Nike Opens NikeiD Studio In New York City
Nike has opened its first NIKEiD Studio at Niketown in New York City, giving consumers a more hands-on design experience and the power to design and create footwear, apparel and equipment for themselves. The NIKEiD Studio is a consumer destination for designing, personalizing and customizing Nike performance and sport culture footwear,apparel and equipment.
The Niketown New York location also features a unique touch screen in the front window of the store where consumers will be able to design on the street before an audience. People will be able to email their designs from the touch screen to their friends, to their home computer or even purchase the design inside at Niketown. The screen will display a rotation of shoe designs from around the world that have been made by consumers at www.NIKEiD.com within the past hour. Each shoe posted will have the designer’s name, the name of the creation and their country of origin.
This new permanent installation on the fifth floor of Niketown puts the consumer in control of the design process and extends the NIKEiD experience beyond the computer screen where it has lived at www.NIKEiD.com since 1999.
The NIKEiD business has more than tripled since 2004 with more than 3 million unique visitors going to www.NIKEiD.com every month. Now consumers can walk into a design studio environment and with the guidance of a Nike Design Consultant create a near-endless array of customized products from 105 key styles and a handful of items that are exclusive to the NIKEiD Studio, such as the Dunk, the Air Max 90, the Air Max BW and the Air Force 25 low.
Kiosk Enhances The Wine Shopping Experience
Curiosk Marketing Solutions, (www.curiosk.com) has introduced a touch-screen wine information kiosk that displays product information on screen after a simple scan of a wine bottle’s bar code. The kiosk then allows customers to create a personalized greeting card designed to fit over the neck of the bottle. The personal greeting along with selected wine information prints on a gift card at the kiosk in seconds.
David Weinberg, President of Curiosk, said “By using our kiosks, customers will learn about their wine selection and be able to take the information home to share with others. Greetings such as Happy Birthday, Thanks For Dinner, I Love You, or I'm Sorry... can be selected, and then customers may add a unique message. It’s as easy as Scan, Personalize, and Print.”
Rogers Communications Features Interactive Kiosk
Rogers Communications, Canada’s largest communications company, is using this kiosk to educate customers.
When a shopper picks up a wireless handheld product displayed on the kiosk, the interactive touch screen displays information abut that product. Interactive content is centrally updated and broadcast to the kiosks to keep information current.
This intractive kiosk was created for Rogers by Adflow Networks, (www.adflownetworks.com), of Burlington, Ontario.
Roots Flagship Store Featuring Interactive Window Display
Toronto’s flagship Roots store has installed an interactive window display.
The interactive window display enables people to browse and shop regardless of business hours. The interactive window display is also a key component of the environmental initiatives that Roots is undertaking. To encourage Roots customers to join the “Roots Insider” email list, Roots is working with Zerofootprint to carbon offset each new subscription.
“The interactive touch screen is an excellent platform to help promote the launch of our new carbon credit initiative because it is an entirely paperless way to bring our Roots.com promotion to one of our stores,” said James Connell, Director, Digital Marketing at Roots.
The Roots interactive window display consists of a 60-inch image projected onto an interactive touch foil affixed to the inside of a window. When not in use, promotional video content is displayed.
The interactive window display program was created for Roots by iGotcha Media, (www.i-gotcha.com), a Montreal-based digital signage firm.
Thule Develops Interactive Kiosk
Thule Inc., the Swedish car rack manufacturer, has developed the TIPP (Thule Interactive Point-of-Purchase), a touch-screen kiosk, that empowers consumers to quickly match the appropriate Thule rack to their vehicle and gear carrying needs.
Thule’s VP Marketing, TJ Hanson, said, “TIPP increases consumer satisfaction by providing a fast, easy-to-use interactive experience. TIPP also provides unique insight into the products our customers are interested in.”
Thule chose Self-Service Networks, a Portsmouth, RI-based provider of turnkey kiosk solutions to develop the kiosk.
Along with rack-vehicle matching tools, the TIPP system features product information and video demonstrations. After selecting a rack system, the selected components can be printed as a shopping list.
