Retailers getting hooked on photofinishing fulfillment online: as the digital revolution moves to make film only a fading memory, retailers are having to rely more heavily on high-margin online services to help bring up their dwindling roll counts.
According to PMA stats, digital print orders placed online and picked up at retail are continuing to account for a growing percentage of the market. The availability and awareness of this print option have increased, and as more households adopt broadband internet connections, it is easier for them to...

Custom framing provides profitable niche.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the photo retail market continues to grow more competitive, many savvy shops have chosen to diversify into new niche markets and take their businesses in different directions. Custom picture framing is one service that can easily be added to the photo retailer's mix of...

Bob Artz retires after 57 years in industry with Monarch photo.
Bob Artz of Monarch Photo has recently retired after 57 years in the industry. Bob was president of Monarch Photo, located in Fargo, ND, a 110-year-old family business that employed five generations of the Artz family. Originating as Artz Studio in 1896, Bob's grandfather put down roots...

LifePics Powers Kerr Drug Digital Imaging Solution.
LifePics was chosen as the online digital imaging solutions provider for Kerr Drug, a North and South Carolina chain of community pharmacies. "We loved the openness of the LifePics solution," said Anthony Harrison, Category manager--Photo & Beverage, Kerr Drug. "Because they work with virtually every lab in...

Photo specialty stores click with Sony's PictureStation: two Southern California retailers focus on in-store digital photofinishing. (Retailer Profile).
Alex Bell, owner of the Photo Fast store in Hawthorne, Calif., is at the forefront of an emerging trend: offering digital photofinishing services that distinguish his store from his competitors. Since installing Sony's PictureStation digital photofinishing system in early July, the independent specialty store has seen a...

Fujifilm takes a new modular approach.
Today's digital printing kiosks are allowing more retailers than ever the ability to offer their customers on-site photofinishing. Responding to customer demand for more flexible options in photofinishing, Fujifilm has redefined the concept behind its GetPix Photo Centers. Fujifilm's Gael Lundeen, vice president and general manager, Photofinishing and Web...

Walgreens adds store at Coburg Road site.
Byline: Joe Mosley The Register-Guard Walgreens - the nation's largest drugstore chain with 6,479 stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico - has opened its first outlet in Eugene. "We're thrilled to be open, and everything seems to be going very...

State of the Industry 2005: digital has arrived. Now what ...
Digital has arrived, and been accepted by Jane and Joe Photo, along with the rest of mainstream Americans. It is accepted as the future of imaging, whether its via a compact digicam, digital SLR, cameraphone, or an undeveloped technology, yet to arrive. According to many of the...

Top Products of the Year 2005 winners announced: the votes are in, our readers have spoken.
Each year, we here at PTN ask you, our readers, to vote for the top imaging products of the year. The polls are closed and all votes tallied, with the winners featured within the pages of this issue. PTN's Top Products of the Year showcases those products selected by...

One year later, pictures matter even more.
Since its inception last year, PicturesMatter has grown to include more than 1,000 independent photo labs and retailers across the country. PicturesMatter's mission is to educate consumers about the importance of printing their digital images, as well as archival materials and technologies that preserve printed photos. To...