PMA Data Watch: Photo book creation among U.S. households
According to the PMA 2010 U.S. Camera/Camcorder Digital Imaging Survey, less than half of U.S. households have heard or seen anything about photo books, or 41 percent to be exact. Establishing awareness is critical when it comes to new products. By not articulating how consumers benefit from photo books and why they make better alternatives to standard photo prints, the industry is leaving a lot of growth potential untapped. Fifty-nine percent of U.S. households have yet to be introduced to photo books, even though they have been available for several years.
Of households that began making photo books in 2009, 33 percent left some books unfinished. This was, however, a decrease from the previous year when half of photo book making households left books unfinished. More than half, or 51 percent, of those who left some books unfinished intended to finish at a later time. Twenty-one percent said they left books unfinished because it takes too long to make them, followed by 18 percent who did not have all of the pictures they wanted, and 13 percent who said the books cost too much.
The most popular reason for making photo books is for the purpose of having a family keepsake, given by 60 percent of those who made photo books in 2009. This was a drop from the 69 percent who said the same in the year prior. Forty-six percent of photo book makers made them as a gift for family, a two-fold increase over the preceding year. Making photo books for the purpose of gifting them to friends also increased this year.
PMA Data Watch: The optimal retail print market strategy
Photo printing through retail and online sources is expected to remain flat in 2010, however, growth prospects return in 2011. The main source of growth for retail and online printing businesses will be share gain against home printing methods as opposed to the total print market growing. Home printers are the most economical option for making large format prints and wallet-size prints. In addition, they are the source of production for about one-third of all prints made by digital camera owners.
The cost differential between retail/online and home printing options on premium size prints is just too high for consumers to ignore. Consumers continue to invest in home printers and make large prints at home as a result. According to the 2009 PMA Camera/Camcorder and Digital Imaging Survey, more than one-third of the photo prints made by consumers at home are premium-size prints. This is double the share of premium sizes made at retail and about 5 times the share of premium print formats ordered online.
The disproportionate premium put on large-format prints today stems from the old days, where just a fraction of consumers returned to stores to make large prints, and were willing to pay that premium. Retailers and online firms must realize that times have changed as there are a growing number of photo enthusiasts who are more likely to make large prints. Retailers must be competitive with home printing costs to ensure they do not lose a very lucrative segment of the customer market.
PMA Data Watch: A look at camera sales and digital print volumes in March
According to NPD Group Inc., digital camera sales were up about 2 percent in March compared to the same month last year. This was an improvement over March 2009 when digital camera sales were down 20 percent. Year-to-date sales in March of this year were down 7 percent whereas they were down 9 percent in March 2009.
Resolutions of digital cameras continue to improve, even just compared to last year. Fifty-five percent of cameras sold in March 2009 were 10 megapixels or more. By March 2010, 92 percent were 10 megapixels or more in resolution. As digital camera sales have softened, digital print volumes are also being affected by the weak economy. There are definite signs of a slow down, according to PMA Marketing Research, as overall printing declined in March 2010. Retail printing, however, did experience some growth.
Overall printing volumes were down 2 percent in March 2010 compared to being down 1 percent in the same month last year. Online ordering activity fell 14 percent this year, compared to a growth rate of 8 percent last March. Printing volumes at retail minilabs grew 5 percent; printing volumes on kiosks grew 18 percent in March 2010. In March 2009, printing volumes at retail minilabs and kiosks grew at a much slower rate of just 1 percent and fell 8 percent, respectively. Printing at home was down 3 percent this March, as opposed to being down 7 percent last March. Other methods of printing, such as printing at the workplace, appear to be on the decline. There was a 15 percent decline in these methods in March 2010.
Digital camera penetration still increasing in Australia
JACKSON, Mich. – Through its cooperative relationship with Picture Imaging Council Australia (PICA) PMA – The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations announces the release of Consumer Imaging in Australia 2010. The report is for retailers and manufacturers of imaging products to track demand for major product categories, make product design and merchandising decisions and identify segments and opportunities.
Highlights:
- In Australia, 80 percent of households already own digital cameras.