TIPP also gathers usage statistics which can improve other aspects of the Thule shopping experience.
Wonder Pizza Kiosks Expand Distribution
Wonder Pizza USA, (www.wonderpizzausa.com) headquartered in New Bedford, MA, is introducing new kiosks that will place pizza, America’s most popular food source in places never before available.
The innovative machine holds, cooks and serves 9” whole pizza pies in just 2 minutes. The unit features an easy to use video command ordering system.
There are three different pizzas available in each machine at one time. The kiosk has a refrigeration unit and an electrical oven. Each vending machine holds up to 102 pizzas.
Connie’s Pizza of Chicago is featured in all Wonder Pizza Kiosks.
Five years and 6 million dollars of Research and Development went into this design and subsequent manufacture of the new kiosks.
YoNaturals Launches Healthy Vending Machines
YoNaturals, Solana Beach, CA, is expanding its nationwide network of healthy vending machines, featuring more than 100 varieties of natural snacks and beverages. Many locations across the nation are replacing their ‘junk food’ vending machines with all-natural “YoZone” machines.
YoNaturals CEO Mark Trotter, said, “We have a comprehensive program featuring, state-of-the-art Healthy Vending Machines complete with 24/7 monitoring software, cashless payment systems, and a complete food & beverage distribution service that covers the entire USA.”
Showcraft
Financial Service Centers Launches Kiosks At 7-11’s
Financial Services Centers Cooperative, (FSCC), has introduced check depositing kiosks at 2,000 7-Eleven stores. The kiosks, known as Vcom™ terminals, allow members to conduct virtually any transaction they would otherwise conduct in their own credit union.
“The combination of FSCC’s technology and the Vcom distribution channel will revolutionize how consumers perform financial transactions,” said Sarah Canepa Bang, CEO, FSCC.
MyMovieMaker Kiosk Debuts At Wal-Mart Stores
The MyMovieMaker kiosk, which instantly transforms a customer’s digital photos into personalized DVD movies, is now available at Wal-Mart stores.
Consumers can now create professional personalized DVD movies using a photo center touch screen kiosk in a store.
Powered by the “aVinci® Experience,” developed by Sequoia Media Group, (www.sequoiamg.com) headquartered in Draper, UT, the product line utilizes Hollywood-style effects and themed storyboards to build an exciting movie production.
“Wal-Mart is committed to offering its customers affordable products and cutting-edge technology,” said Joe Lisuzzo, Director of Wal-Mart Photo Services and Marketing.
Apple Launches iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store At Starbucks
Apple and Starbucks have formed an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes(R) Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod(R) touch, iPhone(TM) or PC or Mac(R) running iTunes.
When a customer enters a Starbucks Store their device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network with no connection fee or hotspot login. Customers will be able to browse, search and freely preview millions of songs, including a new ‘Now Playing’ service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, then easily buy and download songs or albums directly to their device. Prices and selection on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store are the same as on the regular iTunes Store.
“With this partnership, we’re bringing Apple’s leadership in digital music together with not only our retail footprint, but the unique Starbucks experience, to offer customers a world-class digital music experience,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. “Introducing this new service is a natural extension of our music strategy which only enhances the retail coffee experience for customers by helping them discover and acquire new music instantly.”
Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said, “Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool.”
U.S. Photo Kiosk Industry Highlighting Gifting and Creative Product Mix
The North American photo kiosks market is poised to continue its growth streak, thanks to the emergence of gifting and creative product opportunities. With an anticipated compound annual growth rate of 57% through 2013, the gifting and creative mix could well increase its share of all transactions to 20 percent by 2013. Frost & Sullivan’s “U.S. Photo Kiosk Markets,” report reveals that this market earned revenues of $2.15 billion in 2006 and estimates this to reach USD 13.0 billion in 2013.
