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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1987
INDUSTRY STUDY FOCUSSES ON PHOTOGRAPHIC, OPTICAL GOODS
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HONG KONG'S PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS INDUSTRY HAS COME UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT IN A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.
THE STUDY REPORT, WHICH HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED, SHOWS THAT ALTHOUGH IT IS ONE OF HONG KONG'S FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRIES, THE PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS INDUSTRY SUFFERS FROM STRONG COMPETITION, SHORTAGE OF EXPERIENCED PRODUCT DESIGNERS, AND DIFFICULTIES OVER BREAKING INTO THE HIGH-END OF THE MARKET.
THE REPORT CITES A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THE INDUSTRY'S RAPID GROWTH OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES AND THESE INCLUDE: EFFORTS BY MANUFACTURERS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS AS WELL AS THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR PRODUCTION METHODS- THE AVAILABILITY OF A PRODUCTIVE AND RELATIVELY CHEAP LABOUR FORCE- THE INCREASED POPULARITY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTS AND A WELL-ESTABLISHED SYSTEM OF SUB-CONTRACTING SUPPORT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF OPTICAL GOODS.
THE REPORT NOTES THAT HONG KONG'S PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS ARE NOW WELL ACCEPTED IN OVERSEAS MARKETS, AND THAT +ACCORDING TO INDUSTRY SOURCES, THE TERRITORY IS THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF HIGH-END PRISMATIC BINOCULARS IN THE WORLD AND IS CONSISTENTLY THE LEADING EXPORTER.+
BUT THE STUDY ALSO IDENTIFIES A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS FACING THE INDUSTRY.
IN THE CASE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC GOODS, THE REPORT SAY: +ALTHOUGH LOCAL COMPETITION IS NOT KEEN BECAUSE OF THE SMALL NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS (40 ESTABLISHMENTS WITH 7 799 WORKERS) ENGAGED IN THIS INDUSTRY, HONG KONG ENCOUNTERS STRONG COMPETITION FROM TAIWAN AND SOUTH KOREA FOR MARKETS OF LOW-PRICED CAMERAS OR FLASHLIGHTS WITH SIMPLE DESIGNS, AND FROM JAPAN IN RESPECT OF THE MORE SOPHISTICATED HIGHER-END PRODUCTS.
+IN ORDER TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, LOCAL MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CUT PRICES AND LOWER PROFIT MARGINS.+
AS FOR OPTICAL GOODS, THE STUDY BLAMES STRONG COMPETITION, IN THIS CASE BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, FOR STEADILY DROPPING PRICES OF SPECTACLES AND FRAMES IN RECENT YEARS.
AGAIN THE TOUGHEST COMPETITION COMES FROM SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN IN THE MARKET FOR LOWER-PRICED PRODUCTS, WHILE JAPAN LEADS IN THE HIGHER-PRICED MARKET.
/THE STUDY *****
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