FYE To Offer Windows XP-based Viewing Stations
Trans World Entertainment’s “FYE,” the nation's largest mall-based specialty retailer of music and video products, will employ Microsoft.NET technologies, Windows Media technology and the Windows XP operating system to deliver a richer music-shopping experience for FYE customers both in-store and online.
Through its “eWorks” initiative, FYE will deploy more than 25,000 Windows XP-based listening and viewing stations and kiosks in its stores, using Windows Media to provide high-quality audio and video samplings.
Windows XP technology will allow FYE to individually tailor the shopping experience for consumers both online and in-store. The centerpiece of FYE’s in-store music experience will be more than 25,000 industry-leading listening and viewing stations built on Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Media technology, offering consumers a revolutionary new shopping experience through its new “Backstage Pass” loyalty program. Through these listening and viewing stations, consumers will have the ability to sample music and videos, as well as preview any selection stocked in the store.
With more than 1,000 new Windows XP-powered kiosks, consumers will be able to search and browse FYE's entire library, sample music, and order and ship normally hard-to-find selections. Both the Windows XP-powered kiosks and listening stations will be rolled out to FYE locations over the next year.
Initial locations include the Company’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan as well as locations in Detroit, MI; Hartford, CT; Seattle, WA and Tampa, FL.
Virgin Entertainment Introduces Digital Preview System
Virgin Entertainment Group has selected the new IBM NetVista Kiosk for a unique, in-store digital preview system.
The new online system allows Virgin Megastore customers-simply by scanning a product's bar code at the Web-enabled kiosk-to preview more than 250,000 CDs, 11,000 DVDs and 7,000 console games before deciding what to buy. Virgin developed the new system in house with touch screen kiosk technology from IBM, server and client software technology from Microsoft and entertainment data from Muze and Video Pipeline. The new system also provides Virgin recommended titles, and soon will offer search, remote ordering and access to exclusive Virgin content and products. Customers will be able to search by criteria including artist name, album title, movie name, actor, producer, writer or director.
The system is the first stage in an ongoing initiative to integrate Virgin Entertainment Group’s “Click and Bricks” operations.
Circuit City’s Broadband Station Offers Internet
Circuit City has announced the installation of Broadband Stations at 598 superstores nationwide. The retailer has agreements with five of the top six major cable systems and two national DSL providers, giving it the most comprehensive display of Broadband High Speed Internet options offered at any consumer electronics retailer.
Using the Broadband Station, any customer in any market can now easily learn about Broadband, find out what services are available to them and make the purchase to get up and running.
“We realize that we need not only to tell our customers that Circuit City provides Broadband products, but show them how this technology connects everything in their home-from personal computers and digital cameras to handheld computers and MP3 players,” said John Froman, Circuit City’s Executive Vice President of Merchandising. “Circuit City’s ultimate goal in providing the Broadband Station is to make Broadband technology simple to understand, purchase and use.”
The Circuit City Broadband Station is one-stop shopping for customers, according to Froman. Instead of wondering how fast a Broadband connection is, customers can test it out themselves by surfing the Internet right in the store. The Broadband Station is equipped with a television that runs a DVD program, which highlights what Broadband can do and showcases products that can be enabled or enhanced with a Broadband connection. Customers also have easy access to the hardware they need. Available at the Broadband Station are modems from leading vendors such as Motorola, Inc., Thompson Electronics Co. and Hughes Electronics Corporation and home networking solutions. Trained associates, called Broadband Specialists, are also in the store to answer questions from consumers.
Interactive Display Introduces GE’s Reveal Bulb
GE Lighting is using this interactive light box display to introduce its new Reveal light bulb. This “GE Reveal Comparator”
display is designed with a button that activates both light and sound to demonstrate the difference between a room lighted with a GE Reveal bulb, and a room with ordinary light. The lighting components in the display illuminate images on silk screened labels that depict a typical household room. The display’s sound chip provides narration.
