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Leading kiosk topics in 2018: self-checkout, self-order and more

The best read stories of 2018 covered a wide range of topics, with self-checkout and restaurant self-order technologies among the more popular themes.

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December 31, 2018 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

2018 will be remembered as an exciting year in the interactive kiosk industry, as the demand for interactive retail solutions continues to accelerate across the globe. The top ten best read Kiosk Marketplace stories, measured by the number of clicks, focused on how interactive technology is making retailing more engaging for consumers and more efficient for retail brands.

The convenience of self-checkout technology proved to be one of the most engaging topics for Kiosk Marketplace readers in 2018. The review also revealed that reader interest covers a wide spectrum of topics, including ADA compliance, laptop recycling and digital photo processing.

Self-checkout continues to draw interest

The best read story, "Micro markets versus traditional vending machines," by Kisha Wilson of SlabbKiosks in 2016, addressed one of the fastest growing applications of self-serve kiosks. The micro market, an unattended retail concept offering consumers open product shelving and automated cashless payment, is the fastest-growing foodservice channel.

Self-checkout micro markets allow customers to select products from shelves and to pay by scanning the product barcode at a kiosk. The micro market, one of the newest applications of self-checkout technology, has proven to be a more economical format for workplace refreshment services than traditional vending. An operator can install a micro market for less upfront cost than a bank of eight vending machines and provide more product variety. In 2018, Kiosk Marketplace honed in on the benefits of micro markets over traditional vending with a two-part series in September.

Self-checkout technology was also the subject of the eighth best read story in 2018, "Supermarket self-checkout technology approaching tipping point?" from 2010.

Retail applications draw continued interest

The second best read story in 2018, "5 benefits of using retail kiosk applications" by Frank Olea of Olea Kiosks Inc. in 2013, reflected ongoing reader interest in the variety of benefits interactive kiosks can offer retailers. The five benefits cited were: 1) improving the customer buying experience, 2) increasing the customer base, 3) reducing the cost of business, 4) gaining efficiency through diverse applications, and 5) boosting job satisfaction.

The third and fourth best read stories in 2018, "Move over Amazon Go, China’s BingoBox is on the move" posted in April 2018 and "Self-order kiosks let loose at the National Restaurant show" published in May 2018, explored ways self-service technology is changing traditional retailing.

China’s BingoBox, a cashierless convenience stores that use artificial intelligence, is several steps ahead of the Amazon Go cashierless store in terms of the number of units installed. BingoBox installations began in 2016 and surpassed the 300 mark by mid-2018.

Consumers use a QR code to gain access to the BingoBox store, where they can shop for hundreds of convenience items and pay for selected items via their mobile phone. Shoppers place the items for purchase on a checkout counter that uses image recognition and machine learning to calculate the purchase, then exit the store by scanning a QR code. The stores use facial recognition for access authorization and theft prevention.

Restaurant self-order keeps grabbing attention

Restaurants’ rapid adoption of self-order kiosks proved to be a popular topic among Kiosk Marketplace readers for the second straight year in 2018.

The 2018 National Restaurant Show featured three times as many self-order kiosks for restaurants as the prior year’s show, as restaurants embrace automated ordering as a way to improve customer service and optimize labor efficiency. Restaurants find that the self-order kiosks improve order accuracy, allow users to customize their orders, increase add-on purchases and enable more efficient use of staff. While the kiosks reduce the need for manual order takers, the resulting increase in business often leads to an increase in back-of-the-house staff.

Restaurant kiosks were also the subject of the sixth best read story in 2018, "Taco Bell to install self-order kiosks in all stores in 2019 under its All Access initiative," posted July 2018. Rafik Hanna, senior director of Taco Bell's All Access, described the company's digital initiative in a keynote presentation at the 2018 ICX Summit in Dallas. Taco Bell joined other QSRs and fast casual chains in deploying self-order kiosks, such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, Panera Bread, Long John Silvers and Johnny Rockets.

ADA challenges continue

ADA compliance was the subject of the fifth best read story in 2018, "Meeting the ADA compliance challenge." The article, posted in 2014, continued to draw attention due to the challenge of meeting standards to provide access to disabled consumers. Kiosk providers have found the law difficult to comply with since many have found it hard to understand what it requires them to do.

Meanwhile, consumers with disabilities continue to sue kiosk operators. In October of 2018, the National Federation of the Blind and three Maryland residents sued Walmart claiming that the company's self-checkout kiosks violate ADA.

Application diversity continues

The seventh best read story in 2018, "EcoATM now recycling laptops," continued to draw reader interest due to the widespread interest in recycling laptops. The story, published in 2010, reported that the Nebraska Furniture Mart, one of the nation’s most technology focused retailers, was offering financial incentives for used laptops toward the purchase of a new Intel-based laptop.

The ninth best read story, "The Wal-Mart Digital Photo Processing Center" from 2004, pointed to the continued popularity of digital photo processing.

A year to remember

The tenth best read story of the year was an assessment of expectations within the industry in the beginning of the year, "Why 2018 will be a banner year for self-serve kiosks." Kiosk deployers, manufacturers, integrators and consultants were all bullish for 2018 due to the strong economy and the willingness of location decision makers to invest in technology.

Later in the year, the inaugural Kiosk Marketplace Census Report, based on questionnaires completed by Kiosk Marketplace readers, confirmed this positive outlook. The survey found the most significant factor impacting the self-serve kiosk industry's future is new technology being embraced by nearly all types of retailers.

An email survey in the fourth quarter of 2018 confirmed these optimistic expectations. The results of this second annual survey will be announced in second annual Kiosk Marketplace Census report, which will be released early in 2019.