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Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - Helen (23rd Mar 2007 - 12:46:14) After reading the comments about the Liphook Homeware store I have been prompted to talk about our situation! (Before you read on, Sainsbury's are not the culprits!) We, PRC Digital (PRC COLOUR PROCESSING), have been in the village for donkey's and similar to Homeware we have ploughed £££ into advertising all to no avail. Since the decline of conventional films and rise in digital cameras we have had a very harsh and sudden drop in business. One of the most frustrating things is that because we are the last shop front on the London Road just before you get to the library, people just don't come and see us any more! Instead they choose to take their films/digital camera cards to the chemist! Now I really have never understood this for a few reasons: 1 - Chemist actually SENDS films etc away for processing this a) takes longer and b) risk of losing film in transit. 2 - Chemist charges more for some services 3 - Films etc treated as 'happy snaps' as they are processed standard and printed on cheaper photographic paper. (My own market research) I wanted to use this as a platform, even if it only reaches half a dozen people to spread the word about us. 1 - All processing is on site, you bring in your film/camera card and it travels only 50 yards to be processed. 2 - We can do 1/2 hour, 1 hour or 24 hour service on most things. 3 - Although we are a professional processing lab, this doesn't make us more expensive, we have a two tier service to cater for everyone. So for competetive prices you get professionally printed photos on high quality photographic paper. 4 - Offer some great services - Poster prints, 3D canvas prints, image restoration, manipulation and more...! 5 - Trained, friendly staff that can help with technical problems in most cases. 6 - 'Portrait style' passport photographs. 7 - Free parking! There is plenty more to write but don't want to be too long winded and put people off reading this! If anyone IS interested we are a family run business with over 31 years experience in the industry and if anyone wanted to come and have a look around the lab we would welcome some interest and they could book an appointment with us in the shop. An extra point to add is that at the moment our digital print price is 15p a print when you have 100 or more but we are soon launcing a 'last-ditch' website where you can upload your images and order prints from as little as 5p per print. Wesite is not quite ready at the moment but our old one is still live - www.prcphoto.co.uk. My final point is to thank the BIG BOSS at Sainsbury's for not putting a 'photo print' area into the new store design and this would well and truly finish us off! I anxiously await any comments...!

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - R (23rd Mar 2007 - 16:07:49) A great shop and really helpful team of people you guys rock carry on with all the cool work R

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - Eneida (23rd Mar 2007 - 16:28:09) Hi Helen, Sorry....I'm all out of helpful advice to local traders LOL!!! However, I do need some passport photographs taken, so may I ask how much you charge and what your opening hours are? Eneida [editor - see our new 'shopping' page - PRC are the first to be listed - opening hours and phone number are there]

Re: Passport photos - Helen (23rd Mar 2007 - 16:44:54) Hi and thank you for your reply! Our opening hours are on the 'NEW LOCAL SHOP' page and passport photos are £5.99 for 4 photos. Thanks for your interest! Helen

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - Paul Robinson (23rd Mar 2007 - 16:54:15) I too have used PRC in the past and have been very impressed with the results and the speed of service. However I do have a digital camera and an all in one printer/fax/scanner/photocopier and do now print myself the few pictures I consider worthy of framing whilst the rest is stored on disk and, like the bulging albums of enprints of old, rarely looked at. New technology seems to have pre planned obsolescence built in nowadays who amongst us does not have a loft full of of vinyl LPs and singles as well as shoe boxes bursting with music cassettes. It seems only a few months ago when all the supermarkets and convenience stores had video rental bays but, like gas lamps and the 'knocker up,' they have almost all gone. Goodness knows where the next technical revolution will take us, will my digital camera and all in one printer be gracing some car boot sale soon? I guess the answer for PRC is to stay one jump ahead of the game. Good luck to them, they deserve it. Paul Robinson

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - rob (23rd Mar 2007 - 19:48:48) Our experience with print-your-own photos isn't very positive, PRC will be pleased to hear. They tend to fade very quickly (even if they're not in sunlight, surprisingly). So if I wanted something for posterity, I'd certainly get it professionally printed. We've also sent photos over the internet to be printed. They are undeniably cheap. But we'll at least get a quote from PRC next time and, if their new web service is up and running, try to use them rather than any of the big boys. rob.

