Kmart selects HP to provide publishing solutions

Kmart selects HP to provide retail publishing solutions in New Zealand and Australian stores

Kmart offers HP’s in-store and online services to customers for creation of superior quality prints and creative photo products

AUCKLAND, New Zealand August 18, 2009 – Hewlett-Packard (HP) today announced a new customer agreement with consumer retailer Kmart Australia Ltd. to install HP Retail Publishing Solutions throughout stores in New Zealand and Australia.

Kmart intends to offer HP’s award-winning Photo Centre solution across 184 stores to deliver the fastest and most user-friendly photo and creative photo services in the market while helping customers make smart environmental choices.

Expected to be rolled out in the coming months, HP Retail Publishing Solutions will enable Kmart customers to quickly and easily create a variety of personalised and creative photo products, including photo books, calendars, canvas and posters. All of these products can be produced and ready for customer pick-up in just one hour in the majority of stores.

Kmart will also launch the Kmart Online Photo Centre, powered by Snapfish by HP – a leader in online photo services, offering Kmart customers even more choice and convenience for photo prints and creative photo products. Via the Kmart Online Photo Centre, customers can upload their photos online, order photos or gifts and choose either to have them delivered directly to home or they can pick them up from their local Kmart store.

“We have chosen the HP Photo Centre Solution because it allows Kmart to deliver a new level of customer experience and creative photo products in-store not offered today,” said Adam Gradon, divisional merchandise manager, entertainment, Kmart. “Not only will Kmart customers be able to choose from hundreds of products to help celebrate life’s special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and holidays, but our customers will also be able to create their photo products themselves for pickup within an hour.”

The new Kmart photo centres – in-store and online – will set a new industry standard by replacing the current silver halide solutions in each Kmart store with a new, digital dry ink solution that will significantly reduce the retailer’s carbon footprint and will help customers make smarter environmental choices when printing their photos. The new Kmart photo centres will also be powered by the award-winning HP Photosmart ML1000 Minilab printer, enabling the retailer to reduce the amount of power, water and labour required for photo printing and eliminate the use of photo chemicals entirely.

Kmart will also benefit from HP’s Retail Management System that will remotely manage each photo centre infrastructure, minimising down-time and maximising the efficiency of its photo centres.

Kmart’s customers can look forward to enjoying photos with a 200 year fade resistance^, Bluetooth connectivity for easy mobile phone printing and the ability to create and develop up to 16 sizes of photos, photo books, canvas prints, posters, banners, calendars, photo cards and collage photo cards, DVDs, flip books and more.

“HP's Retail Publishing Solutions offer Kmart the ability to maintain peak operating efficiency of their photo centre business, while providing their customers with inspiration and the most user-friendly kiosks in the market to personalise their photos and publish customised creative output,” said Richard Bailey, vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP South Pacific.

About Kmart

Kmart operates 184 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand and employs thousands of local residents. The retail chain offers a massive range of products, including men's, women's and children's wear; home; health and beauty; outdoor living; entertainment; toys and sporting; camping and fishing; and everyday needs.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.co.nz .

ENDS

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