Cingular Wireless Opens Flagship Stores
With the opening of three new retail stores, Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless carrier, debuts an innovative store design that enables customers to try various wireless services before buying. The unique store design, which provides shoppers with a new level of accessibility to products, services and store personnel, will be introduced in all of Cingular’s retail outlets.
The three flagship prototype stores are opening in the Dallas, Atlanta and Trussville, AL markets. Cingular is re-designing and incorporating elements of the new look into 90% of its retail stores by year's end. The new stores provide a unique shopping experience unavailable in wireless stores today. Rather than the typical wireless “hardware store,” Cingular Wireless customers will find a welcoming, café style area with a Live Bar that enables customers to try out products and services right from the store. A hands-on approach allows customers to access the Internet and download ringtones to their phones, try out the Wireless Internet from one of the latest mobile phones, or send text messages to another phone. The Live Bar, a unique new approach to wireless products, enables customers to “try before you buy” and choose a plan, special features and accessories that best express their needs and personality.
Callison Architecture, Inc., Seattle, WA, is providing conceptual design and program management services for the new Cingular retail stores. The Callison team will be supported by Insight Alliance partner, Atlanta, GA-based, Thompson Ventulett & Stainback.
KitchenAid Launches Retail Kiosks
KitchenAid recently retained Centerville, OH-based media solutions provider, Cloonan + Associates, to develop a kiosk for use nationwide at The Great Indoors, the new home store owned by the Sears Corp.
Lillian Rappette, Sales Trade Marketing Manager for KitchenAid, said, “The kiosk is a comprehensive, interactive learning center for our consumers and cutting-edge merchandising tool for our retailers. KitchenAid recognized the importance of enhancing the purchase experience and providing home enthusiasts with a revolutionary resource to help them with their buying decisions.”
KitchenAid’s kiosk showcases over 100 different kitchen appliances and product accessories. It provides more than 60 different product videos, KitchenAid culinary event listings, free gourmet recipes, warranty information, a kitchen gallery album for remodeling inspiration, and a marketing software application that tracks and monitors consumer preferences.
The Cloonan team completed the software development, videos and graphic design. Exhibit Concepts, based in Vandalia, OH, built the kiosk cabinetry.
7-Eleven Tests New Web-Enabled Kiosks
7-Eleven is testing new, automated financial services and web-enabled kiosks as part of a pilot program in the Ft. Myers and Naples, FL area.
Vcom is 7-Eleven stores' self-service, fully automated and Web-enabled kiosk that merges the capabilities of an ATM with the benefits of the Internet. Vcom will provide financial services beyond those of a conventional ATM including money orders, money transfers and, later this summer, check cashing. In the future, 7-Eleven anticipates that customers will be able to have touch-screen access to services such as bill payment, deposit capability, event ticketing, travel directions and road maps. Also, Vcom may offer customers online shopping and fulfillment options that use the daily distribution centers serving 7-Eleven stores in Florida.
John Harris, V.P. of 7-Eleven’s 530-store Florida Division, said, “We believe customers will like this innovative way of purchasing money orders, transferring money, cashing checks and having faster ATM transactions. Vcom adds a new dimension of convenience for our customers.”
Skateboarders Get Internet Access At Vans Skateparks
Vans has introduced Internet kiosks for use by skateboarders, in-line skaters and BMX freestyle riders inside Vans Skateparks nationwide and in Vans stores, allowing users to access the Vans Web site for information on Vans footwear products, dealers, events, contests, skatepark construction and more.
The kiosks, produced and installed by Kiosk Information Systems (KIS), Broomfield, CO, are equipped with touch screen technology for ease of use. KIS President Rick Malone, said, “The sleek design of the KT-110 Stealth kiosk functions as an artistic accessory for Vans. Yet, it also provides users with all the information they need on Vans products and services.”
Virgin Megastores Offering Digital Preview System
The Virgin Entertainment Group (VEG) has announced the pilot launch of Virgin’s new digital Preview System, which allows customers to preview a huge assortment of both music and video on demand. It is the most advanced entertainment preview system in the market today, and will allow customers to access a database of over 10,000 DVDs and 200,000 CDs through an easy to use touch-screen interface. Virgin developed the system using entertainment data supplied by Muze, Inc.
The system allows customers to preview entertainment product by simply scanning the item’s barcode. It also provides Virgin recommended titles, and soon will offer search, remote ordering and access to exclusive Virgin content and products. The system is the first stage in an ongoing initiative to integrate VEG’s “Clicks and Bricks” operations.
