Falling visitor arrivals and high rents are forcing some film retailers in tourist areas to close, according to Kodak (Far East) general manager of consumer imaging, Jacky Chan Yiu-wing.
Retailers in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay had seen profits come under pressure as sales declined amid the tourist downturn, he said.
Hong Kong demand for film was stable and this should offset the impact of the lower sales to tourists, even though sales of film would fall amid the economic slowdown.
Despite this, he said he expected new film retailers to emerge in shopping malls in new towns such as Yuen Long and Tseung Kwan O.
A year ago, Kodak's parent Eastman Kodak and five camera-makers launched the Advanced Photo System (APS), a photographic format which includes film, cameras, and photo-finishing equipment.
Mr Chan said it would take at least two more years for the APS to gain popularity because it involved a sweeping change to the existing system.
