Kodak looks to printing to offset camera decline

       Kodak (Thailand) aims to maintain last year's sales revenue by offsetting its troubled camera sales - set to hit a five-year low - with its printing sales.
       This year the company projects its sales of cameras, which provide about 40% of its revenue, to total 80,000 units,down from 90,000 last year due to the downturn and H1N1 flu keeping shoppers out of department stores.
       The company expects its printing businesses such as Kodak Kiosk and Kodak Express Digital Online to generate higher revenue because of their convenience for customers, said managing director Preecha Prasatwattana.
       Printing contributes more than half of the company's income while its other businesses provide about 10%.
       The company plans to open about 150 kiosks nationwide, bringing its total to 550 by the year-end.
       "The investment cost for these kiosks,starting at 60,000 baht, fits with the cur-rent economic situation," he said.
       Kodak also plans to launch the Kodak Kiosk at post offices nationwide. The first four kiosks will be installed in Bangkok next month.
       "Kiosks providing an express photo printing service still have ample room to grow because customers order photo printing from files in both digital cameras and mobile phones," said Mr Preecha.
       Paisan Areepongsa, the company's sales and marketing manager for its consumer digital imaging group, forecast that the downturn will shrink the camera market by 20% this year to between one million and 1.2 million units.
       The company plans to launch four camera series, starting at 2,900 baht,over the next few months to help maintain its market share at 7-8%.
       This segment has considerable room to grow because only 5-10% of Thailand's households own cameras, said Mr Paisan.
       Kodak aims to introduce its first video camera next week, priced at 6,000 baht,to test the market and attract new users.