BLACK'S ENTERS 2000 WITH NEW BUSINESS STRATEGY
By Adnews Staff
Black Photo Corp. of Markham, Ontario is entering the new year with a new business strategy. The 51 year-old Canadian brand has opened its first SuperStore in Brampton, Ontario and introduced a new range of digital photography services. Black's president and chief executive officer Rod Smith said the new concept store is the introduction to the prototype store for the future. The format is designed to build upon Black's position as Canada's most trusted, photo specialty retailer he added. The SuperStore is designed to be a one-stop-photography-shop offering digital and conventional photo services under one roof. The SuperStore features a new design, interactive computer and digital image centres, a digital photo lab, a restoration centre, a seminar area, light-tables and seating to allow customers to review their photos and negatives right in the store. Black's long-term goals are to open additional super stores as well as new stores over the next few years. On November 1, Black's introduces its Web SITE CHEATER. The CHEATER is designed to make it easier for customers to create their own Web sites. In early December Black's will offer "Black's Memory Bank", a free 50 MB online image storage service for its loyalty club and digital camera purchasers. To promote its new SuperStore, digital and conventional photo services, Black's is running in-store promotions with Ford Motor Company of Canada, Sony Music Canada and Fuji Photo Film Canada. Black's and Ford team up to promote the new Ford Focus with a grand prize of a free two-year lease. Sony, Fuji and Black's partner up in a special in-store appearance by Chantel Kreviazuk this Sunday. One grand prize winner will receive tickets to Kreviazuk's New Year's Eve concert in Ottawa. Both promotions are being done with in-store POP materials created by Push Communications of Toronto and newspaper ads and weekly circulars, created by Bensimon Byrne D'Arcy of Toronto. Media buying was handled by TN Media of Toronto. PR for Black's is handled by Strategic Objectives of Toronto.