COLOGNE, Germany — Eastman Kodak Company today unveiled its new "KODAK EXPRESS Experiential Store" design, which creates a new photo retailing paradigm for participating photo specialty stores through its KODAK EXPRESS Digital Solutions program (KEX). The Experiential Store, showcased in the Kodak booth at Photokina (Hall 5.2), enables participating KEX store owners to offer their consumers a photo-centric shopping experience, rather than just photo services transactions. By offering an experience, retailers are better positioned to entice consumers of all age groups and skill levels to do more with their photos, and as a result, grow traffic and revenue.
Photo specialty stores, including Magic Photo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, are revitalizing their stores under the new KEX brand to create the experiences that help consumers fulfill all their creative desires.
"The most successful retail environments make people consider the possibilities of what they can do, whether it is in fashion, home decor or lifestyle," said John Culverhouse, worldwide marketing director, Retail Printing Solutions, Eastman Kodak Company. "Our KEX strategy, led by the Experiential Store redesign, better positions photo retailers to create these environments. These environments can leverage the trusted Kodak brand and comprise quality products and services that fulfill consumers' needs, trained staff that can provide guidance, and an aesthetic that inspires consumers to do more with their pictures."
The Experiential Store leverages a broad portfolio of products and services from Kodak; best practices from some of the 26,000-plus KEX store locations worldwide; and strategies employed by the world's top retail environments to create enticing retail shopping experiences. The result is a clean, bright store divided into four key retail areas (Shoot It. Create It. Print It. Display It.), each of which inspires consumers to do more with their pictures.
In addition to the store design, Kodak introduced KODAK Creative Production Software, workflow software designed specifically for the photo specialty retailer. With KODAK Creative Production Software, retailers get a robust backbone architecture necessary to import images from many sources, enhance image quality, efficiently create custom products and output to a wide variety of printing devices.
The software allows retailers to focus on the specific services they wish to offer, both in front of the counter and behind the counter. Its easy-to-use, flexible and creative tools enable a higher level of customer service and value-added product differentiation.
