siliconvalley.internet.com/news/article.php/773841
By Michael Singer May 25, 2001 After extensive testing of the e-Book Store concept at several airports, travel retail giant WH Smith says it is committed to collaborating with San Francisco-based Zoom Systems to install e-Book Stores on a national scale. The e-Book Store is expected to be positioned into the storefronts of Atlanta-based WH Smith's Airport/Airmall store locations. Each machine houses a maximum of 25 fiction and nonfiction bestseller titles. A self-pay aspect of the machine allows visitors to pay at the e-Book Store instead of entering the store, allowing travelers to purchase books at any hour of the day. "We are gratified that our unique retail e-Store has been embraced by the consumer and has proven to be a valuable service for WH Smith," says Zoom Systems President and CEO Steve Foster. Zoom Systems' e-Store is a network of Web-enabled retail vending stations that sell, dispense, and merchandise a wide range of products. The Zoom Systems adapted its platform for the WH Smith airport application. With the new e-Bookstore, consumers can view products and related book information on the unit's 15-inch touch screen. The products are housed inside the e-Store and can be accessed, paid for, and received in seconds. The e-Store can also market products not found in the vending space and transmit those orders to remote locations for later delivery. The merchandising, sales presentation, and inventory are managed from the desktop via the Internet. |