HP Offers Improved Inkjet Shopping Experience
Beginning this year, most new HP consumer printers will be introduced with multiple inkjet cartridge offerings. In conjunction with these new cartridge offerings, HP is rolling out a new color-coded packaging system. Three color-coded categories: standard (blue), value (green) and specialty (red), will allow customers to walk into a retail store and quickly scan their options.
To improve the customer purchasing experience, HP has extended its color-coded system to point-of-sale materials, such as updated ink selection guides. The changes will attract shoppers’ attention in retail aisles and direct them to the appropriate supplies.
Best Buy P.O.S. Highlights HD Digital Radio
Best Buy Co. has joined forces with the HD Digital Radio Alliance, a joint initiative of leading broadcasters to accelerate consumer adoption of HD Digital Radio.
The retailer’s broadened HD Radio product emphasis is supported by a comprehensive in-store point-of-sale program. Interactive HD Radio listening stations will enable customers to experience the technology’s diverse content and crystal-clear sound.
“The HD Digital Radio Alliance has made HD Digital Radio one of the hottest electronics choices around,” said Chris Homeister, Best Buy V.P., Merchandising.
Ojo Displays Personal Video Phones
Ojo is using this interactive floor display to merchandise its new Personal Video Phones in electronics, computer and communications stores.
Ojo’s personal video phones are easy to install and use and feature full motion video.
This interactive display demonstrates the phone to consumers. The display highlights some of the product features: operates as easily as a regular telephone; uses an existing household phone number; uses existing high-speed Internet connection with no PC required; and leave and receive video messages.
The display features the Ojo web address and distributes product literature.
Skype Displays Products In Wal-Marts
Wal-Mart is teaming up with Skype, to display Skype Certified™ hardware in 1,800 of its stores throughout the U.S. This partnership gives shoppers immediate hands-on access to headsets, webcams and handsets designed to work with Skype, as well as the first pre-paid cards for Skype available in the U.S.
Users download Skype software to make free voice and video calls and send instant messages over the Internet. Skype also offers paid-for products which let users make, receive and forward calls to and from landlines and mobile phones.
Kevin O’Connor, VP Wal-Mart Electronics, said, “The Skype hardware and pre-paid cards are a great fit with Wal-Mart because they offer money saving solutions for parents, grandparents, college students and military families.”
P.O.P. Digital Selling Tool Offered To Eyeglass Retailers
Framescape, the leading developer of hassle-free, completely screwless eyeglass frame technology, is debuting the first of its kind, animated point-of-purchase (POP) retail product demonstration to help retailers explain Framescape technology to consumers.
The point-of-purchase display is interactive and explains Framescape’s patented 'smart' flex-hinge technology.
“Framescape is thrilled to offer eyeglass retailers a never before seen selling and demonstration tool,” said Chris Maling, CEO of Framescape. “It is an animated instruction manual on how Framescape’s patented screwless design works, which makes explaining and selling our revolutionary design to eyewear customers so much easier.”
ReadyStation Kiosk Issues Instant MasterCards
NCR Corp. and Ready Credit Corp. have deployed a new self-service kiosk that issues instant prepaid MasterCard cards.
Utilizing the NCR EasyPoint™ Xpress kiosk platform, Ready Credit’s ReadySTATION provides consumers a convenient way to purchase an immediately-usable ReadyCARD Prepaid MasterCard.
Featuring an integrated cash acceptor and intuitive touchscreen prompts in English and Spanish, the ReadySTATION also enables consumers to reload their cards and check their card balances.
Pay By Touch Introduces Reward & Gift Card Kiosk
Pay By Touch, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, (www.paybytouch.com) has introduced its Reward and Gift Card Kiosk.
The Internet-enabled retail kiosk lets shoppers create customized store-branded and third-party gift cards with personalized “to” and “from” names and single or multiple design full-color graphics.
The kiosks store an unlimited number of graphics, so multiple merchants or brands can be supported on a single kiosk.
