News

MotoPhoto debuts digital photo kiosk cafe

October 23, 2005

VIENNA, Va. - At its national fall business meeting, MotoPhoto unveiled its new digital photo kiosk café program using Automated Photo Machines (APMs) from Lucidiom Inc. According to a news release, each MotoPhoto franchise specialty retail location now will feature at least four APMs under the brand MOTO Select Prints.

"We're expanding MotoPhoto to be more than just a place to get great photo processing. We are creating an entire consumer experience that makes it fun and easy for customers to enhance, print, share and save their photo memories," said MotoPhoto president and chief executive officer Harry Loyle. "Since testing the program in our Dayton, Ohio area stores, we've seen customer satisfaction and repeat visits increase. We've created our kiosk cafés to engage consumers - focusing on what do you do with your prints, not just on printing photos."

The kiosk cafés feature dedicated APMs for express print ordering and additional APMs in customized furniture settings for special consumer offers, such as making greeting cards for the holidays. MotoPhoto modified its merchandise display area to create a clean, open and pleasant environment for its new cafés. There are kids entertainment areas within the cafés, and sales associates are on hand to answer any customer questions.

MotoPhoto also offers consumer education courses in its stores so that customers can improve their photos and better utilize the MOTO Select Prints APMs. The digital training course within Moto University walks customers through the photo printing options available within the kiosk cafés.

"Digital photo cafés like MotoPhoto's are a key business strategy for independent photofinishers to differentiate themselves from their mass merchandising competitors," said Lucidiom president and chief technical officer Steve Giordano Jr. "These new cafés give consumers a place to relax and hang out, letting them create the best photo memories possible. And with MotoPhoto's APMs linked to Lucidiom's APM Network, franchise owners can make sure these cafés increase store profitability."

The Lucidiom APM Network lets store owners check on their cafés' sales success, upgrade product offerings and maintain kiosk hardware every day via the Internet. Plus, Lucidiom's software lets consumers enhance photo color, eliminate red eyes, crop and print text on their photos. And as with all Lucidiom products, retailers can brand their APMs, like MOTO Select Prints, inside and outside of their store-so customers will remember the retailer's name, not Lucidiom's.