Ernst: kiosk to lift special orders.(Ernst Home Centers' new multimedia ordering system)

Ernst Home Centers introduced a multimedia special-order kiosk system in March 1995. The system will allow shoppers to select items not stocked in the chain's 92 stores. The kiosks are part of a strategy to increase special order sales by 2% to 5% of the projected $640 million in 1995 sales. Ernst started out with 15 product lines, and has up to 30 more vendors that will offer products through the CD-ROM systems. The systems cost about $10,000 per store for hardware.

CHICAGO (FNS)--Ernst Home Centers is expecting a multimedia kiosk system to provide a big boost to its custom and sp