Caratt Defines “Atelier Chain” as a New Category in the Photo Studio Market

Caratt Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kashiba City, Nara Prefecture; President and Representative Director: Takayuki Okuno) has defined a new category in the photo studio market called the “Atelier Chain.” The company’s Studio Coffret brand operates 51 locations, each developed with a different concept and design. “Atelier Chain” is the term used to describe this approach to store creation. In recent years, the photo studio market appears to be polarizing between low-priced, standardized chain studios and high-value-added studios with distinctive worldviews. At the same time, new needs are becoming more visible: customers want accessibility while still caring about the visual world of their photos, and they seek a special experience while choosing a studio they can use with confidence. These needs are expanding beyond conventional market categories. Against this backdrop, value beyond function and price, such as what kind of experience a studio offers and what kind of visual world customers can preserve in their photos, is becoming an important criterion when choosing a photo studio. Studio Coffret designs a different concept and story for each location, providing distinct spatial experiences while combining this with the scalability of a chain. Unlike typical chain stores that horizontally deploy the same design or format, Studio Coffret builds each location’s concept, story, and spatial design from scratch. As a result, no two Studio Coffret locations are the same. Maintaining brand quality and experiential value while giving each location its own design and story is the brand’s unique strength. Caratt has therefore defined “Atelier Chain” as a market category that combines atelier-like originality and design quality with the scalability and reproducibility of a chain. The category is positioned as one that offers both design originality and the value of price and convenience. Its defining elements include unified branding across the entire brand; concepts and spatial designs created from scratch for each location; one-of-a-kind designs and stories for each store; visual quality with attention to light, color, and materials; and multi-location development while maintaining brand consistency. This is not merely an intermediate position between design originality and price convenience. It is a new market category created by combining the strengths of both, and Caratt believes it may become one of the future trends in the photo studio market. At Studio Coffret Natori Studio, scheduled to open on May 22, 2026, the company will introduce a studio design that more symbolically embodies the “Atelier Chain” philosophy Studio Coffret has built over time. Going forward, Caratt will continue to offer a new perspective on how customers choose photo studios, expanding the criteria beyond price and location to include the experience and worldview customers can obtain. As the Atelier Chain category evolves, the company will also develop the value of photo studios from photography services into experiential value. Studio Coffret offers a fully private space for two hours, allowing children to be photographed naturally in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition to hair and makeup, interiors and some costumes are also original to Coffret. The brand has a loyal fan base, including customers who return for photo sessions every year. Caratt Co., Ltd. was established in December 2004, following its founding in April 1994, and is headquartered at 416-1 Kamada, Kashiba City, Nara Prefecture. Guided by the desire to create communication that enriches people’s lives through photography, the company operates four photo studio brands: Studio Caratt for children and families, Clair Bridal Studio for bridal photography, Furisode Studio Lovely for furisode kimono photography, and the private-style Studio Coffret. It also provides services that accompany various life moments, including e-commerce site operations and studio design.