Rise Above Research: US Photo Merchandise on Strong Road to Recovery After Pandemic Downturn

The photo merchandise market has been recovering well from the downturn it experienced during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, with growth predicted in both unit sales and revenue through 2026, according to Rise Above Research’s 2022 US Photo Merchandise Forecast.

2022 will see an overall increase of 4% in unit sales, driven by an increase in photo cards that were hit the hardest of all product categories during the pandemic. Unit sales growth is also expected in other product areas such as photo books and photo wall/tabletop décor. Sales of photo cards, photo books, photo calendars, and photo wall/tabletop décor are expected to generate nearly $2.6 billion in 2022. Unit sales unit increases are expected to be around 2% through the forecast period.

 “Like many other markets, photo merchandise sales took a hit in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, but it recovered quickly in 2021 and will continue to show growth over the next few years,” said David Haueter, director and founder at Rise Above Research. “The photo merchandise market has great staying power, with a strong base of repeat customers as well as a surprising level of buyers among younger people, even teenagers,” he added.

The 2022 US Photo Merchandise Forecast provides a five-year forecast for the products mentioned above and includes units, revenue, average selling prices, and breakouts of online versus retail order channels. A commentary on key drivers and barriers impacting the market is also provided.