You are probably already familiar with the concept of an interactive retail kiosk. You may have used one at the airport, mall, or at a hotel. 

Simply put, interactive kiosks are self-service devices that allow the customer to make purchases on their own. Interactive kiosks can also be used to share information with the customer.

Various industries such as retail, hospitality, food service, and health facilities are starting to recognize the importance of interactive kiosks -. According to a recent survey, the global market for interactive kiosks is expected to grow exponentially to a whopping $33.99 billion dollars by 2027. 

If you are a retail business owner or a manager, you may want to consider the benefits of adopting interactive kiosks for your business. 

Interactive Self-Service Kiosk Technology Will Continue to Grow

We all can agree that the pandemic has changed how businesses interact with customers and vice-versa. More customers today value a contactless shopping experience. Increased labor shortages have pushed retailers across the country to turn to innovative solutions. 

Thanks to automation and cloud computing, interactive kiosks have emerged as an all-in-one solution to labor shortages and a contact-free shopping experience. 

Retail kiosks not only benefit your business but also your customers. As customers return to in-store shopping, they are now looking for ease and convenience. 

With the growing popularity of online shopping, retailers need to rethink the in-store customer experience. Not adapting to this change may put your business at the risk of losing customers.

You should focus on adopting digital technologies such as self-ordering kiosks to improve customer experience. 

What Makes Interactive Kiosks a Valuable Investment to Retailers?

Interactive kiosks are most likely here to stay and improve with advances in automation. 

As we mentioned earlier, kiosk devices can benefit both retailers and consumers. Let’s look at how interactive kiosks can help your business. 

5 Advantages of self-service kiosks for retailers 

  • A solution to labor shortage: Self-service kiosks can eliminate the need for a cashier, therefore helping understaffed retail stores. You can use your staff more efficiently and assign them other responsibilities within the restaurant.

    In 2021, restaurants among other retail businesses turned to digital kiosks to combat labor shortages. Kiosk software companies such as GRUBBRR noted an increase in demand for their self-service kiosk products in the restaurant industry.

  • Increased sales and revenue: Restaurants and food chains with digital kiosks have reported an increase in sales. The process of placing an order via a kiosk is fast and convenient.A good kiosk system lets a customer easily navigate the menu. This leads to an increase in food orders. What’s even more interesting is the fact that order capacity is higher for digital orders.
  • Contactless shopping experience: The pandemic has changed how customers want to interact with retail customer service. According to one report by Forbes, 60% of survey respondents said that they prefer self-checkout over cashier-assisted checkout, if given the option.These methods not only let customers shop from the comfort of their homes, but also make the in-store shopping experience safer by limiting physical contact. Self-checkout kiosks eliminate long lines in the store which can help your business reduce service times.

    Apart from self-checkout technology, the contactless shopping experience can be expanded through other technologies such as mobile apps (for payment and product information), and scan-and-go apps (for example check out Walmart).

  • Automatic Inventory Updates: Advanced self-service kiosks automatically update the store inventory for you. This means you don’t have to worry about updating the inventory manually every day.Moreover, since inventory data is stored in the cloud, it can be viewed from anywhere and anytime. Customers are also able to look up product information directly in the kiosks. This can be very beneficial especially when you have a small staff.
  • Customer loyalty and retention: Did you know that self-service technology can also be used to build customer relationships? Self-service kiosks can be used to inform customers about loyalty programs as well as give them the ability to access their past order history.

    This gives your business an opportunity to inform the customers about new offers and products. Since self-checkout kiosks eliminate the need for a cashier, more staff members can be assigned to ensure a good check-out experience.

How Interactive Retail Kiosks Improve the Customer Experience

Self-service kiosks can be highly advantageous for improving customer experience. Self-service technology makes shopping efficient in many ways. It allows customers to make contactless and faster transactions. They can avoid long lines and browse the online catalog for product information. 

Customers feel empowered knowing that they have complete control over the transaction. They are also able to get a personalized experience based on their shopping history.

Ready to invest in an interactive retail kiosk for your business? 

There are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing self-service kiosks, so you choose the best digital kiosks based on your retail needs. 

One of the first things to remember is the type of self-checkout kiosk you will need for your business. Consider self-service technologies such as self-checkout counters (popular in supermarkets), self-service kiosks (as seen in McDonald’s), mobile scan and go self-checkout apps, etc. 

Compare these technologies in terms of cost of space as well as efficiency. Not doing so can lead you to invest a good amount of money in the technology with no return on investment. Understand your clientele. This is because customer preference for using self-service kiosks is different for different age groups. Millennials are more likely to use self-service checkouts compared to boomers. 

It’s also important to remember self-service kiosks cannot replace the human interaction that many customers are accustomed to. As we mentioned earlier, without cashiers, more staff can be assigned to the self-checkout area to respond to queries related to customer service. 

Self-checkout theft can be a concern for businesses. There are many different self-checkout theft techniques that can be avoided using strategies such as kiosks camera, staff surveillance, and others. 

Conclusion 

GRUBBRR provides self-ordering solutions for a wide range of businesses. Contact our sales team today to learn more.