Fuji fights back for market share
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01/25/2002
Fuji has launched a nationwide counterattack on rival Kodak, now the biggest player in China's photographic film industry.The offensive has mainly focused on the high-end market - digital cameras and digital imaging systems, which Fuji believes have an edge in competition, according to Sun Tai Lun, chairman and general manager of Fuji Photo Products Co Ltd, which is responsible for a wide range of Fuji products in China. In the last two years, Fuji has introduced some 200 Fuji Film Digital Imaging (FDI) machines on the Chinese mainland, including nine in Shanghai. The machine claims to provide higher quality photo processing either with traditional film or disks, MO, or ZIP. Sun said his goal is to expand the outlets to 1,000 in the coming two years. But he admits that still won't be as many as the company's competitor, Kodak. The Fotomax photo processing chain which Sun's company took over in Hong Kong last year has also been expanding into the mainland market, including Shanghai. The difficulty private investors face in securing bank loans has been a snag for developing the mainland market, Sun said. An average FDI costs more than 1 million yuan ($120,000). "Our goal is still to become No.1 in the China market. But it will take time and we are not in a hurry," Sun said. Fuji's film sales in China over the last year are also up compared to previous years. Sun believes its new film, Super and Extra series, has a quality advantage in that price range. China Daily news
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