Bartell's Launches Chain-Wide Introduction of New Self-Service ``Digital Print Centers''; Addition of Latest Kodak Technology Targets Huge Numbers of Digital Camera Users in Market.

Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2003

Bartell Drugs has launched a major introduction of digital photo technology in all of its stores with the addition of new "Digital Print Centers." The 52-store chain will be the first major retailer in the Puget Sound market to offer immediate on-site, self-service processing of prints of digital images.

"With half of the households in the Puget Sound area expected to be using digital cameras by the end of this holiday season, this is a major step in serving this growing market," said Mike McMurray, assistant vice-president of marketing for Bartell's.

Featuring Kodak technology and Kodak lifetime paper, the new service offers a high quality, cost-effective alternative to home printing. Introductory pricing will start at 29 cents each for 4 x 6 prints, or about half the cost of printing at home.

McMurray said the addition of the print centers will be the most significant service introduction "in the front end" of the company's stores since Bartell's first began installing in-store One-Hour photo processing photo labs in 1992.

Compared to home printing, the new "Digital Print Centers" will enable customers to produce higher-quality, longer lasting prints from their digital camera in only a few minutes. Customers simply bring in the memory card from their digital camera, insert it into the Print Station and follow the voice prompts to print the photos they want. Within a few minutes, the station will produce high-quality, 4 x 6 prints. Customers also have the option of enhancing their photos -- adjusting for color, light and red-eye-at the touch of a finger.

According to McMurray, Kodak lifetime paper has an estimated archival length of 100 years and the state-of-the-art print process diminishes the light sensitivity of the print.

Family-owned Bartell Drugs is the nations' oldest drugstore chain. It operates stores in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

More About Bartell's Digital Print Centers:

The new Digital Print Centers offer a number of benefits to consumers:

-- COST EFFECTIVE. At 29 cents per print, Bartell's price is at

least half of the cost of what it would cost to print at home

-- not taking into consideration the cost of home equipment

and supplies.

-- CONVENIENCE. Instead of dealing with the time consuming

hassles of printing photos at home, customers can now produce

prints in only a few minutes.

-- HIGHER QUALITY. Bartell's Digital Print Centers utilize the

very latest in Kodak technology -- both in the digital print

kiosk and the printer itself -- resulting in a print that is

of higher quality than those printed from a home printer.

-- NO HOME COMPUTER OR PRINTER NECESSARY. Customers without a

computer or printer at home will now be able to produce prints

of their digital photos at these new centers.

-- PRINT ONLY THE PHOTOS YOU WANT. Unlike traditional film

processing, customers can choose which photos they want to

print.