“Combining Muze’s comprehensive entertainment data with Virgin’s inventory data allows us to provide our customers with the richest product information possible, so everything consumers want to know about our products is right at their fingertips,” said Anthony Dean, Vice President, Retail Development for VEG.
Staples’ New Location In Rail Station Serves Business Travelers
Staples Inc., operator of more than 1,300 office superstores, announced that the company is expanding service to business travelers by opening a new store at the Amtrak Concourse in Penn Station in NYC.
The 2,000 sq. ft. store will offer commuters a varied selection of merchandise suited to the specific needs of the business traveler, including small pack sizes of paper, presentation materials, travel supplies, luggage and small electronics. Self-service copying and faxing will also be offered. For customers who want to order supplies and have them delivered to their final travel destination, home or office, a Staples.com kiosk will be available.
Kiosks To Fuel Photography Revolution
The proliferation of digital solutions will provide a retail infrastructure to fuel the digital photography revolution, according to a report by InfoTrends Research Group, Boston, MA. Photo kiosks are public consumer-operated stations that allow users to work with their own photos, while digital minilabs, located behind the retail counter, process film and print from a digital file.
“Our research shows that photo kiosk usage is growing,” said Kerry Flatley, Research Analyst for InfoTrends Research Group. “Awareness and usage are still low, with less than 20% of U.S. households having used a photo kiosk, but satisfaction among users is relatively high, providing opportunity for much growth. The installed base of photo kiosks in North America is projected to grow from around 26,000 in 2000 to almost 150,000 by 2006.”
Most consumers today use photo kiosks for making reprints (72%) or enlargements (64%) from their snapshots. They are attracted to the convenience and customization offered by the kiosks, compared to the traditional approach of handling negatives and waiting days for the results. New features being introduced include photo kiosks aimed specifically at digital camera users who want immediate prints; kiosks that accept credit cards and thus can be located virtually anywhere; kiosks that use alternative types of print engines such as inkjet; and kiosks that have no print engines but send photos directly to the Web or to a remote high speed print engine, such as a digital minilab.
The report outlines the impact of these digital photofinishing solutions in retail environments. Today, they primarily serve film users, but digital camera users seeking simple one-hour processing will make up an increasingly significant part of their base.
Staples’ New Location In Rail Station Serves Business Travelers
Staples Inc., operator of more than 1,300 office superstores, announced that the company is expanding service to business travelers by opening a new store at the Amtrak Concourse in Penn Station in NYC.
The 2,000 sq. ft. store will offer commuters a varied selection of merchandise suited to the specific needs of the business traveler, including small pack sizes of paper, presentation materials, travel supplies, luggage and small electronics. Self-service copying and faxing will also be offered. For customers who want to order supplies and have them delivered to their final travel destination, home or office, a Staples.com kiosk will be available.
Netkey Inc. a Branford, CT-based provider of software for kiosks, Web-enabled ATMs and managed PCs, has partnered with PanelTech Hai-Sei and Streak Technology, two worldwide providers of kiosk hardware and enclosures. “PanelTech Hai-Sei and Streak will help Netkey provide world-class self-service technologies for our clients, helping them increase sales and improve brand awareness,” said Alex Richardson, CEO of Netkey. Headquartered in Taiwan, PanelTech Hai-Sei is a subsidiary of one of the largest manufacturers of computer hardware in Asia. Streak Technology is a kiosk enclosure firm based in San Jose, CA. For more information, contact Netkey, Inc., 32 Park Drive E, Branford, CT 06405; (Tel) 203-483-2888; (Fax) 203-483-2893; (Web Site) www.netkey.com.
Infinite Marketing introduces the Virtual Sales Rep (VSR), an interactive video display that delivers broadcast-quality mini-infomercials at the point-of-purchase. The VSR allows consumers to choose exactly what interests them most by simply pushing a button. Then, they watch the full-motion video on the screen. The VSR’s reliable “Touch & Tell” technology reduces kiosk cost by as much as 80%, and is more reliable and easier to use. For more information on the VSR, contact Infinite Marketing, 2914 Lenox Road, Atlanta, GA 30324; (Tel) 404-233-3321, 888-596-7353, (Fax) 404-233-3382; (Web Site) www.infinitemarketing.com.