“The future of the U.S. photo kiosk industry lies in the gifting and creative product mix,” said Frost & Sullivan V.P., Rufus Connell. “Retailers no longer battle for the meager profits earned from the traditional 4x6 prints, but focus their efforts on encouraging customers to create lasting souvenirs such as photo-books, calendars and image enhanced keepsakes.”
An important challenge facing the industry is how to get consumers to print a greater percentage of the images captured on digital cameras and also camera phones. Vendors and retailers must work together to aggressively promote the various products available from photo kiosks. Without a kiosk marketing campaign, customer awareness will lag and growth over the next several years will stagnate.
YCD has joined with Philips 3D Solutions to develop a turnkey 3D solution built upon YCD’s MuVi™ (Music Video) system and RadioPoint™ content management and delivery platform, using the unique 3D displays from Philips. The solution comprises full integration between YCD’s MuVi platform and Philips 3D screens. With Philips 3D displays, viewers can experience out-of-screen 3D effects without the need for special 3D glasses. It has a wide viewing zone that allows multiple persons to experience 3D at the same time. Managing 3D content is simple, enabling the user to add 3D texts, 3D flash, or logos in real-time. For more information, visit ycd.net.
Video Electronic Marketing, Inc., offers interactive display products to attract attention and educate shoppers in-store. Video Electronic Marketing’s Shelf Mount Interactive (SMI) display unit is a cost effective Electronic Catalog designed to help shoppers with their product selection. The Shelf Mount Interactive has more than 8MB of smart media, which holds a catalog for easy updating. It features durable, industrial grade construction and is battery operated. The units can be customized with brand graphics. For more information about the Shelf Mount Interactive display unit, contact Video Electronic Marketing, Inc., 822 Southwestern Drive, El Paso, Texas 79912; (Tel.) 915-845-2700, (Toll Free) 800.577.9202, (FAX) 915-845-2600; (Web Site) www.vem.cc.
idX Corporation and Intava® Corp. have partnered to combine Intava’s dynamic touch-screen systems with the ShopRobotic by idX®. The ShopRobotic is a customizable, automated retail merchandise delivery system. The Intava interactive display enables touch-screen shopping with product comparisons, full motion video, product specifications, music samples and more—adding virtual shelf space to the merchandising system. The ShopRobotic and Intava store-front features an interactive listening station with a 32-inch plasma screen and graphical user interface, allowing for dynamic movement of products, scrolling through features, and comparison views. For more information, contact idX Corp., 3451 Rider Trail South, St. Louis, MO 63045; (Tel) 314.739.4120; (Web Site) www.idxcorporation.com.
Panasonic Tour Demonstrates High Def Products
Panasonic has launched the Living In High Definition Nationwide Tour, a multi-truck tour that will bring consumers a hands-on experience with its suite of High Definition products. The Tour features a fleet of four, custom-built trucks including a 53-foot flagship vehicle. The trucks will visit retailers and high-traffic consumer events including college and professional sports competitions and state fairs.
“Our High Definition Tour will engage consumers on the creative possibilities our High Definition products can bring to their lives,” said Bob Greenberg, Panasonic’s V.P., Brand Marketing.
Ukrop’s Launches New Coupon Dispenser
Ukrop’s Super Markets have introduced Savings Spot, a 1-to-1 shopper program delivering personalized offers and messages to shoppers at the start of their shopping trips. Shoppers scan their Ukrop's Valued Customer Card at the Savings Spot dispenser located near the store entrance and within seconds, receive a sheet of up to eight offers and messages selected just for them based on their shopping history. This program allows Ukrop's and its vendors to give unadvertised personalized offers to the chain's most valuable customers.
Ukrop’s was the first retailer to pilot this system with its creator, Entry Point Communications, Hartford, CT. (EPC).
Scott Aronson, V.P., Marketing at Ukrop’s, said, “The Savings Spot is a unique competitive advantage for Ukrop's and our key vendors to speak directly to our customers at the start of their shopping trips.”
Mitsubishi Launches ‘Rolling Showroom’
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America’s rolling showroom is a 53-foot big rig trailer. The rig nearly doubles in width to 24 feet to create a 1000-square-foot showroom filled with the latest high-definition DLP® and flat panel televisions.
