Sales Beating Forecasts For All-In-One Displays, Sold In Taiwan Costcos

October 30, 2016 by Dave Haynes

Costco regulars will confirm my experience that all kinds of things turn up on the spartan shelves of the member-based warehouse retailer. But I don’t recall seeing any digital signage products for sale, as they are in Taiwan.

That country’s 12 big box Costcos are selling 50-inch all-in-one kiosks, and sales results are so far beating original sales forecasts.

The units are a partnership between a pair of Taiwanese companies – media player manufacturer IAdea and specialty display maker InFocus, which is owned by contract manufacturer Foxconn (aka Hon Hai Precision), the giant firm that among many things builds iPhones.

IAdea says the InFocus FDS50B is the pair’s first joint effort targeting professional digital signage. The unit is aimed at small to medium businesses, and dumbed-down as much as possible. IAdea provides the hardware and firmware, and did the system integration with the InFocus panel. Custom software handles touch, and media management.

Digital advertising, IAdea says, is becoming commonly adopted in small to medium shops, restaurants and retail chains, and end-users are looking for solutions that are both affordable and easy-to-use.

It’s an interesting move. Anyone who’s been around the industry – no matter the country – has had a conversation with a prospect customer who asks why they need specific display panels, and tend to ask, “Why can’t I just buy displays at Costco???”

Well … now they can. At least in Taiwan.