TouchSystems Corp. has introduced its all-in-one touch computer line. Sleek and slim, and ideal for kiosk integration, Media Touch saves 60% desktop space over other units where the monitor and pc are combined into one package. The durable construction provides unmatched reliability, while sleek appearance and space saving design makes Media Touch great for kiosk applications. For more information on Media Touch, contact TouchSystems Corp., One Chisholm Trail, Round Rock, TX 78681; (Tel) 800-320-5944, 512-388-0090, (Fax) 512-388-0094, (Web Site) www.touchsystems.com.
Best Buy Debuts Mobile Fun Zone
Best Buy Co. has launched the Best Buy Fun Zone Mobile Technology Truck, a mobile marketing tour to bring technology to consumers.
The traveling Fun Zone features kiosks with interactive gaming and digital music zones; the latest technology offered at Best Buy stores, including products featured in integrated home office, high-definition home theater and high-tech kitchen settings; and an expandable stage. The Fun Zone also includes a home environment with home integration and satellite connectivity within the 53-foot trailer. The trailer also features a cutting-edge satellite two-way high-speed Internet connection that provides high-performance broadband delivery.
iPoint Kiosk Is Eyewear Try-On System
Optical Innovations and Pech Optical Corporation have partnered to introduce the iPoint Kiosk, a multi-media point-of-sale system, providing a paperless practice integration and supply chain solution to substantially improve the way ophthalmologists, optometrists, and other eyewear retailers procure and sell eye care products as well as enhance the consumer buying experience.
According to Robert Pech, CEO and President of Pech Optical Corporation, “The iPoint Kiosk can greatly improve the patient experience. It does a tremendous job of demonstrating the many different lens options available using computer imaging technology. Currently, opticians do not have effective demonstration tools and patients are often confused by the myriad of options. The system enables the optician to fit the patient with the best lens available based on the patient's specific needs.”
“The iPoint Kiosk offers a virtual inventory of eyewear frames,” said David Copper of Optical Innovations, an Omaha, NE-based developer of technology products to increase efficiency and productivity in the eye care practice.”It enables eyewear retailers to provide a wider selection ranging from higher to lower price points, that they might not carry in the store.”
friendlyway Inc., recently introduced its friend@public Intelligent Internet Station. The floor standing aluminum or high-gloss black stations offer such advantages as internet, advanced streaming multimedia and user-friendly IntelliTouch touchscreens and can be upgraded with PDA connectivity, purchase processing, internal printers, barcode readers, video cameras, and microphones. “friendlyway’s Intelligent Internet Stations combine advanced technology with a user- and exhibitor-friendly face,” said Alexander von Welczeck, friendlyway President. “Our stations offer a fun, compelling experience for customers and are stylish, durable and mobile, making them perfect for trade shows, events, conferences and product launches. They even come with a flight case for frequent exhibitors.” For more information call 866-KIOSK4U or visit www.friendlyway.com.
At a recent Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, American Standard used EPOP’s interactive technology to feature its “ClearTap” faucets. EPOP is a self-contained interactive unit that delivers video information via a liquid crystal screen. “We were looking for an eye-catching way to draw people into the booth and display the unique product features of ClearTap in an upscale environment,” said Carol Houlik, American Standard’s Marketing Director, Kitchen Faucets. For more information on EPOP, contact Toppan Printing, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10103; (Tel) 212-489-7740, (Fax) 212-969-9349.
StrayLight Corp. developed a Virtual Reality trade show promotion for Parke-Davis’ Accupril hypertension medication. “Vessel Command” virtually sends doctors inside the bloodstream to experience Accupril’s mechanism of action. Players were virtually sent down the bloodstream to lock Accupril molecules into the appropriate receptor sites. The real-time game action was visible to bystanders through a large video wall and plasma screens connected to each VR station. The game is played on StrayLight’s stand-up Virtual Reality stations. Each player has the freedom to look around the 360 degree computerized-world by wearing a Virtual Reality helmet. For more information, contact StrayLight Corp., 150 Mount Bethel Rd., Warren, NJ 07059; (Tel) 908-580-0086, (Fax) 908-580-0092, (Web) www.strayvr.com.
Bank One Kiosk Features Home Banking System
This Bank One Kiosk was designed to explain the banks “Home Banking System” at all branch locations. The interactive display is easy for the consumer to use without the assistance of bank personnel. It’s contemporary design and bold graphics help to draws the attention of bank customers. A clear message and easy instructions allows the customers to interact with the touch screen. This Bank One Kiosk was created by CDA Industries Inc. 1055 Squires Beach Road Pickering, Ontario L1W 4A6 Canada.
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