers to reject faulty or substandard goods and to receive a full refund. This change removes the old ambiguity that just referred to a ‘reasonable period of time’. Another important alteration relates to whether a consumer agrees to accept a repair or replacement. Under the new law, Riding says a business has only one attempt to get it right, whereas under the old legislation, retailers had an undefined number of attempts. With an eye on the new technological landscape, the Act deals with digital content for the first time. “Significantly, it brings in a provision stating that content must not harm the consumer’s device or any existing digital content stored,” says Riding. “If it does, the trader by law would be obliged to repair the device and provide compensation.” The Act also provides much needed guidance regarding unfair terms. “There is now clarification of which contract terms can be challenged in a court, so that it can decide whether or not they are fair. A useful list is provided in the legislation (http://tinyurl.com/o9g6bhm), which will assist in giving clarity in this area.” Finally, the Act includes a notice of inspections. Under the new rules, traders will receive notice of routine inspections from enforcers – such as Trading Standards – to allow them to make necessary arrangements. The

BPI BUSINESS ADVICE intention is that enforcement authorities, including Trading Standards, will have greater flexibility to seek appropriate redress for consumers who have been affected by breaches of consumer law.

Black Friday – a trading guide A change to the law isn’t the only thing BPI News readers need to consider this month. With the ever-increasing popularity and impact of the pre-Christmas ‘Black Friday’ (this year set for November 27th) traders need to decide if, and how, they want to take part. Black Friday is big. According to The Guardian, £810m was spent by British shoppers last year during the Black Friday frenzy. Visa Europe said £360,000 was spent on its cards every minute. With this in mind, how should traders who want to participate in Black Friday go about it?

Naturally, the aim of the day is to sell more of a given discounted product, making money in the long run while cross fertilising other products – it’s what Amazon does at the bottom of each web page, with multibuy deals or links to related products that other customers have bought. Viv Craske, head of digital at Live & Breathe, a shopping marketing strategist, suggests some kind of ‘lightning deal’ promotion is effective. The idea is that limited numbers of stock are offered at a discount price and for a short period of time in the week running up to Black Friday. “Shoppers can see how long is left on the clock and the percentage of the stock that has already been ‘claimed’ – a method that plays on the growing consumer obsession with when to buy.”

Another tactic is to expand time-limited promotions and link them to specific and different methods of selling – in-store, online or Facebook. Each promotion can be used to create awareness of the given channel being used. If done correctly this creates a following through shareable email, weblinks or posts read by followers. But the problem with Black Friday is also the fact that it’s time-limited. While retailers can make hay while the sun shines, they also need to maintain momentum for the rest of the year. For this reason retailers need to capture and harvest data collected online and then, carefully, email offers to customers with a call to action. The same offer can be made to social media connections. Of course, online sales are just one aspect of Black Friday. There is an argument to say that firms should run in-store only promotions too. In 2014 a well-known supermarket chain ran adverts for in-store only sales that

began at 8am on the Friday and Saturday of Black Friday Weekend on thousands of different items. Traders do need to exercise caution though; the typical Black Friday bargain hunter is unlikely to turn into a loyal, bread and butter customer who will reward you with years of return business. And, indeed, certain reports have suggested that free shipping seems to be more important to consumers than huge discounts. A RetailWeek report last December detailed how some online retailers including Amazon, Debenhams, Argos and Currys PC World, found that the sheer number of Black Friday orders meant long delays in shipping and delivery. Argos, for example, said that it had to extend delivery times from four to seven days following its Black Friday promotions. The takeaway is that traders who plan to run a sale need to plan ahead and secure supplies while also offering manageable delivery times. And, indeed, with planning, both the new consumer rights and Black Friday can be turned to a traders advantage.

‘If you don’t participate in Black Friday you’ll miss out…’ How is your business anticipating the Black Friday shopping frenzy? Are you going all out with slashed prices and time limited deals on stock, or simply choosing to ignore what is fast becoming a fixture in the retail calendar? We spoke to some key retail figures in the trade to find out about their own plans…

Jason Mitchell, Camera World: “Yes we will be promoting Black Friday deals. It’s reached a point where if you don’t as a retailer, then you’ll miss out. Last year we saw sales boom over that weekend as purchasing reached hysteria levels in some stores. Something else we have to thank Amazon for! We have been discussing with our vendors what offers to run and which will be most effective. All will be revealed!’

