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PRESS RELEASE from Fujifilm UK - Photofinishing Division
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Release Date: 6 August 2009

Image Downloads: www.newsfeeduk.com/fujifilm

New Malden photo centre relaunches and joins FDIS

 Superprint in New Malden has joined the Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service group (FDIS) and relaunched as Cards Plus.

Jitesh Shah and his wife Vibha gave their thriving photo centre in New Malden, Surrey, a radical makeover when they joined the Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service recently. When their new shopfront, complete with FDIS signage, was unveiled it revealed the shop’s new name: Cards Plus.

Cards Plus is an example of one of the strengths of the FDIS group, the quick-footed flexibility members like the Shah’s bring to it. A membership of fully autonomous owner-managed retail outlets is what enables FDIS to adapt so quickly to rapid market change, from the local level up. Centrally directed multiples can’t match that.

The Shah’s decision to join FDIS began when Jitesh became aware that his business model, based around making standard 5 x 7 and 6 x 4 inch photo prints, didn’t have as much margin as it used to. Changes in costs, and in volumes demanded, meant his old wet process minilab had become uneconomical, and the space it took up made it difficult for him to rearrange and refit his store, to offer new higher margin goods and services.

He needed a smaller, more economical minilab. And he knew he would need a strong consumer brand and marketing support to help him introduce new products to local customers and relaunch the shop. So he chose a dry minilab, the Fujifilm Frontier DL410, and joined FDIS.

Jitesh tells us: “I feel that we need the FDIS branding, especially in this current climate. It opens up a lot of options. People have awareness of it. It associates us with the Fujifilm brand name, so they have confidence in coming to shop with us. Although we’ve been established here for twenty years now, I still feel branding is a key factor. We were with another brand before, but that company folded, and that’s part of our reason for moving to Fujifilm. We know they’re solid.”

When the Shah’s relaunched their shop using the Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service brand, they embraced the modern Fujifilm concept of what makes a digital imaging centre. That means they will market a suite of goods and services based around not just Fujifilm’s new Frontier Dry Minilab, but also a connected Fujifilm SmartPix photo kiosk and a large format printer. The SmartPix kiosk will help them to up-sell customers to higher margin products, made on the Frontier DL410 Dry Minilab and on the large format printer. These include canvas prints, calendars, posters and a wide range of photo gifts.

Jitesh Shah says: “Fujifilm’s Frontier DL410 Dry Minilab can do gifts like calendars, postcards and so on. And now that we can connect to the large format printer as well, that opens options of doing posters and all sorts of other things. We’re going to invest in T-shirt printing, mugs, etc., which again the SmartPix kiosk helps to promote. Our aim is to get into more personalised gifts. I feel that’s the way forward.”

Jitesh has reinvented the Shah’s photo centre as Cards Plus, a photo centre, combined with a gift and card shop that also sells party goods and toys. Selling personalised photo gifts should integrate well with gift and card sales.

The Shah’s also operate a studio portrait facility and ID photo service. FDIS members are good at identifying opportunities for their photo centres to converge with other types of high street outlet. Many are pharmacies, and others like the Shah’s often incorporate gift and card stores, party goods, toy shops, camera shops, quick printing, photography studios and art and framing services. Members choose the combinations that work best in their local areas.

Jitesh benefited a lot from his FDIS membership when he relaunched his store. Fujifilm made sure all the equipment he had ordered was installed and operational for the official opening, which was timed to coincide with the annual local fair, the Malden Fortnight. The team at Fujifilm provided the Shah’s with advice on how to promote the day in advance.

Peter Wigington, Fujifilm’s business manager for the FDIS, arranged a Fun Day for the opening, complete with a presentation of a bottle of champagne and special offers for the customers. Attending with Peter were Paul Henry, Fujifilm sales executive, who had helped the Shah’s to sell their old wet lab and join FDIS. Fujifilm’s FinePix Fred costume character was also there, and everyone met the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor and Mrs. McDonald, who happened to be passing in the fair.

"It's great to welcome Jitesh and Vibha as members of FDIS", says Peter, "and how encouraging it is that we are attracting such strong and successful businesses to our group. This can only help enhance the growing attraction of the FDIS marketing program. One of the main strengths of the group is the ability to pool the ideas and great experience of the many long established businesses such as Cards Plus and from this create effective
marketing support, not just with a strong brand on the high street, but by making sure we are advertising all the kinds of products and services only the independent retailer can offer to their local community."

The Shah’s order their photo centre supplies from the FDIS preferred distribution partner, Swains International plc. Their local Swains representative is Richard Bull. Mrs Vibha Shah tells us: “Richard is very good. Whenever we call he comes to the phone and takes our order. He has visited us every month, and we’ve taken a number of deliveries from him. We’ve never experienced paper or ink on backorder, and the one time he anticipated a possible delay on ink he warned us in advance to order an extra set to have on hand.”

The successful metamorphosis of Superprint into Cards Plus is an example of how the FDIS marketing support program can lend a hand to members old and new with the initiatives they know they must take to renovate and revitalise their businesses from time to time. Proactive and dynamic proprietors like Jitesh and Vibha Shah are welcomed to FDIS as a valuable addition to the membership. The group continues to grow from strength to strength.

If you're not already a FDIS member, you need to call Peter Wigington at Fujifilm today on 01234 572 138 or talk to your Swains Regional Sales Manager.

ENDS.

* Note: this news release is issued electronically and will not be duplicated with a posted copy

About Fujifilm
Fujifilm is a global leader in imaging technology, products and services including digital cameras, photofinishing, digital storage and recording media, consumer and professional film, motion picture film, professional video, printing systems, medical imaging, office technology, flat panel displays and graphic arts. The company employs more than 73,000 people worldwide, with 178 subsidiaries stretching across four continents.

Uniquely placed to be a market leader in digital imaging, Fujifilm develops and manufactures its own sensors, lenses and processing technology. In addition to its production plants and R&D operations in Japan, the company has key manufacturing facilities in Europe and the USA for core products such as colour film, colour paper, single use cameras and CTP printing plates, and has further factories in Brazil and China. It has a global turnover in excess of £13 billion.

In the UK, Fujifilm has been supplying the imaging, printing and graphics industries, as well as consumers, professional and enthusiast photographers, with high quality, innovative products and services for over 25 years. Fujifilm UK currently employs more than 450 people and has become one of the country's most popular photographic and imaging brands.

© 2008, Fujifilm UK Ltd. Specifications are subject to change.

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Fujifilm (UK) Ltd
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Tel: 01234 572144
E-mail: minilabs@fuji.co.uk
Web: www.fujifilm.co.uk/minilabs
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Written and distributed by WPS Media
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Contact: Peter Brandon
Email: peter@wpsmedia.co.uk