CVS/pharmacy has announced plans to roll out Kodak Digital Stations at more than 3,000 stores nationwide in an agreement with Eastman Kodak Co.
The stations will arrive during the summer and will allow customers to print from camera cards, CDs and disks in all of its photo lab stores. CVS the first national chain to offer these digital photo-finishing services, according to the company. CVS had already tested the stations in several locations and will be adding the service to all stores that offer the one-hour photo finishing.
According to CVS research, 20 percent of U.S. households own a digital camera, and there is a strong demand from consumers for photo-quality digital printing at retail. Women are the target market, the company said, as they are the photo-keepers, and want to store photos easily but print them out as well.
Using the Kodak Picture Maker Digital Station, customers will insert their digital media card and use a simple touch screen to preview and select only the photos they want to print, choose sizes and quantities, and make enhance the image. The stations accept CompactFlash cards, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD) and multi- media (MMC) card formats, Picture CDs and picture disks.
“Kodak believes getting high quality pictures from your digital camera should be as easy as dropping off a roll of film,” said Scott Auer, general manager and vice president of Output, Consumer Imaging, US&C Region at Eastman Kodak Company. “Kodak and CVS together are making this a reality.”