Using a touch-screen, the shopper chooses from multiple designs to match the gift-giving occasion, and chooses the denomination. The shopper then types in both the recipient’s and the gift giver’s name. Using a credit card, the shopper purchases the gift card directly through the kiosk.
A personalized, activated gift card is then printed in seconds, along with a receipt.
Showcraft
Microsoft Corp. has unveiled Microsoft Surface(TM), which turns an ordinary tabletop into a dynamic surface that provides effortless interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information on their own or collaboratively with their friends and families. Surface is a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that small groups can use at the same time. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, said, “We see this as a multibillion dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive.” Customers in T-Mobile retail stores will be able to place different cell phones on Surface’s interactive surface where product features, prices and phone plans will appear. For more information, visit www.surface.com.
Impart Media Group with VIRA Manufacturing and Tyco Electronics have introduced ‘The Interactive Infocenter.’ ‘InfoCenter’ enables shoppers to obtain product information of virtually any item via RFID sensors attached to in-store merchandise. When a shopper picks up any tagged product, the wireless RFID sensors trigger product specific information on the screen, via Tyco’s SyncSeer™ and Impart’s IQ™ Interactive system devices. A split screen format permits digital signage to deliver demographically targeted information. For more information, visit www.vira-net.com.
HP Labs has developed the Retail Store Assistant, bringing the power of online access to brick-and-mortar stores. The Retail Store Assistant includes an in-store kiosk, which customers can access with a loyalty card or by typing in their phone number that is linked to a retailer’s IT system, which contains inventory, sales and customer purchase information. The personalization provided by the Retail Store Assistant makes for a better shopping experience and is key to closing what retailers call the “intention-action gap.” For more information on the Retail Store Assistant visit www.hp.com.
YCD, (www.ycd.net), a world pioneer in on-site digital ambience solutions, is opening a North American office which will be based in Westminster, Colorado. YCD's digital ambience solutions go beyond digital signage, incorporating a fusion of audio and video content that allows its clients to enhance the customer experience by delivering dynamic programming tailored for the time of day and demographics of each location. Focused on ease of management, deliverability, and affordability, YCD offers a turn key customized programming solution for on-site media, including: strategy consultation, the installation of leading-edge media playback technology, content management, the delivery of market-leading video and audio content, and 24/7 ongoing support. The new office will be led by Jon Young, who joins the company as Vice President of Sales for North American operations. For more information, visit www.ycd.net.
The MediaTile Co., announced that it has integrated Verizon Wireless EV-DO Rev-A technology into its cellular-digital-signage solutions and Digital-Sign-In-A-Box(TM) products. This new cellular-broadband technology delivers nearly six times performance improvement over the previous Verizon Wireless broadband services used by MediaTile. “By incorporating Verizon Wireless’ latest cellular broadband technology into our solutions, we can now provide a direct broadcast network that rivals Ethernet and Satellite network performance, yet without the costs and complexities of an on-site network deployment,” said Keith Kelsen, CEO, MediaTile Co. “We are seeing MediaTiles integrated into retail displays and end-caps, and pump-tops.” For more information, contact MediaTile Co., 5900 Butler Lane, Scotts Valley, CA 95066; (Tel.) 831-439-8786; (Web Site) www.mediatile.com.
Paxar Corp., has launched its new consumer-facing item-level RFID solution, the magicmirror™. When a customer or sales associate brings an RFID-tagged piece of clothing in front of the magicmirror, it automatically displays rich personalized information including brand messaging, garment description, size and color availability, as well as mix-and-match guides that suggest other items for accessorizing a wardrobe. When installed in the fitting room, customers can request immediate assistance from a salesperson by simply touching the magicmirror. For more information on the magicmirror visit www.paxar.com.
Micro Industries Touch&Go POP! is an interactive kiosk with a footprint of less than 2.5 sq. ft. When configured with a Touch&Go Messenger 32P computer, the POP features an ultra-bright flat panel LCD with touch screen delivering maximum impact in any environment, from big box stores to malls to grocery stores. And unlike other systems, the Messenger 32P is powerful enough to run media-rich and complex 3D graphics, required especially for retail media networks. POP merchandising displays can provide consumers with store information, maps, product information and locations along with special promotions. For more information, contact Micro Industries, 8399 Green Meadows Dr. North, Westerville, OH 43081; (Tel) 800-446-6762; (Fax) 740-548-6184, (Web Site) www.microindustries.com.
