PhotoHut launches smart purse

       PhotoHut Group (Thailand) yesterday joined with Thai Smart Card to launch the PhotoHut Smart Purse, giving customers to its shops the chance to collect points that can be redeemed for cash or premiums.
       "We expect to sell 5,000 digital cash cards by November," said Somchai Krongsomboon, president and CEO of PhotoHut Group (Thailand).
       The loyalty card programme will allow the company, which operates 213 PhotoHuts, to respond to the wide demands of customers and encourage them to buy photographic services, cameras and photo accessories at PhotoHut he said.
       The Photo Hut Smart Purse is now available for Bt500 but customers can get a card free by purchasing camera products worth at least Bt9,990.
       Chalermchai Chatchaiganan, chief commercial officer of Thai Smart Card, said the company provides digital cash card services to 32 companies in various businesses, covering 2.6 million cardholders and 1.4 million-1.5 million accounts in its database.
       "With the launch of the PhotoHut Smart Purse digital cash card. PhotoHut can benefit from the strong database of Thai Smart card and launch marketing campaigns with other partners within the Smart Purse network," he said.
       Somchai said the overall market for digital compact cameras dropped by 20 per cent in the second and third quarters of this year compared to the same periods last year.
       The decline was most apparent in upcountry stores and those located in tourist destinations such as Samui and Phuket.
       "We ourselves have felt the down-turn over the last three to four monghs, when we missed our sales target for cameras and accessories. We were able to grow by only 5-6 per cent in the first nine months due to the expansion of PhotoHut shops," he said.
       The company expects to open seven PhotoHuts by the end of the year, bringing the total to 220 from 213 currently and 109 last year.
       "We however have seen significant growth of 10-15 per cent in sales of digital single-lens reflex cameras so far this year, diriven by the sharp fall in retail prices, It encourages consumers to shift from digital compact cameras to more high-end models such as the ditigal SLR cameras," he said.
       Overall demand for digital caompact cameras is expected to pick up again this quarter as the tourist season begins. The government's economic stimulus campaigns are also expected to kick in this quarter. Political unrest is the only risk facotory for the country, he said.
       "We see great potential. The penetration of digital compact cameras is still low. Of a population of more than 60 million, only 6 million to 7 million people own digital compact cameras," he said.
       The market for digital compact cameras is estimated at nearly 1 million units this year, he added.