Hagemeyer drops Minolta, signs Casio digital cameras

Hagemeyer Photographics has taken over the Australian distribution of Casio digital cameras, ousting major Casio representative Shriro Australia from the lucrative product line.

The announcement that Shriro -- which represents all Casio's electronic lines here -- would cease distribution of the vendor's digital cameras came 30 January.

Meg Wise, camera product manager at Hagemeyer Brands Australia -- a sister company of integrator Hagemeyer Communications -- said the deal was for three digital cameras and their accessories but more skews and models were expected from April.

“We actually see Casio as a brand with a lot of potential in this market at the moment. It's number three in Japan,” she said.

The Casio range of digital cameras and accessories was expected to earn Hagemeyer Brands $12 million in revenue in the first 12 months, she said.

“Casio sits against Sony, Pentax, Konica, Minolta and Canon. It's just the branding at the moment has needed emphasis in Australia,” Wise said.

Wise said that Casio did not make any of the more standard 35mm cameras so concentrated on digital.

However, Casio would also fill a hole left by Minolta, which was not renewing its contract with Hagemeyer brands as a result of the Konica-Minolta merger in Japan, she said.

“We are currently carrying Minolta until April,” Wise said.

A spokesperson for Shriro Australia said that he was not personally at liberty to say why Shriro had ceased Casio digital camera distribution in Australia.

Shriro would continue to represent all other Casio product lines here, he said.

Casio did not represent itself directly in Australia, he said.