Canon opens Digiclick Zone in Ahmedabad

Digital imaging company Canon India on Thursday launched the first `Digiclick Zone' in Gujarat at Ahmedabad.

The Ahmedabad zone is the seventh in the country and the company aims to have at least 25 such stores in the country by March next year.

These stores will be interactive zones where consumers can experience digital photography and understand the various possibilities in digital imaging. The company has set this up as separate experiential zones which will allow customers to experience Canon digital products in a lifestyle ambiance.

The Digiclick zone at Ahmedabad, located at Ambalal Avenue at the stadium cross roads in Navrangpura area, will feature the latest range of digital cameras like digital cameras, video DV camcorders and SLR wide angle zoom lens for both the consumer and professional segments.

"By 2007, digital cameras will outnumber the analog camera sale in the country. Canon is geared to derive maximum benefit of this trend that is fast sweeping across the country. Also, the volume of digital cameras is increasing 100 per cent every year," said Alok Bharadwaj, vice-president, volume group of Cannon India, in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Bharadwaj said the company will use the Digiclick Zone concept to make photography not just an occasion-specific event, but part of the lifestyle of people.

"With a camera costing around Rs 10,000 and a printer worth Rs 5,000, we are offering end-to-end services to people. In fact, Canon has developed a protocol that enables the camera to be connected directly to the printer and the user even has the choice to print just that part of the photograph that he or she has captured," Bharadwaj said.

Registering a turnover of Rs 230 crore in 2003, the company is set to achieve a turnover of Rs 270 crore for the year ending December 2004. For the next year, the company has set a sales target of Rs 330 crore, but the share of digital camera is constantly increasing. "Digital cameras accounted for one per cent of the revenue in 2003, while this year it will be four per cent. Next year, the share of digital cameras in our revenue will be 10 per cent, while we expect it to be 25 per cent by 2007," Bharadwaj said.

CIPL is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pte Limited, world leader in imaging technologies. Set up in 1997, Canon India markets a comprehensive range of sophisticated contemporary digital imaging products that include photocopiers, multi-functional peripherals, fax-machines, printers, scanners, digital cameras and multi media projectors.