This article originally published in Self-Service World magazine, Oct 2007.
When Darlene Wigglesworth opened Wiggles and Giggles, a traditional scrapbooking retail store in Wethersfield, Conn., in July 2001, including an automated photo kiosk with scrapbooking features wasn't part of her business plan.
Wigglesworth decided to incorporate self-service kiosks when a survey she conducted revealed that more than 90 percent of her existing clients were taking strictly digital photos.
"It was an eye-opener for me because I didn't think that many would be using digital. For a traditional store, digital is almost a negative. It isn't uncommon to hear customers say they have hundreds of pictures on their computer, camera or memory card," Wigglesworth said. Her focus became how to encourage customers to print those pictures or scrapbook pages using the kiosk.
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| Even traditional scrapbookers have warmed to the idea of creating digital pages. (Photo courtesy Lucidiom.) |
While Anderson acknowledges the negative effect of digital photography on some traditional scrapbooking and film-based retailers, she also notes that software programs for self-service kiosks, such as Lucidiom's Luci, are opening the craft of scrapbooking and photo books to a whole new client base. Long the stronghold of only the creative, traditional scrapbooking now is becoming more accessible to the masses.
Most scrapbooking kiosks are touchscreen menu driven, with tabs denoting special-occasion themes, such as sports, holidays and baby layouts. According to Mitch Goldstone, president and chief executive officer of 30 Minute Photos Etc., scrapbooking software is especially good for those who aren't creative or especially skilled at scrapbooking.
"The goal is making things super easy, super fast and inexpensive," Goldstone said. "The challenge is to get people to sample and test electronic scrapbooking kiosks, and that's the only challenge. Once they've tried it, they're taken with its ease of use."
Although designing digital scrapbook pages is far less time consuming software programs for self-service kiosks, such as Lucidiom's Luci, are opening the craft of scrapbooking and photo books to a whole new client base. Long the stronghold of only the creative, traditional scrapbooking now is becoming more accessible to the masses.
Wiggles and Giggles also helps orient its customers by scheduling demos and classes to help traditional scrapbookers in particular. Wigglesworth said even people who do traditional scrapbooking create digital pages and then add embellishments. She said most of her customers have been impressed with the quality of the pages and by the color and clarity of the pictures.
"Right now, the specialty retailer with its multikiosk setting has the best grasp on how to make it comfortable and easy for customers to spend time making their selections," said Chad Munce, group executive of digital imaging markets for the Photo Marketing Association. "You don't want to stand up at a mass retailer's sole kiosk with a line forming behind you and try to make your selections."
"Scrapbooking is about telling your story, documenting who you are and preserving family memories," Lucidiom's Anderson said. And digital scrapbooking is poised to support the traditionalist as well as help the creatively challenged and time-pressed consumer do just that.
