SPOS diversifies with POS company

SPOS has started Propel Interactive, a company to provide interactive displays using retail technology products, says Inside Retailing.

CEO David Evans said SPOS decided to start the company to answer a need in the marketplace.

“There's a growing awareness in the marketplace of the benefits of interactive technology to drive consumer decisions at point-of-sale,” says Evans.

Craig Burnard, Propel Interactive GM, says apart from the 'touch and feel' in-store merchandising technology, there are software solutions, electronic signage, digital screens and self-service kiosks. These features enable customers to interact with products while feeling secure from theft.

Blockbuster, in an effort to keep up with lower cost rivals, plans to have 2 500 Blockbuster Express Kiosks open by the end of this year, and 10 000 in 2010, reports The Dispatch.

This is due to a trend in which video stores are declining in number since more people are renting DVDs from self-service kiosks in grocery and drug stores, through the mail, through digital downloads on the Internet or through on-demand movie channels on cable television.

Michelle Metzger, a spokesman for Blockbuster, said the chain, which has more than 3 000 stores in the US, is closing about 300 stores this year and may close another 500 to 600 stores in 2010.

Photo-Me International said self-service kiosks allowing customers to produce photo albums should boost trading in the next year, according to The Press Association.

The Surrey-based firm has rolled out 250 of the machines to Boots and Tesco stores and said it believes it has the potential to sell "thousands" more.

The photo booth operator reported a 72% surge in underlying profits to £11.2 million (R138 million) in the half year to 31 October, after a boost from a weak pound offset "extremely difficult" market conditions.