My colleague Anita Frazier’s blog a few weeks ago reminded us that Mom is a driving force behind video game growth in the U.S. In the imaging industry, as the traditional keeper of photos, past, and present, she is the main player, not just the facilitator. Mom is watched expectantly for traction both in camera purchases as well as imaging output…for that fine day when items like photo books and collages hit critical mass and we high five each other from Rochester to Tokyo.
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Now that high resolution, face detection, and optical image stabilization have become digital camera table stakes, digital camera manufacturers are stepping it up and taking it broad. Imaging happenings at CES ranged from novel to retro, as manufacturers aligned with the overarching CES themes of connected, slim and smart, but also fun.
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Black Friday results for imaging were less than we had expected, and really a disappointment in a sector which has, for so many years, been an exciting holiday electronics driver.
Not only were point-and-shoot camera unit volumes down, but DSLRs declined in units for the first time ever in our weekly data, although just by one percent, despite a lower average price of $618. NPD’s Consumer Technology Holiday Snapshot report revealed that a quarter of those who were intending to buy a DSLR this holiday season were going to put off their purchases. Digital picture frames, 5 inches and greater, were still up 10 percent in units, and were one of the few categories of unit growth over Black Friday, but down seven percent in dollars.
It’s clear that on top of the recession, saturation is playing a large part in the lackluster performance specifically for the point-and-shoot digital camera segment. Three quarters of U.S. households have at least one digital point-and-shoot camera. Retailers and manufacturers need to find ways to reignite a passion among those who may be waiting to trade up. They have to be more aggressive and creative in messaging to consumers, not just about buying cameras, but about all the connections consumers can make with their personal images.
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Consumer Technology | Liz Cutting, Industry Analyst | 
May 4, 2009 10:23 am | 
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