Could Post Office put photo shops out of business?
Photo retailers say the government is skewing the market against independent shops by giving the Post Office a contract to renew driving licences and threatening to do the same for passports.
Every year we take between 5 and 6 million passport photos, as well as 2 million driving licence pictures. The whole market is worth about £50m.
But now retailers believe that market is being snatched from them by the government.
A kit is being used at post offices for driving licence pictures. And now there are signs other government agencies, including the Passport Service, are considering going down a similar route.
Some customers may welcome the one-stop shop. But from the photography industry the reaction is one of anger. It says the government is using public money to undercut private business, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
And the Photo-Me photo booth operators warn that the loss of the ID picture business could mean an end to photo booths.
Customers like convenience
For high street photo shops, too, survival is the focus. Already hit by advances in technology, they are struggling to adapt.
They are giving it their best shot, however. In some, you can print from Facebook or your phone. But they believe even these products are driven by the ID market.
For the Post Office it is also a question of survival, however. In a statement to Channel 4 News, it said –
“The Post Office is working hard to develop innovative new services in line with client needs. This includes solutions for the digital age that are convenient for customers and will help to sustain its nationwide network of post offices.”
And in the end, customers like convenience. But the photo industry remains unhappy.
In France, a campaign succeeded in getting the government to change its mind. A scanner was introduced to capture ID photos, which can be taken anywhere.
Photographers here will hope they too can do the same.