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - sue W (23rd Mar 2007 - 20:02:45) Hi, I am so pleased that by highlighting our very recent plight it has given you the opportunity to spread the word about yours. I have used PRC in the past - may not be that often but found them helpful and polite. We only had a digital camera last year!!, but came in a bought an high quantity film saver thingy (memory chip I think) that holds hundreds (about 2) pics and 3hrs of video. I did need a 35mm film developed in a hurry, and honestly would never think of the chemist - as I didn't even know they did the service!!. Many times I have recommended you for larger photo frames and albums - I hope they made it to you. My husband a few years decided to dig out our old albums (paul are you taking note), and picked one of me aged 8 with my dog and a couple of more recent pics of my mum before she died, 9 years ago. PRC enlarged them, centred them, framed them for an excellent package and he gave me them for a Christmas Present. I was so impressed with the whole idea, was speechless (for those who know me, impossible). So for those husbands/wives/partners - if you are ever looking for that 'something special' present try it. Its worth every penny. Sue Housewares

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - bug (23rd Mar 2007 - 22:17:31) I think your wrong actually sainsburys could have some of the blame here...... because before all those massive houses, sainsburys and the 'delightfull' milllennium hall/centre (or what ever they call it now) got built on the former O.S.U site, the majority of the village at the time would have walked or driven past your shop on the london road to take their children to scouts or guides at the old hut or methodist hall. simple really just blame sainsburys everyone else seems to.

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - Neil Rhodes (4th Apr 2007 - 09:02:51) I would also guess due to the onset of home printing with printers costing peanuts, not that the consumer seems worried at all. Pound shops selling 50 sheets of white glossy and inks compatible inks at bargain prices, then printing is around 2p per 6x4 for paper and inks making up the rest to around 6-8p per print, the joy of printing at home negates the need to out and get it done. I can understand though that competition is the main problem, "bandwagonning" by all and sundry and home printing draws away plenty of business. I too have fallen victim of this by being made redundant from an on line Digital Camera Company based in Guildford. My own little hobby of a site http://www.image-restore.co.uk also suffers from very slow business. There is always someone doing it cheaper and local business is never going to pay the bills. Rant over, I hope you stay in business and if things pick up and you need another image restorer / manipulator I’m not too far away in Bordon. Good luck! Neil Rhodes

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - PRC Helen (4th Apr 2007 - 09:47:28) Neil Thanks for your comments. You hit the nail on the head when you commented about people printing their own photos and this has been the main reason why our business has dropped off. We just can't convince people that REAL photos from digital always look better! Still, we must keep our chins up, not complain and hope that 'retro' rolls of 35mm film may make a comeback! p.s I have had a look at your website and it is very impressive!

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - Neil Rhodes (4th Apr 2007 - 10:20:58) Helen, Thanks for the website comments, its on a re-design at present (face lift anyway) but thanks again. One has to try. Good luck again and with luck you'll be ringing on my door for added help ;-) ! when the retro revolution comes Neil

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - sue W (4th Apr 2007 - 20:10:01) Its so refreshing to hear that all answers are NOT 'on the web'. If you have been following our plight - I have even got my own subject heading FAO Sue, many people keep refering to 'you must move forward to web sites for your business to improve'. This i have felt is not the answer - you may increase sales slightly, but from the case of retail never. If we all sold via the internet, why oh why would we need a SHOP. I could turn it into a store room, that would not help the locals who DO NOT USE/OR HAVE COMPUTERS. Many do not. In our experience people need things today - not in a few days time. I hope that your business is gaining some extra activity - my small shop has seen an increase over the past week - its only because I have upped the profile and taken a lot of stick for it. Any publicity - even bad is good - ask any celeb!! Sue [Editor - I think the point was that advertising what you sell will bring extra people into your store. I don't think people were suggesting you should take orders over the web.]

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - sueW (4th Apr 2007 - 20:36:51) Ed I am sorry to have to reply to your comment. I refer in particular to the comment made by Eneida posted on 23.3.07, when she brought up the web subject. quickly copied was "it can serve two purposes, one as an advertisement, for the shop - the other which might be more profitable is you can do MAIL ORDER". as far a i can tell that was inferring that internet could or should be better!! Not only have postings contained this thread, other people, human ones (face to face), have also said that SELLING on the web is the way forward!!. If that was the case why when the same Eneida, who admitted buying sheets, didn't use your section of Business in the area, enter the word 'sheets' and it would have come up with....hOUSEWARE. people believe it to be the best, but dont use it properly. Or they assume no local shop would do things - so why bother!! [Editor - sorry Sue, I should have read the threads more carefully... IMHO in your situation selling through the web would be unlikely to increase your sales dramatically, unless you had some way of undercutting all the mainstream web based retailers. I image, that like many people, Eneida would not have considered checking the business section for sheets, but hopefully people can educate themselves about what products can be bought in local stores using the new shopping page.

Re: Digital! - THE END OR THE FUTURE? - sue W (4th Apr 2007 - 21:37:28) Ed. Thanks!! What i still want to know is what is so wrong with walking through a door of a shop to find out what they sell?? I always visit any new business in LIPHOOK, even if i don't require anything - you never know when you might, or when someone asks you 'where can i get zy&z from' Knowledge is power!. I am always recommending other traders, and hope that they reciprocate. (just to deviate Sainsbury's sent someone down to me yesterday for a real of cotton) she admitted that she had parked outside my shop (housewares Dept) many times, went into the hardware, but had never looked inside our new shop in 2.5 years. Rest my case!! Sorry Helen, this is your site and this really should be on mine!! Sue

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