News

Kmart begins offering pharmacy kiosks

August 24, 2005

SAN DIEGO - Distributed Delivery Networks announced in a news release that its Automated Product Machine has been installed in Kmart's three-story New York store in Penn Station, where hundreds of prescriptions are dispensed daily. This is the first installation of the APM at a Kmart store, a national chain with pharmacies in over 1,000 stores. Resembling an ATM machine, ddn's APM technology will offer busy New Yorkers a quick and easy alternative to standing in line for the purchase and pickup of refill prescriptions.

"The dynamics of the retailing ecosystem have changed. It's not surprising that traditional retail point-of-sale has evolved beyond checkout. Adding self-service touch points throughout the store can help (stores) hold the line on payroll while improving customer convenience," said Paula Rosenblum, director of retail research at Aberdeen Group in a recent report entitled, "The Empowered Point of Service." "Planned technology deployments should help retailers achieve their strategies to create more customer-centric environments inside and outside the store. These technologies promise to maintain consistency in retailers' stated objectives of improving customer convenience and enhancing the customer experience."

Requiring a PIN and electronic signature, the APM securely delivers prescriptions with the swipe of a credit card.

"ddn's APM maximizes every second of our customers' time by providing them with a more efficient alternative to pay for and retrieve refill prescriptions in less than a minute," said Mark Doerr, divisional vice president at Kmart. "At Kmart, we're implementing state-of-the-art technology to better serve our customers. With the APM, we can guarantee accurate refill distribution and more quality time with pharmacists for those seeking consultation."

"Kmart stands out in the retail market as a technology leader - employing a cutting edge-kiosk technology that improves customer service, while at the same time reducing store operating costs," said William Holmes, president of ddn. "We are very pleased to be partnering with Kmart on this exciting installation. Penn Station is a hub of busy commuters - a perfect location for consumers to take full advantage of this timesaving, error-avoiding technology. As more retailers begin to realize the numerous benefits of the APM technology, we are sure to see a major shift in the way refill prescriptions are dispensed."