The light box, which is 19” wide x 8” deep x 13” tall, is constructed of white powder-coated sheet metal for durability in a heavily trafficked retail environment.
This display was created for GE Lighting by Display Technologies, Inc., a College Point, NY-based p.o.p. display firm.
Toys “R” Us Flagship Store Opens In NYC
Toys “R” Us has opened its international flagship store in New York City's Times Square. “Our Toys “R” Us Times Square store encompasses our strategic vision of renewing the company’s growth heritage over the next few years,” said John Eyler, Chairman and CEO. “We are bringing together the best in theatrical retailing into a specialty, shop-oriented environment.”
The centerpiece of Toys “R” Us Times Square is the 60-foot-tall indoor Ferris Wheel. The store's entire façade is made of glass panels which reveal an expansive scrolling billboard system that unveils timed toy and branding messages for the 1.5 million guests who travel through Times Square every day. The billboard, consisting of 165 six-foot by five-foot scrolling panels, changes appearance in seconds. In addition to the large external billboard system, the store also boasts the Geoffreytron, a 20-foot LED screen that offers entertainment from toy trivia to videos of the latest toys.
The international flagship store houses more than 20 feature attractions, which include: a 4,000-sq.-ft., two-story, contemporary Barbie Dollhouse with its own staircase, elevator and the latest in Barbie merchandise and fashions. At the Jurassic Park Exhibit, there is a 5-ton, 20-foot high and 34-foot long animatronic T-Rex dinosaur with a mighty roar and realistic moves. In the E.T. Shop, there is an animatronic 42-inch tall E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial-complete with a glowing heart, nodding head, blinking eyes and finger pointing “home” to his 1,600-pound light-flashing spacecraft hovering overhead. The Candy Land Shop is like walking into an actual version of this favorite children’s board game with innovative life-size candy sculptures amongst the sweets that are displayed. Guests can take a shopping break at the “Pepsi Taste Station,” an interactive refreshment center.
Good Guys Opens New Flagship Location
Good Guys has opened a new flagship location in Los Angeles that will serve as a prototype for future Good Guys locations. The new flagship features theme-based lifestyle imagery, original fixture designs and many different interactive displays. In-depth information is available on virtually every product.
Cathy Stauffer, Exec. V.P., Merchandising & Advertising, Good Guys, said the new store “represents a dramatic departure from traditional consumer electronics merchandising. By making products more inviting to customers and easier to understand through high-impact graphics, detailed product information and interactive displays in an open, sales-assisted environment, Good Guys is taking the complexity out of shopping for entertainment electronics.”
ING Direct Café Opens With Great Deals On Savings, Loans And Great Coffee
The ING DIRECT Café recently opened in Philadelphia, PA, offering visitors the chance to save money and obtain loans while enjoying a coffee. Visitors can also select from a wide range of ING DIRECT merchandise, relax and read in a comfortable setting or get information about bank products from the Café staff. Customers can surf the Internet for free via onsite computer terminals that are also available for customers to open an account online, check their account status or move funds via the ING DIRECT Web site.
“Our orange ING DIRECT Café is modern, yet designed to be welcoming and comfortable,”said Arkadi Kuhlmann, CEO. “This café allows our customers and guests to visit ING DIRECT, buy a cup of coffee, and learn about the great deals we offer.”
Bank Of America Debuts Talking ATMs
Bank of America has reconfirmed its commitment to the visually impaired community by announcing plans to install more than 7,000 Talking ATMs coast to coast. More than 3,000 talking ATMs are planned by the end of 2002, and the rollout is expected to be complete by the end of 2005.
Bill Raymond, Manager, ATM Channel Strategies & Development at Bank of America, said, “Talking ATMs along with compliant web pages, specialized statements and other initiatives further demonstrate our commitment to serving our customers and how we are embracing ingenuity to make their lives easier.”