Hankscraft offers a Digital Media Player that has a large 8.4” screen. The high resolution, 16:9 high brightness wide angle aspect ratio and 16.2M color assures exceptional playback quality. The TFT LCD screens can be activated via remote control or motion sensor. The Media Players can be paired with a memory flash card of up to 2GB. The content of the video is easily updated by reprogramming the flash card or through a USB port. For more information, contact Hankscraft, 300 Wengel Drive, Reedsburg, WI 53959; (Tel) 608-524-4341, (Web Site) www.hankscraftpop.com.
Pinnacle Launches Palm.kiosk
The Pinnacle Corp. has launched a new self service kiosk solution, Palm.kioskTM, powered by Xpedient to capitalize on the self service kiosk opportunities within the convenience store market.
The self service kiosk is an extension of Pinnacle’s Palm POS, adding even more integration convenience to their solutions for current and future Pinnacle clients.
Denise Lewis, Palm POS Solution Manager, said, “Palm.kiosk will strengthen Pinnacle’s food service offering and allow a platform to launch other kiosk-based functionality in the future.”
Initially, Palm.kiosk will include food service order operation capabilities but will be expanded to include additional functionality.
Retailers will also have the option of fitting their Palm.kiosk units with custom graphics to provide another mode of advertising to their customers at the kiosk.
Price Chopper Launches iSave Today Shopper Program
Price Chopper Supermarkets has started iSaveToday, a 1-to-1 shopper program delivering relevant offers to consumers at the start of their shopping trip. Shoppers scan their AdvantEdge (loyalty) card at the iSaveToday dispenser kiosk and within seconds receive a sheet of up to eight offers selected for them based on their shopping history.
In addition to its capability of delivering offer sheets at high speed, it houses Price Chopper's ad circulars and streaming video imparting food and health information.
Price Chopper selected Entry Point Communications (EPC), Hartford, CT, to implement the iSaveToday system.
Source Technologies & ChoicePay Create Bill Pay Kiosks
Source Technologies has partnered with ChoicePay, an electronic bill payment solutions provider to create a network of self-service bill payment kiosks.
Source Technologies will integrate the ChoicePay multi-biller, bill payment functionality into the Concourse ™ line of self-service kiosks, to enable bill payment for cash paying consumers nationwide.
Category: Window Displays
Display Producer: Monster Media
517 Lake Destiny Blvd., Suite l00 Orlando, FL 328l0
This display for the Lexus RX 350 was part of Lexus' "Actively Safe” ad campaign. The ad featured the car which appeared to have crashed through the plate glass window of a vacant storefront in San Francisco. This was made possible by Monster Media's patented MonsterVision. The ad was triggered by passing pedestrians who were stunned by the vehicle crashing into the building ahead.
Category: Permanent Displays
Display Producer: New Dimensions Research
260 Spagnoli Rd., Melville, NY 11747
Raymarine wanted to create consumer awareness about the Raymarine LifeTag, a personal wireless man overboard system used by boaters. This display allows consumers to interact with the actual LifeTag product. A product holder is designed into the counter unit that allows consumers to touch and feel the actual LifeTag unit and remove it from its position on the display for inspection. The display is designed to take up a minimum of retail floor space. It has a clean sleek look that stands out from the competition in the boating and sports recreation area. The display graphics were printed in English, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, French, Portuguese, German, Spanish and French to communicate with consumers worldwide.
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. The fixture was initially designed using standard materials and has since been redesigned using materials which utilize more biodegradable characteristics. The new panels are made from Skyblend. The vinyl woodgrain covering was replaced with paper. The PVC edgebanding was replaced with polypropylene edgebanding and the hardboard back was replaced with point stock with a wood grain finish. This display was created by Harbor Industries, South Industrial Park, Grand Haven, MI 49417.
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