Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras. Now, it can't keep up with demand
Last edited Sat Jun 29, 2024, 08:36 AM - Edit history (1)
https://www.reuters.com/business/fujifilm-once-struggled-sell-cameras-now-it-cant-keep-up-with-demand-2024-06-27/
Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras. Now, it can't keep up with demand
By Rocky Swift
June 28, 2024 9:52 AM EDT Updated a day ago
TOKYO, June 28 (Reuters) - For years, Japan's Fujifilm (4901.T) pivoted away from its legacy camera business to focus on healthcare. But thanks in large part to the TikTok crowd, its retro-themed X100 digital cameras are now a roaring success, boosting its bottom line.
Fujifilm is struggling to meet demand for the $1,599 camera, prized by young 20-something social media fans for its looks and high-end functions.
The X100V model was so popular that in the fiscal year ended in March, it was the imaging division, which includes cameras, that was the biggest contributor to the company's record-high profit - the unit accounted for 37% of operating profit in fiscal 2023, versus 27% the year before.
After it sold out last year, the company increased production in China to double the launch volume for the VI that debuted in March, said Yujiro Igarashi, manager of Fujifilm's professional imaging group. He declined to give details about the production increase, or unit sales.
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