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Mitch Goldstone, 30 Minute Photos Etc., has made his commitment to Lucidiom using their equipment as the focal point of a $40,000 remodeling of his store this past May. It includes four APM kiosks plus one Luci setup, with a plan to add a second one later this year. In addition to the full assortment of embellishments, Mitch stocks frames in the unusual 8x8 and 12x12 sizes to accommodate the album-size pages. He prices an 8x8 page at $5.80 and a 12x12 at $9.98.
He told me of the 3-year-old who sat on his mom’s lap and did a scrapbook for a Father’s Day gift. “Once someone buys into Luci, they get hooked into it,” said Mitch. “They come back with friends.” “Everyone that comes into the store gets a demonstration.”
Mitch developed the shoebox program and, along with the Lucidiom initiative, he said his business for June, the first full month with the remodel, is up 30% over last June. “Every category is ahead—except d&p.” All other minilab operators that had that kind of sales increase, please raise your hand.
Unlike many labs that like to set up kiosks in private cubicles, Mitch prefers an open layout. “People, especially scrapbookers, want to show others what they’re doing. We encourage people to chat. We want to develop a Starbucks environment.”
The general feeling is that the customer would be more likely to do her scrapbooking, which requires more time and concentration, in the quieter photo specialty environment than in the hubbub of a mass-merchant retailer.
Mitch feels that the specialist has a leg up on this one. “No one else is offering it.” Not yet, Mitch.
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