Wow... just wow!!!

[tirediron]

Something I do each time I review my prices is check out the local competition to see how I compare. In this day and age (sadly) Wal-mart is a BIG competitor. Their in-house "studios" have apparently changed hands or been re-branded recently, with all-new lower pricing. This has got to be a loss-leader for the chain. There's no way there can be a nickle of profit...

Limited Time Featured Collection$149.99

10 Portrait Sheets (your choice)
1-10x13 Wall Portrait
1 Multi-Image Collage
1-11x14 Standard Canvas
Full Year Portrait Club Membership
Online/Mobile View & Share
Hi-Res Copyright Release CD
Unlimited Poses, Subjects & Enhancements

Add a 30 minute On-Location session for only $35
or a 1 hour session for only $50!

I assume a "portrait sheet" is an 8x10 printed however you want? Not sure. If wasn't for the quality we can offer, and the [increasingly smaller number of] people who appreciate it, there'd be NO point in being this racket!

[/vent]

 

[acparsons]

The minimum wage Walmart photographer.

 

[tirediron]

The minimum wage Walmart photographer.

Yep...

 

[jcdeboever]

Over intercom as Dan is stocking produce... "Dan, you got a photoshoot in old doc #3, Dan dock 3"

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[DarkShadow]

Well the Walmart near me did away with the studio and pictures all together So I guess the handful of clients wasnt't not worth keeping it set up and paying someone a whole day of minimum wage of just pushing a button on the computer and changing a background from time to time.

 

[MSnowy]

Something I do each time I review my prices is check out the local competition to see how I compare. In this day and age (sadly) Wal-mart is a BIG competitor. Their in-house "studios" have apparently changed hands or been re-branded recently, with all-new lower pricing. This has got to be a loss-leader for the chain. There's no way there can be a nickle of profit...

Limited Time Featured Collection$149.99

10 Portrait Sheets (your choice)
1-10x13 Wall Portrait
1 Multi-Image Collage
1-11x14 Standard Canvas
Full Year Portrait Club Membership
Online/Mobile View & Share
Hi-Res Copyright Release CD
Unlimited Poses, Subjects & Enhancements

Add a 30 minute On-Location session for only $35
or a 1 hour session for only $50!

I assume a "portrait sheet" is an 8x10 printed however you want? Not sure. If wasn't for the quality we can offer, and the [increasingly smaller number of] people who appreciate it, there'd be NO point in being this racket!

[/vent]

I think that you'll find that in most cases the photo center is located at the back of the store. They're counting on not only selling you a portrait session but all sorts of stuff on the way in and out the store. $149.99 portrait and $200 worth of cheap crap.

 

[JustJazzie]

I think that you'll find that in most cases the photo center is located at the back of the store. They're counting on not only selling you a portrait session but all sorts of stuff on the way in and out the store. $149.99 portrait and $200 worth of cheap crap.

sounds like a perfectly valid business model to me! :giggle: kind of like the Free (insert item here) Just pay $1,000 in shipping costs! I order those all the time, are you telling me that its not a good deal after all?

 

[MSnowy]

I think that you'll find that in most cases the photo center is located at the back of the store. They're counting on not only selling you a portrait session but all sorts of stuff on the way in and out the store. $149.99 portrait and $200 worth of cheap crap.

sounds like a perfectly valid business model to me! :giggle: kind of like the Free (insert item here) Just pay $1,000 in shipping costs! I order those all the time, are you telling me that its not a good deal after all?

Oh those are great deals. I bought my wife that way but the return shipping and restocking fees were outrageous.

 

[Ysarex]

Global domination and enslavement of the world's population -- it's in their business plan. Don't feed the beast, it'll eat you.

Joe

P.S. Donaldsonville LA was very long ago the state capitol but in the 20th century the seat of Ascension Parish. Today it's a ghost town. When I first visited there many years ago they had a main street that ran a couple blocks and had businesses -- shoe stores, hardware store, grocery store, auto parts store, clothing stores, etc., etc.. Following the older model of some decades ago a Walmart moved to the outskirts of town. The last time I visited the Walmart was abandoned and grass was growing up out of the cracks in the parking lot. Over the course of about a decade the people of the town shut down every single business on main street by shopping at the Walmart. That unfortunately put many of them out of work as they worked for or owned those businesses. Out of work they couldn't shop at the Walmart and so Walmart just shut the store and moved on. They committed Walmart assisted suicide.

Joe

 

[DarkShadow]

Thats sad when a chain puts the small guy out of work. Happen to my friend who operated a small aquarium pet store fish only Salt and fresh water.Then a Pet chain store opened just up the road and less then a year he closed his doors even though his prices where better he couldn't compete with a have it all store.

 

[smoke665]

Not sure about other areas of the country, but here in our area, you won't find any "in house" studios at Walmart, JC Penny, or Sears, even Olin Mills is no more. In fact there are only one or two remaining professional "brick and mortar" studios. Of course there are a gazillion home based operations, some competent, some wannabe.

 

[Gary A.]

I don't shop at Walmart. I read a book on the store and family and ever since ...

 

[Designer]

We've had multiple photo sessions at Walmart, and they seemed o.k. to me. Now the local store has discontinued the portrait service.

BTW: The portrait studio was located near the front door, not in the back, and now that space has been transformed into a video game room.

 

[bribrius]

cant imagine doing this for a living i shoot photos for myself and a lot of my kids and im pretty content.

 

[dennybeall]

Over the last couple of years I've noticed two store-front photographers start up business. Neither lasted a full year. It seems that in these days and times you have to have a small niche market and serve it very, very well with a business model that is very lean. Weddings or small animals or some other niche with no brick and mortar store seem to be viable models if you're good.