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Fujifilm, Harvey Norman launch Wonder Shops

Fujifilm Australia has partnered with Harvey Norman to launch a local iteration of the Wonder Photo Shop concept store, which it debuted at The Digital Show at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre over the weekend.

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‘Vintage inspired craft tables’ were a feature of the Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop installation at The Digital Show.

The concept Wonder Photo Shop on the Fujifilm stand was one of most consistently busy areas at The Digital Show.

The first of the new Harvey Norman Photo Centre re-fits was launched this morning, October 19, at the Harvey Norman flagship store in Auburn, NSW.

According to a press release-based story in Inside Retailing, the Auburn store will be ‘fitted out with wooden bookshelves and vintage inspired craft tables.’

‘The PhotoCentre will provide a space for customers to select and print their photos with photo ordering kiosks, and create their own photo works with the Fujifilm instax accessories range.’

Fujifilm Australia told PhotoCounter that the Wonder Photo Shops would not be exclusive to Harvey Norman: ‘You can expect to see it in many stores including independents over the coming months.’

A Fujifilm press release describes how the Wonder Photo Shop concept, which originated from the original Tokyo’s Wonder Photo Shop in Harajuku, Tokyo, would be implemented in Australia:

WonderShop2
Blackboard menus are a feature of the new concept store.

‘Fujifilm Australia will launch all categories, which includes a host of direct printing concepts from smartphones. With the help of instant photography, customers are able to access photos straight away and turn their prints into personalised pieces of art by decorating and framing them. The extensive range of craft cards, scrapbooks, frames, washi tape (masking tape), stickers and the like have been designed in Australia to complement the Australasian market.

‘As a drawcard for customers, each Wonder Photo Shop entrance will feature a Theming Table that corresponds with up-to-the-minute events.

‘Targeting the younger generation, in particular, the Wonder Photo Shop concept is described as part store, part print centre and part workshop environment.

‘Each shop will include a Wonder Print Station where customers can connect their phone to a kiosk (or insert a memory card) enabling them to print photos instantly using a choice of different templates. Alternatively, photos can be printed via an App once downloaded onto a smartphone.

‘In addition to photo paper, customers will be able to print on various materials such as glass, metal, canvas and stickers.

‘With casual tables set up in-store, friends are able to enjoy a social vibe where they can create their own personalised scrapbooking projects and albums. Instax products and accessories will also be available.

‘Some Wonder Photo Shops will include a Selfie Studio complete with professional lighting, props and a green screen background. To replicate a selfie-style photo, customers are provided with a remote to press once they are ready to capture the occasion.

‘Fujifilm Australia chief operating officer, Dave Marshall, said while the digital era has enabled consumers to store soft copies of photos on electronic devices, printed photos are more likely to outlive the technology.
WonderShop1‘”The Wonder Photo Shop concept aims to encourage young people to print photos from smartphones in a fun and creative environment to ensure they have a printed record of their photo memories down the track.

‘”Wonder Photo Shops may even help bring out the inner artist in customers by providing a comprehensive gifting experience that evolves around producing works of art, gifts and décor using smartphone-generated photography,” Mr Marshall said.’

To celebrate the debut of the revamped Photo Centre / Wonder Photo Shop, Harvey Norman will be offering Harvey Norman customers an Instax bundle, featuring the Instax mini 8 in mint with matching sling camera backpack, magnetic frames and a mini decoration set.

 

9 Comments

  1. cdm cdm October 19, 2015

    Even a better idea give harvey norman all the instax,and leave the photo developing side to the real photo stores.
    with regards to independents getting this. how about we all get the same price. at the moment harveys sell instax for $78. all independents can’t even buy an instax for that price. price for independents is $84.15.

    • PG PG October 20, 2015

      Agreed re Fuji Instax and all film , we found it better to bring it in from Korea now that Fuji doesn’t want to know us. There was a time that perhaps you needed to stock Fuji, that time has long gone.

  2. PG PG October 20, 2015

    Thanks Dave, I hope you will sink a “s” load into this with advertising and marketing. Trust that it will be sale or return!

    I know we will all get a spin off from this in some way, although what works with GenY Japanese girls may not work here. I was more impressed by the Fuji team or dressed in pink than the product and merchandising.

  3. wayne wayne October 21, 2015

    Its amazing our a***s are still hurting from the reaming that Harvey Norman and Fuji have given us and they still continue. How many livelihoods and businesses have failed because of the Harvey Norman /Fujifilm alliance, and they pretend it isn’t so. We smaller operators have to pay at least 25 cents per 6×4 print, that is our cost.
    On a brighter note tho, I can offer a far superior quality than any of the Harvey Norman/Fujifilm stores, in all facets of the photographic industry.
    We know they burn their product to get people in, but they dont realise that is all that most people want is cheap prints, not a toaster.
    Smaller more personal operators can offer much more in the way of quality. The problem with being a small operator is the price of rent in shopping centres. Another reaming.

    • Ben Ben October 26, 2015

      I’ve been working in pro labs for 20 years and now work for Harveys and in no way is it any different to any other lab I’ve worked in. Quality, maintenance and training is top priority. Yeah prices have come down a lot, but it’s definitely not an inferior product.

      • Phil Heesch Phil Heesch November 19, 2015

        Oh yeah Ben, Harvey Norman a ProLab!!
        Not in my book. What Pro Labs did you work for?
        Phil Heesch
        Photolab Technical Services Pty Ltd

      • dave dave November 20, 2015

        lol harvey norman a pro lab…

  4. jim Kent-Hughes jim Kent-Hughes November 5, 2015

    Just come home from overseas to read about Fiji Wonder shops. I have retired now but my Company “Laser Image” was doing just that in 1987 until I sold out in 2010. We started using Canon Colour Copiers and as the technology improved we kept up with it. We had 4 shops in Geelong. When we opened a shop in Highpoint Both Fuji (Rabbit) and Kodak tried to stop us but soon gave up. Some time later Kodak developed their own version of Magic shops. Fuji were slower off the mark. Were able to compete with the Kodak and Fuji onslaught because we could offer anything they could do within the hour and and not up to 10 days later. Our product was equal or better quality.

    Below cost prices offered by Fiji did not seem to deter our our customers. We could still sell 2-3000 prints a day at 2-3 times the price Harvey’s and Fuji at Camera House were selling.(6×4) @ 10 cents.

    We developed our own Kiosk software which allowed our customers to order any product from a standard print to a print on virtually anything, from a t-shirt to a mug, a canvas a key ring even a print onto your backside if you wanted it. All this from a comfortable chair in a quiet environment.

    Our secret weapon was excellent multi skilled staff always on hand to help and to produce the product within the hour. (Work load permitting.)

    It has taken Fuji a long time to catch up.

    Fuji destroyed The Colour Copy business in the same way as they destroyed the photographic business by cutting the prices below the cost to the opposition. It will be interesting to see how long it will take before we see a price rise.

  5. voice of reason voice of reason December 4, 2015

    What are you all complaining for….HN will get the S__ts when it doesn’t move and Fuji’s management will have to find somewhere else to move the 5 containers of the crap!
    All i know is that its a lot of sku’s to stock and i do wonder who’s idea and backing was involved in bringing this in!
    Hey PG…all staff but one wore the pink shirts…wonder who that team player was!

    Now to all those out there who complain day in and day out about Fuji…you have a choice…even if they are throwing free stuff at you to keep you quiet…..just say no and find another supplier!

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