Talking ATMs provide audible instructions to people who cannot view information on an ATM screen. The ATMs have audio jacks that deliver spoken instructions through standard headsets to protect the security of users who are blind or have low-vision.
Pokemon Center Opens
Pokemon Center, the new interactive, retail destination in New York’s Rockefeller Center, features interactive gaming environments, free activities and Pokemon merchandise.
Among the features of this one-stop Pokemon destination are: Pokemon Sound and Light Shows-characters dance around the walls depicting the Pokemon Universe. Animatronic Characters-life-size Pokemon characters, guided by computer-controlled motion systems, create a larger-than-life feeling of being within the Pokemon world. Pokemon Trainer Gym-the gym lets visitors try out the latest Pokemon games on both Game Cube and N64 platforms. Each of the game stations features a 42" plasma TV screen. A Trainer Scoreboard lists rankings and depicts photos of players. Pokemon Distributing Machine-Four distributing stations are equipped with large screen displays and docking ports for Game Boy cartridges to swap and receive special Pokemon characters available exclusively at the Pokemon Center. Ultra Pokedex-This interactive database is the knowledge center for the Pokemon world, featuring stats and video images of all 251 characters, and information on store merchandise.
JesterTek Inc. has introduced a device-free interactive control technology that enables users to control large-screen 3D displays with simple hand gestures that eliminate the need for a mouse, keyboard or touchscreen. The technology uses an integrated large-screen video display, camera, computer and JesterTek’s JestPoint video gesture control software to enable users to interact with multimedia and web content simply by pointing. Users can stand at any distance from any size screen and point to control content ranging from web sites to rich multimedia presentations. Users can control 3D images without holding or touching anything. JestPoint can be used for displays of all sizes, from kiosks to video walls, as well as retail window displays that can be controlled through the glass by passersby from the street. For more information, contact JesterTek, headquartered in Woodbury, NY; (Tel) 800-315-1189 (Web Site) www.jestertek.com.
1st Kiosk offers KlearSIGN for dynamic branding, electronic signage and instant customer appeal. KlearSIGN is deployed as a single unit or in groups. Individual panels range in size from 10" to 50" on the diagonal. In combination with projection systems, these displays can be nearly any size required. KlearSIGN's digital displays are connected electronically to a central database where content and logos are maintained. For more information, contact 1st Kiosk Corp., 24307 Magic Mountain Parkway, #24, Valencia, CA 91355; (Tel) 661-297-9150; (Fax) 661-297-4044, (Web Site) www.1stkiosk.com.
Everbrite recently debuted its state-of-the-art LumiDigit system, which based on an array of remotely controlled LED numeric modules, makes price changes easily and safely accomplished. The LumiDigit system offers the latest in microprocessor technology within its low profile control console, so changing prices can be accomplished behind the counter by the push of a button. The console features a durable membrane keypad and an LCD panel that provide visual confirmation of the information displayed on the remote sign(s). Its variable dimming capability includes nine levels of brightness to ensure optimal visibility-even in direct sunlight. For more information on LumiDigit, contact Everbrite, Inc., 4949 S. 100th Street, P.O. Box 20020, Greenfield, WI 53220-0020; (Tel) 1-800-558-3888, 414-529-3500, (Fax) 414-529-7191.
Fujitsu-ICL Systems has introduced the Fujitsu TeamKey, a compact combination flat-screen point-of-sale display with keypad and magnetic stripe reader. “We’ve built a compact, yet feature-rich POS offering that expands retailers’ capabilities, while adding a display that’s affordable, adaptable and very small in size,” said Ron Omohundro, Fujitsu-ICL Exec. V. P. “Being Web enabled and capable of full-motion video, the unit is ideal for training store associates and offering promotions to shoppers.” The display also can serve as a stand-alone kiosk. For more information, visit the Fujitsu-ICL System Web site at www.fujitsu.com.
