European Photobook Market on track for 25% growth this year

DUNSTABLE, ENGLAND, October 03, 2010 (Press-News.org) European Photobook Market on track for 25% growth this year

The Western European photobook market is on track for continued healthy growth this year, with its value projected to grow 25%, reaching in excess of 500 million Euros, according to a new Photobook Market Report from Futuresource Consulting.

"This segment has put in a strong performance, with a pricing boost which can be attributed to consumers migrating to larger sized books and more pages per book," says Joanna Wright, Senior Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. "Online continues to drive the bulk of European purchases, accounting for 90% of orders last year. Looking to the high street, volumes grew steadily through 2009, but at a slower pace than the rest of the market, largely due to dwindling store numbers and a lack of marketing activity from the retailers."

"This year we're seeing an improvement at retail, as a number of chains have become more active in the photobook space particularly in the UK, with Boots, Jessops, Asda and Tesco all rolling out additional in-store solutions. Going forward, onsite photobook solutions are expected to be a prominent theme, with new Dry minilab solutions from the likes of Sony and Noritsu, and strong equipment sales expected in Q1 2011."

In terms of photobook production the market remains fragmented, with a mix of traditional photo brands, commercial print houses and specialist book companies all vying for market share. The leading six photobook producers - CeWe Color, Albumprinter, Hofmann, Schmidkonz, Photobox and Infowerk - accounted for more than 50% of the market in 2009, with CeWe Color leading the charge in the Western European market. The remainder of the market was made up of around 60 different companies.

"We carry out in-depth primary research on an ongoing basis, obtaining inputs from a wide range of companies operating in the photobook business," says Wright, "and this is showing us consumer awareness and acceptance of photobooks is on the up, with new customers often acquired through books instead of prints. As a result, many brands are trying to capitalise on this by focusing on a few key areas to help drive demand in 2010, including product range development, additional finishing options, software and user interface improvements, and increased production efficiencies."

For more information or to buy this market report, please contact Joanna Wright on +44 (0) 1582 500 147 or via email to joanna.wright@futuresource-hq.com.

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