David Parkinson, Wilkinson Cameras: “Anybody who isn’t taking part in Black Friday is going to miss out on a very, very good sales opportunity. It’s a lot of work to get it all together for a short period of time, especially when you’ve got Christmas just around the corner. But at the moment it does seem to add a little bit of excitement into the market, and we all need that, don’t we? We’ll be crazy over that weekend – in store and online – and we’ll have extra staff for order processing. And it’s being very well supported. There’s a number of manufacturers who are tailoring extra promotions around that weekend – Canon, Panasonic and Fujifilm have got a few things planned – so a lot of the big brands are buying into it now and retailers can throw a little bit of their own activity in there too. You can make it into quite an event. Those few gadget bags that you’ve had hanging around the back of the warehouse for six months… this is the opportunity to move them on at half price. People love a bargain. “It’s more of an online event, there’s no doubt – we get far, far more orders online than we do in the stores but it does nevertheless boost in store traffic as well. We don’t yet offer ‘click and collect’ but we have plans to put a new EPOS system in next year and that will be part of it. As the consumer gets more aware of it, you have to be careful that it doesn’t kill your business in October, or the beginning of November, as people hold off making that purchase. But I don’t think Black Friday will last forever. It’s not like Christmas and the January sales in terms of activity. That said, a lot of the offers from the manufacturers are genuinely good offers. Panasonic last year did double cash back– if something had £100 cash back, it suddenly went to £200 – well, that’s worth having, isn’t it.”

Specialist retailers! We’d love to hear how Black Friday/Cyber Monday go for you this year. Get in touch via info@bpinews.co.uk BPI News | November 2015 27

LAST CHANCE to book coverage and target trade customers BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

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Published monthly and targeted directly at the decision makers in the UK photo trade, both in print and online, isn’t it time that you made BPI News work for you? Get your products and services seen and in front of the trade and your peers – from manufacturers to wholesalers, distributors to retailers… Push your product launches and consumer promotions – drive sales and target those who may be beyond the initial reach of your own sales force, informing the trade of the products and profits you can deliver for them. Call us NOW about sponsorship packages, advertorial, advertising and partnership opportunities on 0208 274 0578 or email gavin@bpinews.co.uk BPI NEWS: Your monthly insight into your industry 28 November 2015 | BPI News

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BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

PhotoXport urges trade to go ‘Green’ with ‘Best for quality, speed and performance,’ is the boast for the Green II dry lab from Noritsu, available to the UK trade exclusively via distributor PhotoXport. BPI News hears from its MD Derek Fieldhouse, who explains how adding one to your store will turn your rivals green too – with envy

“The Noritsu Green II dry lab is probably the best machine of its kind in the world for getting the job done. If you’re looking to add a minilab that is class leading in terms of speed and quality, this is the one!” – PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse

bold claim, but thankfully a far from foolhardy one; indeed, of the current Noritsu Green series dry lab line up, the Noritsu QSS Green II is the flagship minilab – and a machine that has been built to deliver on every one of its promises. Like the Terminator, it just does… not…stop. As Derek himself said of the Green II in our September edition of BPI News: “This is a proper industrial machine, built for a hammering and to produce millions and millions of prints. It’s got the industrial build of a wet lab, with a dry lab engine. That’s exceptional. We’ve sold Noritsu printers that have produced 28 million prints that are still running as well as the day they were made! Happy Noritsu retail customers include some of the biggest in the UK, including Costco and Snappy Snaps.” By way of a case study, Tony Bridger, the owner of photo finishers Mr Bee’s, says: “We’ve done photo processing for 20 years now and have just taken delivery of the new Green II. We’ve found it very user friendly and efficient. The main thing is the quality – it’s made a massive difference over the quality we were able to produce with our old silver halide lab.

On the whole I’d give kit a thumbs up and high marks out of 10. It was a major purchase for us as a small business – and it’s been the right decision.” Despite the relatively short time PhotoXport has been Noritsu’s UK distributor, it has made great strides in the UK market, thanks to the likes of the Green II. Retailers who have migrated from traditional silver halide Agx wet printing to Noritsu dry labs, are said to be impressed with the significant increase in print quality that their consumers have noticed. As its model name suggests, it has also raised the bar in terms of environmental friendliness. No wonder then that the Green II is one of the brand’s two best selling dry printers in Europe according to Derek – the other being the Noritsu QSS Green minilab, sitting below it in the range. But the mark II is the one to opt for if your business is looking to promote ‘top notch’ quality, as it possesses all the features of the

popular D1005HR, with expanded sheet paper support. In short it delivers professional grade, high quality prints – and fast – with up to 950 6x4’s, 305 10x8’s or 223 12x10’s deliverable per hour. To watch a promo video, visit: youtu.be/OkaCBaF9eaU Don’t forget too, that as well

as offering Noritsu printers to the trade, PhotoXport has invested in Noritsu DRY media inventory – the Green II utilizes a cartridge system meaning that individual colours are easily interchangeable, even during production – offering Noritsu DRY printer users a premium quality product at competitive prices.