On display will be more than a dozen 1080p HDTVs, including Mitsubishis SuperSlim LCD flat panel and large screen HDTVs with DLP® technology. Incorporating Mitsubishi's innovative UltraThin Frame™ design, the sets’ frame width is less than one inch wide, so a 46-inch LCD flat panel is only 42 inches wide and sleekly fits into a space equal to or smaller than the typical 42-inch plasma set. The TVs are also thinner and lighter: A 73-inch set weighs less than 100 pounds and has a depth of less than 18 inches. The rolling showroom, which features mobile internet access and a satellite dish, will travel more than 50,000 miles a year, visiting trade shows, PGA Tour Events and selected retailers.
The ProDVX Lightbox System is a low voltage, ultra slim, digital signage display that incorporates LCD monitors and Static Lightboxes, combining still images and moving video. This in-store media system can be hung on a wall or even from the ceiling. Illuminated with LCD backlights, the ProDVX Lightboxes will provide a long lasting vibrant display for years. Moving Video is provided through the ProDVX Lightbox LCD. This high bright display has 2 built in speakers and is integrated with the ProDVX F100 solid state MPEG player. The F100 player will auto play and auto loop MPEG files, JPEG files and MP3 files. It comes standard with 12 slideshow modes and an option for a slideshow with music. The integrated player is widely appreciated for its drag and drop technology.No authoring software required. The ProDVX Lightbox LCD's are available in a 17" Widescreen LCD or a 27" Widescreen LCD. For more information, contact Digit Professional, Inc. 3926 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48108.
The Focus OpticLED technology allows for coordinating the message statement with the actual mechanical part. The Focus OpticLED can be made in different LED lighting colors to attract the attention of the consumer. Sequencing LightingTM can be created with this technology to replicate images on websites, brochures, and other promotional materials. The Focus OpticLED sequence lighting technology has a long life span; its LED action movement will last for 5 years. For more information, contact Focus Packaging and Display Group, 10328 Highlands West Drive, Escondido, CA 92029; www.focuspackaging.com.
The "Tis The Season" display is an interactive unit that had to be cost effective and permanent in appearance to last through the Christmas selling season. The interactive portion was easily removable to be shipped back to the display manufacturer for reprogramming and re-use the following season. This display was created by Harbor Industries, South Industrial Park, Grand Haven, MI 49417.
The Walnut Valley Garden Center in Andover, KS, is using a unique hybrid, interactive digital signage system based on Keywest Technology's MediaXtreme. With interactive content developed by DSX Media of Wichita, the system lets customers access a map of their property via Google Earth. That plus an interactive software component from Keywest Technology allows shoppers to specify the size of their projects through a touchscreen interface and learn the exact products they'll need and how much to use. For shoppers who don't know anything about gardening and landscaping, the interactive digital signage system offers a page with 12 different examples of gardens. Simply touching a thumbnail of one opens up a page that tells shoppers everything they'll need and what it will cost. For more information, contact Keywest Technology, 14563 West 96th Terrace, Lenexa, KS 66215.
Exposystems Canada creates custom kiosks to meet any application. Using its custom aluminium extrusions, its Edge laminate panels, lighting and other proprietary products, ExpoSystems can design and build cost effective, durable kiosks to meet any design requirement. For more information, contact Exposystems Canada, 3640 B McNicoll Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario Canada, M1X 1G5.
Premiere Theatres, Melbourne, FL, has completed installation of Allure Global Solutions' Digital Box Office ('Digi-Box') and Digital Menu Board Solution.
The Allure Global DigiBox solution displays digital movie posters with movie times and ratings in full motion graphics. Integration to the theatre's POS solution for real-time data provides show-times and feature information such as title, ratings, run-time, sold-out and cancelled notifications. The Allure Global system is scalable from single to multi-screen and variable size of display based upon the configuration of the theatre. For more information, contact Allure Global Solutions,400 Embassy Row, Suite 580, Atlanta , GA 30328.
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