Starbucks Opens Next Evolution Of Hear Music™ Coffeehouse
Starbucks has opened the next evolution of its Hear Music™ Coffeehouse on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. An additional location will open in South Beach (Miami), FL.
These additions to the Starbucks retail portfolio extend the concept of the initial Hear Music™ Coffeehouse, which opened in Santa Monica, CA in 2004. The new stores represent the full integration of a classic coffeehouse experience with an extensive digital and physical music inventory. The unrivaled combination results in a compelling destination for customers to connect over coffee and explore and buy quality music.
“Starbucks has changed the rules of engagement for the music industry,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman. “By integrating the Starbucks Experience with the discovery of music, the Hear Music™ Coffeehouses offer a music retail environment unlike any other.”
The new coffeehouses feature the next generation of the Hear Music™ media bars, which provide customers with an easy, self-service way to discover and customize music on CDs. The new Hear Music™ media bars offer more than one million songs digitally.
The Hear Music™ Coffeehouses feature innovative in-store merchandising, allowing for more CD facings, and emphasizing Starbucks Hear Music’ role as a curator to help customers discover new music.
First All Environmental Auto Dealership In Nation To Be Built In McKinney, TX
Pat Lobb Toyota of McKinney, Texas, is going to be “green,”upon completion. It is being designed from the ground up to maximize all environmentally sensitive possibilities. The exterior and interior features will conserve energy and water and will incorporate approximately 75% recycled materials such as aluminum, steel, tile, carpet and more.
Pat Lobb Toyota is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council, and it will be the first auto dealership in the nation to seek official LEED (Leadership of Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Xbox & adidas Form Global Alliance
Two global brands at the leading edge of youth culture, Xbox and adidas, have formed a long-term strategic alliance, merging the worlds of sports and entertainment.
One of the primary initiatives will be the placement of Xbox 360 kiosks in adidas stores. Xbox kiosks will be placed in retail locations across the U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada, Asia, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand for a variety of activities leading up to the FIFA 2006 World Cup.
adidas will install content on Xbox 360 consoles, while Xbox will have a presence on adidas' FIFA 2006 World Cup mobile portal. Xbox is supporting “Goal: The Movie” with a series of cross-promotional events with adidas. Xbox will also have kiosks at all adidas soccer events leading up to the FIFA 2006 World Cup.
“The alliance between adidas and Xbox reflects the fact that sports, lifestyle and video games are inextricably linked,” said Peter Moore, V.P., Worldwide Marketing for Xbox at Microsoft. “Xbox 360 is a place where all three of these elements come together to truly amplify the sport experience.”
IKEA Introduces Self-Service Kiosks
IKEA, the world's largest home furnishings retailer, announced that its store-branded credit card is now available to the public via innovative self-service kiosks that process credit information and applications in less than five minutes and without the assistance or approval of an IKEA employee.
This self-service method, a staple of the IKEA philosophy, was implemented by GE Consumer Finance to benefit customers who wish to save time and keep personal information close at hand. With four to five kiosks strategically placed throughout each store, they will be easy to locate and ease traffic flow. The bilingual kiosks can handle Spanish and English. Kiosks print receipts on-the-spot that allows new cardholders to be able to shop with their new IKEA Card in-store right away. Within seven to ten business days, the IKEA credit card arrives at the cardholder's business or home address.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Online Gaming Service Available At McDonald’s Hotspots
Nintendo has signed an agreement with Wayport, a provider of wired and Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access to extend Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DS users at 6,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. Through the agreement with Wayport, Nintendo will offer complimentary access to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, its new wireless gaming service.
Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo’s EVP, Sales & Marketing, said, “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is simple to use. Beginning with free access at participating McDonald’s, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games.”
Gizmondo Kiosks Placed In Top Malls
Tiger Telematics, Gizmondo is launching a $30 million marketing campaign to launch the Gizmondo multi-entertainment handheld in North America.
Part of the new marketing retail initiative will be placement of mall kiosks coast-to-coast in the U.S. where consumers will be able to experience every aspect of the hardware, presented by well-trained Gizmondo staff. The kiosk will spur sales in retail outlets unrelated to Gizmondo from the marketing aspects of displaying, testing and sampling the units.
