UK-based Primary Leisure is experiencing success in the US with its Kid's TV pod through operator Powerhouse Vending, based in California.
Following a meeting at the EAG Expo in London at the beginning of the year, two of the pods, featuring exactly the same content as the UK version, were shipped across to the operator with only a new coin mechanism and dollar bill reader added.
The pods were first of all operated in arcades owned by Powerhouse to ensure its staff became familiar with the product and its functions. They then moved to various shopping malls with “remarkable results.”
“In each of the new sites Powerhouse staff were stationed to interview the parents of the children who used the pods,” said Primary Leisure managing director Jonathan Smith. “The feedback was very interesting, in that all of the parents loved the idea of their children being entertained for five minutes in a safe environment.
“The operations that Powerhouse had set up were extremely professionally designed and delivered and were based in both town centre malls and destination malls,” continued Smith. “In all of the different locations the cash box takings were very good.”
The next challenge for Smith and his team was to obtain content that would be more familiar to the US audience. These new licences will be launched at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in November.
