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Multi Kiosks


Fotofast

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Here in Australia there are 200+ sites with 4 or more kiosks in store and growing. The major push is from Fujifilm who don't sell a digital lab without at least 4 kiosks. Most use the local designed Whitech software but many use the UK Axiom. All multikiosk labs are linked to the lab for output. We have 10 and will add another 4 in the next couple of months. our store is not large being 100sq/m not sure what that is in feet.

I would love to hear from anyone who is multi kiosking in the UK as from our visit to PMA Orlando last month there appears to be very few in the US. I have a presentation to give at PMA Australia in May on multi kiosking so would love to have some images from the UK. Also if you have any great promos to share. We have taken the focus off the 4x6 print price and are now promoting the experience, fast/fun/easy, 10 kiosks no waiting and it is working. We are also selling alot of 5x7/6x8/8x12 photos from digital and soon with a new Netlab2+ as well we will have 12x18's to promote. Our output is 80% from file but film fall seems to be now leveling out, for now!

regards Phil

philip@fotofast.com.au

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Hi fotofast, I have altered the size of the image on this thread, that you sent, as it was rather large, but I have added your full size image to the Point Of Sale forum, changed the format from a .jpg to a .gif to reduce the file size, you can see the full size image at

http://www.minilabhelp.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b=027,m=1112050991,s=0

Thank you for this thread, I think that in the UK most independents are running just the one kiosk, but some of the multiples here do have more than one. I love the idea of a number of units, and have heard before that this is popular in Australia, great for you to share this with us.. and it will be interesting to see how those of us in the UK get along, and if this idea will happen here.

Forward thinking, is a good thing :)

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I have been running 2 kiosks for about 1 year now - though to be fair - with a CT1 - and a Lucidiom APM - I really only have 1 kiosk and the CT1 as a 'card sucker' !

the question is - should we have both 'quick serve' and slow ?????

Do we want to keep the customers in store - chairs etc - free coffee - make em feel comfortable - or keep it simple - standing, few choices, and get em in and out ?

Retail space is at a premium in the UK - and every sqwuare foot has to pay - any advice from down under ?

Thanks

P

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We had one kiosk in 2001 then a second in 2002 that is when it started to build. Now with 10 and soon 14 it grows as you add. Tesco will have only two at most with a line up I guess, no assistance and frustrated customers.  if you have 4+ it says,we are the specialist, take your time, were here to help. Yes space is an issue with me too we have about 1200 sq feet and with very high rent. The return on each kiosk for the space is much higher than anything else. We will have stools at 10 they are very popular at the moment we have 4 and they are always taken first.

You will see a significant closing of labs this year unless there is a move to kiosks. Talk to your paper suppliers they are now willing to "deal" to hold the business.

Phil

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I have been running 2 kiosks for about 1 year now - though to be fair - with a CT1 - and a Lucidiom APM - I really only have 1 kiosk and the CT1 as a 'card sucker' !

the question is - should we have both 'quick serve' and slow ?????

Do we want to keep the customers in store - chairs etc - free coffee - make em feel comfortable - or keep it simple - standing, few choices, and get em in and out ?

Retail space is at a premium in the UK - and every sqwuare foot has to pay - any advice from down under ?

Thanks

P

more kiosks are definitely the way forward. punters get turned off by queueing, people looking over their shoulders at their photos. they'll go up the road to Asda and you'll have lost them forever.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yes yes, thisis  all possible, but controlled by my Powerbook while at the beach...  I shall be in the UK late December early Jan 06 and expect to be seeing the huge growth in business by those multi kioskers, no doubt they shall be running their labs from the south of France...

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  • 2 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

After discussions with Shal (diy kiosks), we are going to try his software next to our mitsubishi kiosk, we are constantly getting peolpe waiting and i'd like to help shal with trials. Great software and we are definitely donating towards the project, let you all know how we get on.

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Hi everybody The question i have is kiosks and what software is out their or you recommend to use, at the moment we are runing a whitech kiosk with photo.teller ver 5 with a 6800 printer and are extremely pleased with it , but are looking at setting up two more print stations to another 6800printer ,but the software is very expensive as i need a licence for both i know this is a very open ended question but i would like to here your veiws.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Andy,

What is the make of the Kiosk hardware that you have bought and what sort of price? I am very keen to run Shalmoo's software and link 2 or 3 kiosks up to our Noritsu 2701 minilab. I don't have any programming knowledge whatsoever and would need to make a few changes to the system as it is now. Is it something that can be picked up as you go or do you need a professional tutor!?

Also are you linking to a mini-lab or to a dye-sub printer?

I would be really interested to hear how you get along as I want to get this all up and running before Christmas when I suspect the must-have present will be the digital camera which will be half last years price.

Hope to hear of your progress soon

Thanks   -  Bryan

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Hi Bryan,

               found the units on ebay of all places, they have youch-screen monitors and thermal receipt printers built-in. I'm not great with computers either but with these, an external card reader, external cd/dvd drive, network cards, all linked to a 4-1 hub, you can control all 3 from 1 master pc without great difficulty, just drag the files over and print, should then go to minilab or dyesub, mitsubishi's cp 9500-dw-s is now about 11p a print if you shop around and about

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Thanks Dave,   Tried this before i went ahead and as long as the different card readers are shown as drives then there is no problems. I used a sandisk 12 in 1 and it seperates 4 card readers as 4 different drives which you can tell the software to look for, also setting cd drive as 1 of the drives to search too solves the problem. Only thing this needs now is a pricing up system so the customer knows what they will expect to pay!!!, i will though put up a price list next to the screen and see how it goes.......  if you dave have tried this software i would be interested to hear of your thoughts.  Have had a lot of queries on how i have gone about doing this, i think the answer is to use your own intuition as to what is best for your lab but i am happy to advise where i can and give input into what has worked for us, next project is an internet area/ photo kiosk area. Saw somebody else has tried this and is working well, so the idea is in, Thinking of Neil and his holiday, hope the break means you have a break mate, and when you get back lets get on with the new consumer website, in the mean-time lets all come up with some ideas for it, it will benefit us all. I am quite puzzled by the fact Kodak are advertising their kiosk in Boots and other major photo stores when Kodak Express stores are installing theirs, anyhow make your own and blow theirs away!!!!

                                Andy out...............

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I am running a whitech kiosk linked to gretag mfd. i also have a Kodak Kiosk for instant printing .

is anyone having issues with with customers with regards to quality of prints?

ie this is a print from my epson printer at home, yours are not as good.

or instant prints via kodak kiosk/dye sub look better than silver halide prints from gretag?

so the battle goes on

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Hi Imageetreat

 I am running with the same setup Whiteck to mfd and kodak kiosk. The only comments i get is how good the prints look when compaired to the inkjets they have printed at home because they dont look like whats on moniter. We also have an mfa which prodoces better quaity prints from negs than any of the local digitallabs.

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Update on Shalmoos software from here. I have just got the first kiosk up and running in the shop early days as yet but I thought it would be useful to let you all know how I have done it. the kiosk consists of a HPackard tower from Dabs with internal card reader (9in1) this also has a USB 2 port next to the reader for usb sticks. (

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