News

Wine retailer creates buzz with SeePoint kiosks

December 2, 2004

NEW YORK - New York City wine retailer Discovery Wines recently opened to acclaim - receiving great reviews from The New York Times, New York Magazine, the New York Sun and Time Out New York - in part based on Discovery Wines' retail approach. This approach includes touchscreen kiosks manufactured by SeePoint Technology.

The company provides interactive, Internet-ready, fully integrated kiosk systems, according to a news release.

Discovery Wines selected SeePoint's All in One kiosks for their slim profile and modern, aesthetic design. The All in One matches the Madison Avenue boutique feel of the store and complements the rich materials and chrome accents of its interior. The All in One kiosks incorporate a VESA mounting system which facilitates a variety of mounting options and maximizes installation flexibility. The bar code scanners, manufactured by industry leader Symbol, are fully and seamlessly integrated with the kiosk and create a clean, cable-free solution that is easy to install, use and maintain.

"By making a vast array of wine-related information more accessible, the kiosks promote Discovery Wines' mission to demystify wine for the average consumer," says Byron Bennet, Discovery Wines partner.

The systems also serve another of the store's constituencies - its vendors. "This is a point-of-sale marketing tool for wine suppliers," said Anthony White, one of Discovery Wines' founders.

Discovery Wines features 7,200 bottles of wine in its 34,000-square-foot, gallery-like space. New York Magazinerecently named Discovery Wines one of the city's best stores, giving a nod to the bar code scanning kiosks that provide everything from food suggestions to pictures of the growers.

"What really sets Discovery Wines apart," writes Peter Hellman of the New York Sun, "is easy to miss at first glance: the 11 video kiosks discreetly spread around the shop. Swipe any bottle's bar code under the reader beneath the screen, and up pops an informative profile of the wine's origin, grape blend, style, and food matches. Or query food matches on the console and recommended wines will pop up."

Food writer and cookbook author Andrea Strong agrees. "The real hook here is the unique flat screen wine TVs set up around the store. These wine consoles are amazing information hubs," writes Strong. "These wine hubs are a revolution in wine stores and one that will make sure that with every bottle of wine you drink, you actually learn something. A nice combination."