Carl Freer, Chairman, Tiger Telematics, said, “We’re excited about the enormous marketing potential represented by the Kiosk initiative. This gives us the opportunity to engage the consumer on a one-to-one basis and walk them through the awesome entertainment experience only available on the Gizmondo handheld.”
Alienware Opens First Retail Location
Alienware, manufacturer of high-performance desktops, notebooks, media centers, servers and professional systems, has opened its first retail location at Dadeland Mall in Miami, FL. The new location allows customers to try out the latest Alienware products, speak face-to-face with technology experts, sign up to take instructional classes and play the hottest PC games, as well as test drive, custom configure and buy Alienware systems. The retail location marks the launch of Alienware's initiative to create an incredible user experience.
“The mission of our new retail location is to create an exuberant user experience that has been thrilling thousands of Alienware customers since 1996,” said Nelson Gonzalez, CEO for Alienware. “The retail location represents an opportunity for customers to see the entire line of Alienware systems, as well as never-before-seen products, in a personal and interactive manner.”
Dell Direct Stores Now Reach More Than Half Of U.S. Population
With the opening of the 145th Dell Direct Store in San Francisco, CA recently, Dell announced its convenient shopping kiosks are now within reach of more than 50% of the U.S. population.
Dell Direct Stores were launched in 2002 as a hands-on complement to Dell.com and phone sales. The stores showcase an assortment of Dell's newest plasma and LCD TVs, notebook and desktop computers, printers, music players and digital cameras. Direct Stores are staffed by representatives ready to assist customers with questions or help with their online purchases.
First New York Times Bookstore Opens
The nation’s first New York Times Bookstore recently opened at The Paradies Shops in Lexington, Kentucky’s Blue Grass Airport.
This new retail store includes unique features such as an online station with access to The New York Times web site, a plasma screen television running excerpts and programming from the Discovery Times Channel, a children's section, New York Times gift and specialty items along with books from the New York Times’ bestseller list.
MODA International Marketing, the licensing agency representing the New York Times, arranged the partnership with The Paradies Shops, an Atlanta, GA-based airport retailer.
OfficeMax Unveils New Store Design
OfficeMax has unveiled a new store prototype replacing its warehouse format with an engaging, colorful environment that highlights small- and home-office solutions.
As customers enter the new store prototype, a central technology “hub” creates a striking focal point. Whimsical photographic banners direct shoppers to their destinations, and a community area called OfficeMax Café allows customers to check e-mail, sip coffee or catch up on the news. One of the newest areas is Filling Station, a refillable ink cartridge kiosk. Soft lighting and a soothing color palette create a residential, boutique feel.
“The new design truly differentiates OfficeMax,” said Ryan Vero, OfficeMax Chief Merchandising Officer. “Warehouse stores were primarily about convenience without style. The new store brings together convenience and style with a warm, inviting atmosphere that re-captures the fun of shopping for office products.”
OfficeMax partnered with FRCH Design Worldwide to help create the new store format.
Chase Takes Over Bank One With Rebranding Marketing Campaign
More than 350 Bank One branches in Illinois and Northwest Indiana have become Chase, the consumer and commercial banking brand of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
The name change results from last years merger of Bank One with JPMorgan Chase. Illinois customers will see the Chase brand highlighted in a $2 million marketing and advertising campaign and a sweepstakes, which will offer them a chance to earn free travel on United Airlines. Scratch-off game pieces enable up to four winners to receive 1 million United Mileage Plus miles each.
Additional sweepstakes prizes range from 100,000 to 500,000 United miles. Television, radio, print and billboard advertising invite customers to come into the bank’s offices and say “Hello” to the new brand.
KB Home And Martha Stewart Living Collaborate to Design, Build Homes
KB Home and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia are collaborating on the design of new homes, bringing together the architectural designs of one of the country’s leading homebuilders with the inspiration of a leading provider of ideas and products for the home.
The first community designed by KB Homes and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia will feature approximately 650 homes in the Town of Cary, NC. The community will include single-family homes, ranging from 1,500 to 4,100 sq. ft., priced from the low $200s to the mid $400s. Homebuyers will have the added advantage of choosing Martha Stewart’s favorites among the flooring, faucets, light fixtures, cabinetry and other items at the KB Home Studio in Raleigh, NC.
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