News

Sony PictureStation kiosks trialed at Fort Worth area 7-Elevens

April 25, 2004

FORT WORTH, Texas--In a test pilot program, 7-Eleven Inc. has installed Sony PictureStation digital photo-finishing kiosks in five Fort Worth-area stores, according to Convenience Store News.

Users can insert a digital photo memory card into the machine and use touch-screen menus to edit and print the images. The kiosks, which accept credit cards, produce pictures ranging from wallet size to 8 inches by 10 inches.

Digital camera manufacturer Sony Corp. has been aggressively moving onto the retail scene with digital kiosks for consumer use. The company has deployed more than 1,500 self-service kiosks. Consumers can use a variety of digital recording media including: SmartMedia Card, Floppy Disc, Standard CD-ROM, Mini CD-ROM, CompactFlash Card, PC Card and Sony Memory Stick Media.

Designed specifically for retail environments, PictureStation comes in two models: A counter-top unit and a freestanding kiosk.

According to a company press release, Sony has installed PictureStations at

MotoPhoto in the Northeast; The Shutterbug in Oregon; and independent specialty retailers such as B&H Photo-Video in New York, Photo Fast in Hawthorne, Calif., and Harrington's Camera Corner in Pacific Palisades, Calif..

Also, May's Drug stores in Oklahoma; grocery chains, including Lunds and Byerly's stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area; and at Kinko's locations nationwide.