Chapter 1571: The Price of a “Self-Service Photo Booth”
Xiao Zhang’s girlfriend went to a self-service photo studio to get a portrait. It took 30 minutes and cost 199 yuan. He asked Lin Feng, “Is this price reasonable?” Lin Feng said, “It’s reasonable because of ‘automation without people.’ In a traditional portrait studio, photographers + makeup artists + photo editors—labor costs make up 60%. In a self-service photo booth, there are only equipment and space—labor costs account for 10%. When costs drop, prices drop too.” Xiao Zhang asked, “What about the experience?” Lin Feng said, “The experience isn’t as good as a traditional portrait studio, but the ‘value for money’ is higher. Young people aren’t looking for ‘professionalism’—they want ‘fun.’”
Chapter 1572: The “equipment logic” of self-service photo studios
Lin Feng looked into the equipment for a self-service photo studio: cameras, lighting, backdrops, and photo-editing software. He said, “The core of this business isn’t ‘taking photos’—it’s ‘equipment utilization rate.’ The higher the utilization rate, the faster it breaks even. If utilization is low, it’s a ‘heavy-asset trap.’” He found a company that does “self-service photo equipment rental.” Its core business is providing equipment to malls, scenic spots, and cinemas. The stock price hasn’t taken off yet.
Chapter 1573: The “cost restructuring” of the experience economy
That company recently launched a “modular photo studio”—the equipment can be disassembled and reassembled, and the space can be moved. Lin Feng said, “This is ‘cost restructuring.’ In a traditional photo studio, renovations cost tens of thousands of yuan at a time. In a modular photo studio, renovations cost only a few thousand. When costs drop, payback gets faster.” The stock price rose 15%.
Chapter 1574: The “social currency” of self-service photography
Lin Feng said, “The core of a self-service photo studio isn’t ‘taking photos’—it’s ‘socializing.’ Young people take their photos, post them on Moments or Xiaohongshu. The more they post, the more traffic they bring in. The more traffic they bring in, the better the business. This is ‘social currency’—photos are the currency, and socializing is the circulation.”
Chapter 1575: The “long slope” of the experience economy
Lin Feng held a position in that company, but it wasn’t large. He said, “The experience economy is a ‘long slope.’ Because young people are willing to pay for ‘experiences,’ not for ‘things.’ Experiences may change, but demand doesn’t.”