Elo TouchSystems, Inc., a global leader in touch technology and a unit of Tyco Electronics, has introduced the Entuitive 1725L 17" LCD desktop touchmonitor, with applications for the retail industry. The cost effective 17" form factor rivals the on-screen information display of an 18" monitor while maintaining a much more affordable price point. Elo makes the new 1725L available with a choice of Elo touch technologies: either AccuTouch five-wire resistive or IntelliTouch surface-wave. The 17" model is the latest addition to Elo's existing family of Entuitive LCD desktop touchmonitors, which already includes 12", 15" and 18"models. For more information, contact Elo TouchSystems at (Tel) 800-ELO-TOUCH, (Web site) www.elotouch.com.
CNC Industries, Inc. specializes in producing kiosks and components in wood or plastic. For more information, contact CNC Industries, Inc., 4650 S. Pinemont, Houston, TX 77041; (Tel) 888-461-5080, 713-934-8233, (Fax) 713-934-8363; (Web Site) www.cnc-ind.com.
Touch Controls, Inc. has introduced its first Ultra SVGA 21.3" Flat Panel Touch Screen Display for interactive display applications.. With immunity to surface cuts, scratches, and wear, it offers continuous reliable performance in the most demanding environments. The FTD 21 Series is available in a panel-mount, bench-top, and enclosure-mounted configuration. It delivers high-resolution graphics on a bright 21.3" Active Matrix TFT LCD display. For more information, contact Touch Controls, Inc., 520 Industrial Way, Fallbrook, CA 92028; (Tel) 800-848-4385, (Fax) 760-723-7910, (Web Site) www.touchcontrols.com.
3M Touch Systems has introduced the MicroTouch 15.1" and 17" Flat Panel Display ChassisTouch monitors. These new monitor products are designed for kiosks and other installations where compact, touch-integrated displays are preferred. The rugged, metal ChassisTouch monitors are specifically engineered to be mounted easily and securely into kiosks and other enclosures with the use of simple brackets. With a consistent footprint, a slim profile (under 3") and a straight, flat bezel area, these products streamline the development cycle and will maintain footprints far longer than a traditional desktop CRT. ChassisTouch FPD monitors are available with flexible resistive touch technology or durable ClearTek capacitive touch technology. For more information, visit www.3mtouchsystems.com.
TEP Systems produces interactive display systems designed to save space for retail and other applications. The company offers space saving displays starting at 6.4"; solid state technology with no moving parts for increased reliability; digital format which provides a premium quality picture; and a compact flash card used for the content that is affordable and easy to update. These interactive systems are a great alternative to standard VCR presentations. For more information, contact TEP Systems, LLC, 10832 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, MN 55437; (Tel) 952-884-6706, (Fax) 952-884-6707, (Web) www.tepsystems.com.
Concept Design Productions, offers the O-Zone series, a family of integrated exhibition systems. Series A features a 16' tall curved and shaped I-Beam in red enamel holding a 10" diameter Silver ring filled with textured natural open weave textile and a shaped client graphic or other element on one or both sides. A curved silver aluminum-grating base provides the footing with through lighting possibilities. Series B is a 10' tall curved and shaped I-Beam in cool blue enamel holding a 6' diameter black ring and Series C is an 8' tall curved and shaped I-Beam in a rich amber yellow enamel holding a 4' diameter black ring. The Series C is a fully integrated interactive single or double kiosk station. Concept also provides counter level touch screen or product presentations shelving, standing bar level interaction, eye level monitor or plasma screen displays and even larger projection screens or flat screen displays up to 36" diagonal mounted within the large ring. For more information, visit the Concept Design Productions web site at www.conceptdesigninc.com.
SignStorey Adds New Barcode & Audio Technologies
SignStorey, Inc., has announced the addition of two new technologies- barcode scanning and an informational audio loop to its SignStorey internet-based in-store merchandising tool.
SignStorey’s new barcode scanning device allows store customers to wave a product in front of the screen to learn more about a product. For instance, a bottle of wine can be passed by the scanner to read reviews, a description of the vineyard, food suggestions, etc.
