A Cewe photo calendar -

Cewe

  • Since the beginning of November, the workforce has doubled at the Cewe laboratory, near Montpellier: here, we manufacture the products of the photo printing company.

  • But this year, confinement requires, behavior has changed: the dates of photos ordered by customers are older, and the French were even more eager than in previous years to please their loved ones.

  • There is, however, one item that never goes out of fashion: the industry star photo print.

It is a real hive that is active, day and night, at the Cewe laboratory, in Fabrègues (Hérault), near Montpellier.

The albums and calendars of the European leader in photo printing are produced here.

And if, due to the crisis, the company's activity has fluctuated somewhat since the spring, with the approach of Christmas, it's the rush.

“Since the beginning of November, our workforce has doubled: we have gone from around sixty people to around 120, with seasonal workers who accompany us during this period of strong growth,” confides Don Weedman, director of the laboratory.

We carry 80% of our annual volume of calendars, and 30% of photo books.

Because these products are perfect last-minute gifts for many customers.

At Cewe, even if we can still order about a week before Christmas so that the albums are under the tree, we nevertheless encourage to order as soon as possible.

“It's always a bit of a race at the end!

Don Weedman smiles.

The Cewe laboratory, in Fabrègues - Cewe

The age of photos has "gone back a lot"

However, this year, due to the two lockdowns, the uses have changed somewhat, and the company's customers have done it a little earlier than usual.

“We asked the French to stay at home as much as possible this year, especially in the evening and at weekends.

These are good times to create products, ”says Laurence Courtinat Vernon, CEO of Cewe in France.

But, in terms of photos, the Covid-19 has shaken up behavior much more than that.

First, on the photos chosen to illustrate the books or calendars ordered from the company.

“We noticed that, during the first confinement, the age of the photos used has fallen a lot, a lot back,” continues Laurence Courtinat Vernon.

Usually, in April, the photos were three to six months old.

And here we saw photos coming back from years ago.

During confinement, the French had time, they sorted, they squared up on their photos.

They ordered books, and prints.

When summer returned, we got back to normal a bit.

These are no longer just vacation photos in the world, but in France.

And there were, of course, marriages, for the little that there were, births, children growing up… ”

"This year, we all want to show our loved ones that we love them"

Another phenomenon linked to the crisis: the desire to please loved ones, to keep in touch.

“We have noticed an increase in the proportion of products sent to delivery addresses other than the billing address.

People create products to send them to those around them.

This year, we all want to show our loved ones that we love them, especially since we don't necessarily go to see them.

"

And if classic products, photo books or calendars, or new ones, postcards or puzzles, are mass-produced on the production lines of Cewe Laboratories, one of them never goes out of fashion: photo prints.

Customers are surprisingly still crazy about it, despite the advent of digital.

At Cewe, it is even the second product in terms of turnover: in 2019, the company shot more than 2 billion photos.

"It's a transgenerational product: older people ask for it because they have always done so, from the film," continues the general manager of the company in France.

And the teenagers because the walls of their rooms have not changed: they are still covered with photos.

"

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  • Languedoc-Roussillon

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Photo

  • Confinement

  • Montpellier

  • Economy