News

Folks will flock to photo kiosks

April 1, 2002

BOSTON - A new study reports that 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.

According to a new report from InfoTrends Research Group, "Retail Digital Photofinishing Market Outlook," the kiosks are being expanded to cater to consumers with digital cameras. New features will let users:

• Receive prints immediately
• Pay with credit cards
• Output prints on high quality inkjet printers
• Send photos directly to the Web or to a remote digital lab

The report profiles key players in the photo kiosk industry, including Agfa, Digital Portal, Fujifilm, Gretag/Seiko Epson, Kodak, Konica, Pixel Magic, Sony, and Xerox. It also discusses retail trends of behind-the-counter digital minilabs and a new type of retail digital photofinishing solution, the digital "bridge." Digital bridges are photo workstations that allow retailers to provide digital services, such as photo CDs, without investing in fully digital labs.

InfoTrends Research Group Inc. is a market research and consulting firm for digital imaging technologies and markets.