COMMENTARY: Why Kiosks Are Becoming Must-Have Technology in the Retail Space

Kiosks, and the technology that supports them, are hardly new. We’ve been using kiosks to check in at the airport and print out a wedding registry at our local home-goods store for years. But today, kiosks are moving into fast-food restaurants, rental-car stores, drugstores, malls, and everywhere in between. In fact, they’re poised to make an even bigger impact on the retail industry than ever before.

What Do Kiosks Do?

At their most basic, kiosks are interactive computer terminals that allow customers to conduct business transactions automatically, without human interaction. Their hardware and software deliver an efficient yet customizable user experience. Typical verticals for kiosk use might include education, commerce, communication, or entertainment.

What Are the Benefits of Kiosks?

The biggest reason to enter the kiosk space is the efficiency they provide. They are reliable and dependable, while still able to offer customizable solutions to end users. When thinking about your local fast-food restaurant, you might picture a counter and employee to take your order. Now, envision ordering at the kiosk and having the store associate bring your order to the table. The kiosk creates a more traditional restaurant setting combined with the latest technology. Further, kiosks can track what customers buy over time, providing valuable data for the software to create a unique in-store experience.

Another dining example could include milkshakes. During colder months, a restaurant might only offer chocolate or vanilla, but in the summer, as milkshake sales increase, the kiosk may begin to offer specialty flavors and coupons based on the analytics provided by the kiosk’s software.

Will They Replace People?

Resellers looking to move into the kiosk space need to understand this same efficiency and specialization can also pose a challenge for employees who may fear being “replaced” by automated and robotic kiosks. The end user should explain the positives instead: employees aren’t being replaced, but rather are able to work on more detailed job functions, leaving the automated tasks to the kiosk.

Just like the self-checkout at the grocery store, or the kiosks in the airport, there will always be a need for human employees to monitor, upgrade, and manage the devices. But where there might have been four employees needing to check guests into a hotel, there can be one who focuses solely on greeting, answering questions, and providing the human touch, where the mundane tasks can be automated.

Even further, the human element is still a large focus of retail, as customer experience depends on talking with a live person who can answer questions in real time or guide a customer toward their desired purchase. Automation via kiosks with tablets can provide a customer the ability to read product reviews, see an item in a different color, compare prices, and have the same online shopping experience they’re accustomed to, but within the store. They can still touch and try on clothes, or bring more complicated questions to an associate.

In the coming year, look for kiosk sales to continue to grow and increase in retail stores. For resellers looking to enter into this space, we recommend working with a trusted distributor to walk you through the process.

—Brenda McCurry is vice president of merchandising at ScanSource POS and Barcode for the United States and Canada.