For more information, contact SignStorey, Inc., 24 Industrial Park Road West, Tolland, CT 06084; (Tel) 860-871-5043.
CIMStudio Delivers TV Programming To Lazarus Store
Cox Interactive Media’s in-house advertising agency, CIMStudio, and Federated Department Stores, have teamed up to launch in-house TV/Internet programming at the new Lazarus located in Columbus, OH.
The programming, viewable on 42-inch plasma screens located throughout the store, features a split-screen format with local and national news along with marketing content to enhance customers’ in-store experience. Advertising sponsorships are available for a wide range of programming.
For more information on this in-store network, visit www.cimedia.com.
Fujitsu & Passeport Team For Ad Network
Fujitsu General America and Passeport Media, a Montreal-based advertising firm, have joined forces to create high-resolution electronic video display screens. The first installation of the new display screens was recently completed at Canada’s Montreal-Dorval International Airport.
For more information, visit www.plasmaTVnews.org; or www.passeportmedia.com.
Video Venue Offers Video Ad Network
Video Venue offers a point-of-sale video advertising network. Full motion video ads with audio are delivered to weather-proof screens on fuel pumps across North America.
Advertisers can choose from a host of networks; each network consists of 300 locations, with multiple pumps at each location.
For more information, contact Video Venue, 7400 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231; (Tel) 941-923-9966, (Fax) 941-241-6622, (Web Site) www.video-venue.net.
CIMStudio Delivers TV Programming To Lazarus Store
Cox Interactive Media’s in-house advertising agency, CIMStudio, and Federated Department Stores, have teamed up to launch in-house TV/Internet programming at the new Lazarus located in Columbus, OH.
The programming, viewable on 42-inch plasma screens located throughout the store, features a split-screen format with local and national news along with marketing content to enhance customers’ in-store experience. Advertising sponsorships are available for a wide range of programming.
For more information on this in-store network, visit www.cimedia.com.
LEGO Tour Promotes Product Line
LEGO wanted to promote its line of Underwater Adventure products and its “Deep Sea Challenge” building contest. Digital Tech Frontier LLC of Phoenix, AZ, was retained to create a LEGO world tour.
Using 3D animation technology, Digital Tech Frontier created Deep Sea Adventure, a virtual Lego adventure with digitally rendered LEGO Divers and Aquariders. Digital Tech Frontier took Vride, its mobile sensory theater, on the road. Within the mobile theater, which seated 12 people at a showing, each person viewed the 3D experience through their own Personal Head Mounted Display.
Adspace Networks Launches CoolSign Theater Network
Adspace Networks has introduced the CoolSign Theater Network of digital displays offering advertisers a new way to reach 40 million annual moviegoers. The firm has installed its CoolSign displays in Loews Cineplex Entertainment movie theatres across the nation.
The CoolSign displays use a 50-inch diagonal gas plasma flat panel screen, featuring full-motion video. Advertisers can target ads for specific markets and change them instantly.
For more information, contact Adspace Networks, 270 East Lane, Burlingame, CA 94010; (Tel) 650-231-0120.
Hiram Walker’s Stoli Vodka Offers Consumers A CD For Perfect Martini Recipes
Promotion Associates, Inc., a Lake Grove, NY-based sales promotion agency, has created an interactive mini CD-ROM compilation of more than 200 martini recipes, bar tips and martini legends, and fashioned the first interactive Martini Guide for Allied Domecq's Hiram Walker Liqueurs and Stolichnaya Vodka customers.
The 98-megabyte mini CD is being distributed nationwide on the necks of 250,000 bottles as a gift with purchase. It gives customers hundreds of ways to enjoy today’s hippest, most versatile cocktail, the martini.
The promotion objective is to highlight the mixability of Hiram Walker and reinvigorate bar requests calling for Stolichnaya by name.
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