Is Kodak studying a film subscription sales model?

[Wallendo]

Over here it was long time standard for reversal films types 135 and S-8 to be sold including processing costs and a preaddreesd envelope for sending in the exposed film.

I remember that being an issue when I went on a college trip to Europe in 1981. I used up the Kodachrome I brought with me and had to purchase new film with processing services I couldn't use, so I ended up paying for processing twice.

 

[EdSawyer]

No, the real reason kodak doesn't/didn't sell direct to consumers, is it's a huge pain in the ass and a model that does not benefit them. Selling to distributors means far less "customers" they have to deal with in terms of returns, etc., and a whole department of people they don't need to have on staff for the endless customer-service issues they would have if they sold direct. This is a well-known and established model for many manufacturers/publishers/etc. They know it leaves money on the table for the distributor, but there is value there for them on both sides of that equation, which is why it's done.

Kodak has always avoided a direct to consumer channel to avoid backlash from existing dealers,

 

[Ces1um]

I have just got an e-mail from Kodak (not Kodak-Alaris) asking me to answer a survey about a possible Kodak film subscription service. The message says:
I answered the survey and wondered how many of you people also got this message.

Cheers,
Flavio

To answer your question: I also got this email and responded. That being said, I subscribe to their email communications so I occasionally do get emails from them.

I doubt a film subscription model would work for me. I like to try different films and prefer to purchase from Canadian retailers but the idea is interesting. If signing up meant a decent discount or the occasional freebee I might consider it further though.

 

[Ces1um]

I would like them to sell film with included development and shipping.

I know it went to the courts a long time ago but maybe it can be revisited?

Actually, this would be a nice model. It would likely work this day in age and not meet with a legal challenge like it did back in the day when you had no non-Kodak options.

 

[faberryman]

Some entrepreneur could set up a mail order film processing business in Rochester and license the Kodak name.

 

[Cholentpot]

Actually, this would be a nice model. It would likely work this day in age and not meet with a legal challenge like it did back in the day when you had no non-Kodak options.

$15 for a roll of E-6 with envelope and development included. Options for scans, mounting and prints. Cash cow I say.

 

[faberryman]

$15 for a roll of E-6 with envelope and development included. Options for scans, mounting and prints. Cash cow I say.

Dream on. If the film is retailing for $12.99, $15.00 including processing wouldn't even cover the postage.

 

[Ces1um]

Dream on. If the film is retailing for $12.99, $15.00 including processing wouldn't even cover the postage.

gotta agree here. E6 here in Canada is $16-20 to develop and scan alone. Prints are a nominal additional charge- usually 3 bucks. Mailing anything within Canada is going to cost another $15 clams and sending anything to the states goes up from there. What I'd prefer is mail me my film, give me an envelope to send it back to you for processing and just emailing me a link with scans of my photos. If you checked a "return prints" option then they'd print and return the negatives for an additional fee.

 

[Cholentpot]

Dream on. If the film is retailing for $12.99, $15.00 including processing wouldn't even cover the postage.

gotta agree here. E6 here in Canada is $16-20 to develop and scan alone. Prints are a nominal additional charge- usually 3 bucks. Mailing anything within Canada is going to cost another $15 clams and sending anything to the states goes up from there. What I'd prefer is mail me my film, give me an envelope to send it back to you for processing and just emailing me a link with scans of my photos. If you checked a "return prints" option then they'd print and return the negatives for an additional fee.

We call this a 'micro transaction' business model. You may just break even on the initial sale but you'll rake it in on the options.

 

[cmacd123]

I remember that being an issue when I went on a college trip to Europe in 1981. I used up the Kodachrome I brought with me and had to purchase new film with processing services I couldn't use, so I ended up paying for processing twice.

Actually, one of my relatives had that problem as he was often buying film in the US, and could not keep track of which rolls of Regular 8 were prepaid. It is too late now, but if you had sent the Prepaid film to Kodak, the edge printing would have shown what was prepaid, and it would have been returned processed without charge. (They were only forbidden to SELL it prepaid in the US)

 

[cmacd123]

Ditto. The address is permanently emblazoned in my memory: 16-31 Route 208, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410.

Here it was simpler, Kodak Canada, Toronto 15 Ontario. (don't remember what the postal code was after that was implemented.) that held up even after the actual Lab was Moved to Brampton, Ontario. their was another lab in Vancouver.

 

[MattKing]

Here it was simpler, Kodak Canada, Toronto 15 Ontario. (don't remember what the postal code was after that was implemented.) that held up even after the actual Lab was Moved to Brampton, Ontario. their was another lab in Vancouver.

Actually North Vancouver - on Keith Road.
One anecdote:
A huge proportion of the Kodak film processed in that lab came in the mail in those little yellow and red envelopes with the address for the North Vancouver lab. The envelopes themselves were merely a convenience - the proof that the Kodachrome was process paid was on the outside of the cassette and on the edge printing - but most people used them.
And Canada Post provided a very favourable postal rate.
What most people didn't realize was that the volumes were so high that in their sorting facilities Canada Post wouldn't bother reading the Kodak address on the envelopes, they would instead just put the envelopes in the big bin that would be emptied one or more times a day for delivery to the lab.
Every once in a while someone would get cute and try to mail illegal drugs in a film cannister inside a Kodak envelope addressed to another address. And Canada Post wouldn't do what was expected - the envelope would just end up with all the others in the Kodak lab bin.
Those envelopes and the cannisters inside were, along with every one else's film, opened by the pre-splice staff at the lab in complete darkness. Consternation and disruption would occur when something other than film was encountered. The police would be called, and things would proceed as one might expect.
Some might wonder why the pre-splice staff opened envelopes and cannisters in the dark. The reason - it was not unknown for people who had problems with rewinding film to send in 35mm Kodachrome without its cassette - just wound up in a closed cannister.