Key reasons why the Noritsu Green II is ‘the one’ for your business: • Industrial build of a wet lab, but with a dry lab ‘engine’ • Compact dimensions, with tall and narrow profile, means it takes up less space, whilst allowing you to sell more • Produces high capacity, high quality (up to 1440x1440 dpi) prints • Has all the key features of the popular D1005HR, including expanded sheet paper support • High grade ink provides long lasting colours • Supports a countless variety of print sizes via dual magazine system – allowing you to mix and match different print surfaces (matt/glossy) • Support for sheet and roll paper too (with print lengths up to 36-inches achievable), plus prints 13-inch width photobook cover wraps • Duplex prints can be made up to 12x12-inches • Over 3,000 prints produced before new paper needs to be loaded • A custom profile can be set up for third party papers, increasing your business’ customer offerings • EZ Controller software accepts Raw files and prints from PDFs • Easy to use, easy on your wallet and easy on the environment thanks to its small carbon footprint and minimal waste

Get in touch with PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse on 0116 2675907 to discuss the latest deal on Noritsu’s Green II BPI News | November 2015 29

TALK OF THE TRADE

Splashing the cash at Digital Splash Wilkinson Cameras MD David Parkinson reports back on this year’s event and shares plans with potential trade exhibitors to make his own show even bigger and better for 2016…

igital Splash was in its sixth year this year, and seems to have just grown and grown. The first show we did was 2009, in the depths of the recession, and the market’s changed so much in those six years, that to be able to continue to grow the show is quite phenomenal – without blowing our own trumpet. And it was very good for 2015; we had more footfall through the door, and more presentations, though it wasn’t without its traumas and dramas, with one pre-booked speaker sending me an email from his hospital bed! But fortunately pro landscape photographer Steve Gosling stepped into the breach for us – he took time out from the Olympus stand and did two presentations for us. We also had around 1300 attendees through the door, which was a substantial increase on last year. In terms of feedback from the exhibitors, most have told us that they thought it was wonderful – Sigma’s Ray Fitchett told us it’s probably the best organised show he’s been to for a long time. We also had some new brands there this year too, like Atomos, with their portable recording devices. They also had a successful show. Canon likewise did a fantastic job – as we’re dipping our toes in the water as regards pro end video. We had all the Canon stills gear as you might expect, but also a representation of Canon pro gear – they brought along film-maker Phil Coates who is one of their ambassadors. It’s part of an awareness campaign for us at the moment as we’re starting to sell a few of these pro video cameras, but we’re not automatically known for them. It’s a growth area for a lot of people – because we’re all starting from zero. We’re trying to pre-empt the demand.

Plenty of familiar names to BPI News readers exhibiting their latest kit to 1300 attendees at this year’s Digital Splash event, which aims to come back bigger and better next year

Retra-spective on the industry At the last Retra Conference – the collective body of UK electrical retailers – they had a presenter from Google. They were giving all sorts of facts and figures, suggesting that in the next three to five years Google foresees that much of the content on the Internet will be video. If customers’ expectations are that they want to see videos rather than stills on the web, then of course

photographers are going to be asked by their clients to produce videos. And at the moment a lot of them don’t know where to start, so having exhibitors from that market at the show is pre-empting future growth. In fact we had to turn some exhibitors away this year because we didn’t have enough space. But that’s not going to be a problem next year as we’re considering a larger, high profile venue, and holding the event over two days. In terms of visitor numbers, we’re looking to increase

that quite considerably, and attract exhibitors at all sorts of levels. We have some big ambitions; my target is 10,000 people over two days. I’ve already spoken to a number of the big brands about this, who are keen to get involved. And we really do want it to be an industry show – that’s the main thing. The costs to be there are not going to be ridiculous and our ambition is to get lots and lots of people there. We want exhibitors there who want to promote photography. It’s something that’s lacking these days with budget cuts; Kodak used to do a fantastic job of selling photography. I don’t know if just any one person can do it any more, it needs to be everybody doing a little bit… a collective push.

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 30 November 2015 | BPI News

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