Print Mates revives consumer demand for photo prints and entrepreneurs, retailers see opportunity
SAN DIEGO, CA, Feb. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NEWMEDIAWIRE — Contrary to popular belief, today’s younger generations are eager to preserve their photos in print, according to the 2018 Imaging Ecosystem Consumer Research report by Futuresource Consulting, which investigates how consumers of different life stages – from millennials to the over-55’s – capture, store, edit, share and – yes, print their photos.
According to the report, Millennials are the most likely age group to be printing photos, with an impressive 77% of U.S. Millennials having printed photos they’ve taken in the last 12 months. Of those, well over half have only ever done so at home, as opposed to paying for professional quality prints or photo products. In total, just under a third of all millennials have ever used a third-party printing service.
Now, a team of entrepreneurs, engineers, and photography professionals in San Diego are on a mission to reinvent the premium-quality photo printing experience by making it fast, fun, and inexpensive to get your photos “out of your phone and into your hand” with the Print Mates™ Kiosk – and creating a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs and retailers in the process.
“People of all ages still want to preserve their most cherished photos in print,” says Frank Yates, CEO of Print Mates. “But until now, professional-quality, third-party services were either too inconvenient, too slow, or too expensive for today’s consumer.”
Yates says his company’s easy-to-use, patented touchscreen kiosks are promising to close the loop on the consumer photo lifecycle, as well as drive much-needed foot traffic to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses ranging from supermarkets, grocery and drug stores to big-box retailers, shopping malls, family fun centers, and more.
The Print Mates™ Kiosks put reliable and quality photo printing at customers’ fingertips while allowing entrepreneurs and business owners to earn a profit from each sale. Customers love using the Print Mates™ Kiosk because they can instantly, easily and cost-effectively print high-quality photos directly from their smartphones or through their favorite social media, photo sharing, or cloud storage accounts in six different sizes of prints in just seconds.
Consumers can also conveniently order decor and other photo products, gifts and accessories ranging from frames, posters, jumbo-sized prints and fridge magnets to beautiful canvas and wood prints and have them conveniently shipped to their home with just a few taps. “We spent a lot of time on our proprietary software platform to makes things as easy as can be,” Yates says.
For Entrepreneurs, an opportunity like no other
Print Mates™ has already proven itself to be a hit with consumers. Now, Yates and his team are expanding the concept across the United States, and in the process, creating a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs, business owners and retailers to own a niche part of a billion dollar industry by owning their very own Print Mates™ Kiosks.
“Whether as a stand-alone business or an additional income stream, Print Mates offers a business model with extremely low startup costs that instantly generates revenue with a product that consumers want and with little to no labor required. Print Mates can operate 24/7, is easily placed in high traffic locations and offers an unlimited market size and a first-to-market advantage for entrepreneurs, business owners and retailers who choose to join us. And, whether you own one Print Mates Kiosks or dozens, our turnkey solution is completely supported by our staff that are 100% dedicated to our partners’ success,” Yates said.
For entrepreneurs, Print Mates™ is an incredible opportunity to bring a new, innovative and in-demand product to their area with a support team that boasts decades of experience in operating and locating automated retail technology. For existing retailers, Print Mates is a powerful revenue generator with a small footprint, perfect for any retailer who wants to enhance the customer experience while increasing foot traffic and driving new customers to their business without adding additional staff.
Existing businesses attract new customers while increasing foot traffic and return visits
Print Mates’ online SEO and SEM marketing support team springs into action as soon as a Print Mates is deployed in a new location, Yates says. Using a combination of local landing pages, content marketing, and reputation monitoring, the company “sets in place the ingredients that will get your store found online.”
Meanwhile, the location of each and every Print Mates™ kiosk is uniquely and individually registered with Google Business, driving consumers to your Print Mates Kiosk whenever they need to quickly and conveniently print their photos. “When people search for ‘Print Photos’ in your market, your store location will be the result,” Yates says. “Studies show that 84% of shoppers make a purchase after finding a store in an online search.”
This strategy is paired with the company’s national and regional marketing spend to create awareness of the Print Mates™ brand, which not only promises to produce additional revenue from existing customers, but is sure to lead new customers through the door.
“We’ve already seen intense interest and are in talks with a number of grocery and drug store chains; big-box retailers; hotels; indoor theme parks and family fun centers; even teen and ‘tween’ clothing stores, where kids love to snap selfies while trying on the latest fashions,” Yates said. “And there are dozens of other location categories which we have our eye on.”
In all, the company has identified more than twenty retail and consumer location categories it intends to target. They include locations such as:
- Colleges and Universities
- Malls and Shopping Centers
- Mass Merchant Retail Chains (“Big Box Stores”)
- Resorts and Hotels
- Tourist Attractions, Amusement Parks, Gift and Souvenir Stores
- Indoor Theme Parks and Family Fun Centers
- Bars, Nightclubs, and Casinos
- Grocery Stores
- Drug Stores
- Convenience Stores
- Pack N Ship Stores
- Cosmetic and Accessory Stores
- Teen & Tween Fashion Retailers
- Zoos, Aquariums and Museums
- Card and Specialty Gift Stores
A perfect business for now and the future
Print Mates’ advanced software platform is constantly being updated over-the-air, meaning every Print Mates™ kiosk will always be up-to-date regardless of changes in smartphone, camera or storage medium technology, or what new social media apps takes the world by storm in the years to come. Even new payment methods can be added and updated as needed. “The modern equivalent of the photo lab – but without the wait – we’ve designed the Print Mates platform and software to be future proof,” Yates adds.
Print Mates’ advanced platform also provides owners with real-time transaction, sales, revenue, and profit data; and allows owners to automatically reorder supplies for instant photo prints as necessary.
Decor and other photo products, gifts and accessories ranging from frames, posters, jumbo-sized prints and fridge magnets to beautiful canvas and wood prints can be ordered through the Print Mates kiosk. These products are expertly produced in the Print Mates Partner Photo Studios and delivered directly to customers’ doors while the kiosk owner earns a percentage of each sale.
About Print Mates™
Print Mates™ was formed by a team of entrepreneurs, engineers, and photography professionals in San Diego that are on a mission to reinvent the premium-quality photo printing experience by making it fast, fun, and inexpensive to get your photos “out of your phone and into your hand” with the Print Mates™ Kiosk – and creating a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs and retailers in the process.
Print Mates’™ easy-to-use, patented touchscreen kiosks are promising to close the loop on the consumer photo lifecycle, as well as drive much-needed foot traffic to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses ranging from supermarkets, grocery and drug stores to big box retailers, shopping malls, family fun centers, and more.
The company began a nationwide expansion in 2019 by offering entrepreneurs, business owners and forward-thinking retailers across the country an opportunity to own a piece of emerging multi-billion dollar industry.
Print Mates™ Kiosks and ever-expanding product line of photographic decor, gifts, prints and accessories are proudly Made in the USA.