----- Original Message ----- From: "George Sinos"
Subject: RE: Film is Dying, Chapter 3
Bill -
Does your location accept files submitted via the Wal-Mart web site? If so, is this a growing or significant percentage of your printing?
We get stuff from the internet, but our lab is not online. Wait times for prints are sometimes significant.
There are three places here in town, that offer this service with next day (or even one-hour) pickup. Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and a local family owned camera shop called Rockbrook Camera. Wal-Mart and Rockbrook are about a quarter a print; Sam's is an unbelievable eighteen cents. I can't make 4x6's that cheap.
We are a quarter a print, which is somewhat less in your money.
I don't know if it's a big part of their business, but I think it's a great service. I can't help but think it will be a growing part of the business.
I think we may be having some issues with putting labs online, as it is happening rather slowly.
Last weekend I showed my mother, who just got her first digital camera at 76 years old, how to use the service. She had transferred about a dozen photos, taken Christmas day, to her computer. She ordered single prints of four images and five copies of a fifth image. The total order was 9 prints coming to a bit over $2.00 (US)
Had she used her 35mm point and shoot or, more typically for her, a single use camera she would have ordered double prints of the full roll of 24 shots. She probably would have paid about $6 to $10 for that. Add another $7 to $10 if she would have ordered a set of files on a CD.
I'm not sure which order is more profitable for the seller. Where does the photo center make it's money these days? Is it sheer volume?
Volume is good.
When prices are very low, volume is needed. Those digital photo labs aren't cheap.
William Robb
