News

MEI #4 - Future Mainstream Applications of Retail Kiosks

April 8, 2002

Roadside Web access.

Pay-per-use karaoke jukeboxes.

Unattended grocery checkouts.

Sound like things you'd see in a sci-fi flick? No more than ATMs did 20 years ago. Steve Wimsatt, VP of Market Development at CAIS Software Solutions, says that like ATMs "retail kiosks will continue to take on an expanded definition as businesses and consumers alike adopt them into their everyday lives...the time has come for kiosks to become a mainstream, commonplace service."

Today, it's a busier world where consumers demand convenience. Nothing answers that call better than retail kiosks. So what are some of the applications on the cusp of mainstream acceptance?

Product sales

Product sales has the potential to revolutionize shopping as we know it. No longer will customers be limited to inventory held within the physical store. If a shoe store doesn't have the size or style shoe that a customer wants, the customer can search for it, order it, and pay for it without ever leaving the store using a kiosk equipped with a bill acceptor.

This virtual shopping tool offers customers the chance to keep a wish list, ask product questions, or even customize orders. For example, music stores are experimenting with kiosks that create customized CDs. Customers choose from thousands of available songs, select the playing order, print a personalized label, and pay for it - all on an in-store kiosk.

While these applications provide the next step in customer service, some retailers are getting even more creative. Like sporting facilities. Think how convenient it will be to buy golf balls from a bill-accepting kiosk located right on the course. Or to buy time at a batting cage, bowling alley, or pool hall without waiting in line at the counter.

Consider the appeal of kiosks that keep consumers in touch with family and friends, no matter where they are. Kiosks that allow consumers to make and e-mail digital postcards, pictures, photo reprints, and enlargements are already entering the mainstream. Such kiosks might be found on cruise ships, in hotels, or even your local mall.

Another application that has great consumer appeal is the self-service kiosk. Self-checkout kiosks that accept all forms of payment eliminate the huge hassle of waiting in line at the supermarket. These supermarket kiosks can also offer customers the option to access their personal shopping lists, read product reviews, find recipes, access coupons, and learn how to shop for certain dietary restrictions.

Consider how self-service kiosks would enhance the convenience of quick-serve restaurants. Customers order and pay for food on a self-service kiosk, then simply pick up their order at the counter. Talk about fast food!

Internet access

One of the fastest-growing retail kiosk applications is Internet access from remote locations. With Web-enabled kiosks, consumers will no longer have to rely on a PC or even a laptop - they will have Internet access from virtually anywhere, including malls, golf courses, truck stops, and airports.

In fact, Internet kiosks equipped with bill acceptors already allow travelers to access the Internet and Web-based e-mail at the T.F. Green Airport in Providence, R.I., among other airports.

Another type of Web-enabled kiosk application - cyber cafes - have flooded Europe and Canada, and are catching on in the U.S. Cyber cafes may be found in bookstores, music stores, video rental stores, or alone, and allow users to pay-per-use for access to the Internet: some are just $.25 a minute!

Web pay phones also allow consumers to access the Internet and Web-based e-mail on a pay-per-use basis. Because they are stand-alone kiosks, Web pay phones can be located anywhere - even roadside - just like traditional pay phones.

Ticket sales

Another big kiosk application is the sale of entertainment tickets - like movie, theatre, and concert tickets - from a retail kiosk. Consumers are just starting to experience the convenience of purchasing sporting event tickets from a bill-accepting kiosk. These kiosks can be designed to allow customers to view the stadium layout, select seats, pay for the tickets with cash, and have them printed out on the spot. They can also provide player statistics, game schedules, coupons for stadium vendors, and the chance to purchase memorabilia. This is not a far-fetched idea - ticket-vending kiosks with MEI bill acceptors are already being used in the Pacific Bell Park Stadium in San Francisco!

These ticket-vending kiosks can also be positioned in remote locations (i.e., movie ticket kiosks at restaurants, basketball game ticket kiosks at sporting goods stores) for additional revenue opportunities.

What's next?

OEMs must jump on this new technology wave, and ride it into a profitable future. With all of these applications in development and more on the way, OEMs have outstanding new market and revenue opportunities. Undoubtedly, all of these kiosks will be more profitable if outfitted with bill acceptors. So be sure to partner with a reliable manufacturer that's capable of working with you to integrate bill acceptors and aid in the design of high-performance retail kiosks.