- Camera phone adoption is in the advanced stages as well with 79 percent of households owning them, up from 42 percent in 2007.
- Fifty-five percent of households in Australia made prints from their digital camera images in 2010, down from 63 percent last year.
Report sections:
- Digital cameras and accessories
- Photo storage, printing and sharing
- Social networking
- Photo publishing
- Camera phones and smart phones
- Digital frames
Available from the marketing research area of the PMA website (www.pmai.org), the report is available to PMA members for free. Non-members may buy the report for $249. Media members can contact PMA for a copy of the report.
About PMA – The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations
As a professional trade association, PMA® helps the worldwide photo imaging community achieve business success and adapt to new technologies. Its commitment to its members in 100-plus countries is part of an 85-year legacy that connects business owners to a network of knowledge and support. PMA furthers this purpose through the development of educational programs and business services, marketing research, publications, and trade shows. As a nonprofit organization, any success enjoyed by PMA in its endeavors directly benefits the industry, allowing PMA to provide continual services and activities for members.
PMA reports a slight decrease in consumer printing in March
JACKSON, Mich. – PMA – The Worldwide Community of Imaging Association, reports the amount of digital printing remained essentially level for the month of March. According to PMA Marketing Research, the volume of prints made from digital-still camera images decreased by 2 percent compared to the same month the previous year. Printing volumes at retail minilabs and instant kiosks grew 5 percent and grew 18 percent, respectively. Online ordering fell 14 percent and home printing fell by 3 percent in March. “The opening of over 800 new drugstores in 2009 seems to be the main driver behind the continuous growth in the retail channel share and decline in the online channel share” said Dimitrios Delis, PMA Director of Marketing Research. With the absence of significant price changes at retail – see April 2010 Online Print Price Report – the home channel is maintaining its share. Statistics from the NPD Group Inc. showed overall camera sales were up 1.7 percent in March 2010. Overall demand for digital cameras also increased 1.7 percent in March.
The PMA Monthly Printing and Camera Trends Report, available exclusively to PMA members, provides timely insight into the printing and camera purchasing behaviors of consumers. PMA also translates the camera sales data from NPD Group into year-over-year trends on both a monthly and year-to-date basis.
Available from the marketing research area of the PMA website (www.pmai.org), the report is available for member download.
About PMA – The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations
As a professional trade association, PMA® helps the worldwide photo imaging community achieve business success and adapt to new technologies. Its commitment to its members in 100-plus countries is part of an 85-year legacy that connects business owners to a network of knowledge and support. PMA furthers this purpose through the development of educational programs and business services, marketing research, publications, and trade shows. As a nonprofit organization, any success enjoyed by PMA in its endeavors directly benefits the industry, allowing PMA to provide continual services and activities for members.
PMA Data Watch: Camera phone vs. digital camera use among U.S. households
According to the Photo Industry 2010: Review and Forecast Report camera phone penetration is catching up to that of digital camera penetration. In 2009, 78 percent of U.S. households owned digital cameras, compared with 62 percent of households who owned camera phones. There are more camera phones in use as households are more likely to own more camera phones than digital cameras.
Camera phones, however, still remain secondary devices to digital cameras for purposes of taking and sharing photos. The number of pictures taken with a typical camera phone were 12 times fewer than the number of pictures taken with a typical digital camera, in 2009. Low utilization of cameras on phones implies dissatisfaction among users. Not surprisingly, dissatisfaction is highest among users of low-resolution camera phones. Overall, few people are impressed with their camera phone’s performance – only 18 percent. Satisfaction is higher among users of 3 megapixel or higher resolution units. Camera phones with that level of resolution, however, currently represent a small share of the devices in use.
It is clear the first step towards encouraging camera phone use is more resolution. The level of resolution causing most camera buyers to shift from film cameras to digital cameras could be a clue as to just how much resolution exactly is needed for picture taking with camera phones to gain momentum. Digital camera sales clearly overtook film camera sales in 2004, when the majority of cameras sold had resolution of 4-million pixels or higher. Camera phones are not expected to catch up with the highest resolution cameras any time soon; but we should see their use increase significantly once the resolution of most mainstream units surpasses 4-million to 5-million pixels.
