-By Joseph Tarnowski

Shoppers at drug store chain Duane Reade, Inc. can now pick up a mug printed with their kids' photos along with their prescriptions and personal care products, thanks to a chainwide installation of HP Retail Publishing Solutions.

The New York-based retailer installed the systems this summer following a successful 2008 pilot program in key locations that resulted in a 50 percent year-over-year improvement vs. the chainwide average in the in-store photo category. And, given the increasing use of digital publishing solutions at retail (see sidebar below), this growth stands to continue.

"Our brand is all about New York living made easy," says Joe Magnacca, chief merchandising officer at Duane Reade. "Making this level of quality digital photofinishing convenient through HP kiosks and full-service counters across 200 of our stores is one more way we can be relevant and helpful to our customers on a daily basis."

The HP Photo Center solutions allow Duane Reade customers to conveniently order vibrant, lab-quality photos and create a range of photo products such as photo books, calendars, greeting cards and posters while they shop.

The HP deployment is a customized mix of HP Retail Publishing Solutions across its stores. In middle- to high-volume stores, the HP Photo Center provides front- and back-of-counter operations, enabling shoppers to order instant 4-by-6-inch and 5-by-7-inch prints, 8-by-10-inch enlargements, and creative products, including photo books, calendars, greeting cards, posters and 100-year archive DVDs.

In the retailer's non-photo lab stores, shoppers can use the HP Photosmart Express instant-print kiosk, a stand-alone, self-serve solution that produces 4-by-6-inch prints and photo CDs. The intuitive interface of both the HP Photo Center and the HP Photosmart Express Station allows for fast and easy ordering.

"HP is poised to help Duane Reade transform its photo labs into publishing centers that offer customers new opportunities for creative, customized output," says Rohit de Souza, VP and GM, retail publishing solutions, Imaging and Printing Group at Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP. "By partnering with Duane Reade, we will be able to offer our services to a wide range of customers in New York."


Nuts & Bolts

The HP Photo Center is a versatile, scalable and space-efficient instant digital print solution that can either be plugged into a retailer's existing lab infrastructure or can serve as a complete, end-to-end solution. It was developed to transform traditional photo centers into publishing centers that produce rich digital media, including customized photo products.
Custom photo products include photo books, calendars, greeting cards and posters, which can be printed and picked up in approximately one hour. Additionally, the HP Photo Center can connect to Snapfish — HP's online photo center — enabling consumers to upload their digital photos at home for pickup at the store.

Retailers can use the system to offer consumers customized printed merchandise — including posters, calendars and greeting cards — using licensed content such as images and logos from popular children's, sports, music and art-photography brands.