Industry Notes for the week of Aug. 20
Photobucket added as Facebook data export location
Facebook users looking for a service to export their data can now choose Photobucket as a new home for their photos, joining Google Photos, Dropbox, and other services according to a Facebook blog post by Hadi Michel, Product Manager. The company’s Transfer Your Information (TYI) tool is designed to make data exports “seamless,” the company said.
Retail Merchandiser features Moonpig Group
Retail Merchandiser featured U.K. personalized photo card site, Moonpig Group, describing how the brand has adapted to changing times over its 20-year life. The article describes how the company built its intelligent operations network, functioning on a three-tier tech-enabled network that is built to offer scale, print-on-demand, flexibility, and convenience.
Are photobooks heading to a post-COVID bust?
Swiss business site SFR reports photo books experienced a real boom last year but the market may be reaching saturation under the possibility of continued lockdowns and a lack of new photos to make photo products with. “In early summer, in particular, we experienced the opposite of the lockdown boom. We now see the tsunami emptiness afterward,” says Christian Burkhardt from Bookfactory, in the article.
Here’s how to be involved in Save Your Photos Month in September
Save Your Photos Month, the annual promotional campaign sponsored by The Photo Managers (formerly APPO), is a worldwide effort to raise awareness about the benefits of safeguarding your photos. Every year in September, photo organizers, companies, and photo retailers come together to raise awareness about the benefits of safeguarding your photos. Here is a link to 2021 Save Your Photo Month kit to provide resources for retailers and partners to become involved.
COVID claims another event casualty: Dscoop Edge San Diego canceled
HP and Dscoop have canceled the Dscoop Edge San Diego event, which had been scheduled for Oct. 24-27 in San Diego, Calif. “The health and safety of our global employees remains our top priority,” said Haim Levit, VP and General Manager of HP Indigo, in a statement.
Imaging Alliance to dissolve
The Imaging Alliance, the industry association formed by the 2016 merger of the Photo Marketing Association International (PMAI) and PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA), is dissolving, according to Jerry Grossman, executive director.
Connect&GO acquires Nomad Logic and 3DB Solution
Blooloop reports Connect&GO, a provider of guest experience engineering and wearable RFID technology, has acquired two companies – Nomad Logic and 3DB Solution – in the photo/video segment. As a result, Connect&GO launch Kapture: Memory Maker, a new solution where users will be able to access a range of souvenir formats and automated photo printing on-site, as well as digital content that can easily be shared on social media platforms, the article said.
In Memoriam
Michael Worswick, 1946-2021
Michael Worswick, long-time photo retail leader, passed away on August 10, 2021. He was 75. Worswick was CEO of Topeka, Kan. retailer Wolfe’s Camera and Video, guiding it to regional prominence until its closure in July, 2021. He was also the longtime chairman of the Photographic Research Organization (PRO) buying group and past president of the Photo Marketing Association International (PMAI). He was also active in Topeka and Kansas charities and taught Sunday School for 40 years. Worswick is survived by his wife, two children, and three grandchildren.Earning reports
Kornit Digital reports second-quarter results
Kornit Digital Ltd., a worldwide market leader in digital textile production technologies, reported total revenue for the second quarter of 2021 was $81.7 million.
PlanetArt parent Claranova boosts revenue by 21% for the year
Claranova ended the fiscal year with €472 million in revenue, once again illustrating its growth potential with a 21% increase in revenue.
Moonpig Group reports double revenue in initial earnings report as public company
U.K. online greeting card brand Moonpig Group reported strong results in its first earnings report as a publicly-traded company. (The company went public in the last year.) Group revenue doubled to £368.2 million, compared to £173.1 million the prior year, for the year ending April 30, 2021.
Cimpress reports mixed fourth quarter
Cimpress plc, parent company of Vistaprint, reported mixed fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 results, with an adjusted loss of 45 cents per share, which was improved from last years’ loss of $1.62 cents per share. In fiscal 2021, the company’s adjusted loss was $2.99 per share against adjusted earnings of $3.00 in fiscal 2020.
Profoto reports second-quarter net sales up 113%
Stockholm-based lighting products maker Profoto Holding AB reported second-quarter net sales increased to SEK 172m, an increase of 113.3 percent. (Adjusted for currency effects, net sales increased by 131.3 percent.) For six months ending June 2021, net sales increased to SEK 325m, an increase of 42.0 percent.
GoPro announces second-quarter revenue up 86%
GoPro announced second-quarter revenue was $250 million, up 86% from the $134 million for the same quarter last year. The net income was $17 million, compared to a $51 million net loss last year. The company saw a boost in subscription revenue, in camera sales, and sales through its own website.
Kodak reports second-quarter 2021 results
Eastman Kodak Co. reported financial results for the 2021 second quarter, including consolidated revenues of $291 million and a year-over-year improvement in cash performance. The company no longer breaks out photography-related financial data.
Interesting items from around the web
Graphics pioneer Alvy Ray Smith writes book about pixels
Fast Company has a review of Alvy Ray Smith’s new book, “A Biography of the Pixel, discussing Smith’s role in the development of foundational graphics technology like the alpha channel. Anyone interested in how digital imaging became what it is today will find the article (and book) of interest.