Kiosks have become indispensable for retailers and restaurants looking to manage labor costs, boost sales, and enhance the customer experience.
According to the 2023 Square Future of Restaurants Report, nearly 79% of consumers find kiosks make ordering more convenient. Additionally, 44% appreciate the ability to browse the menu at their own pace, and 38% value the ease of searching for their favorite items using kiosks.
“Technology is increasingly a differentiator between the winners and losers,” notes Ann Golladay, senior director of content at Datassential, in this recent report.
The pandemic and the labor shortage have accelerated the adoption of various consumer-facing technologies, such as apps and kiosks, she explained.
Kiosks offer a cost-effective solution for both retail and restaurant operators to enhance customer experience while simultaneously improving both top and bottom lines. In foodservice locations, kiosks enable customers to skip the line at the cash register, explore the menu, and take advantage of loyalty program offers. In retail settings, kiosks are used to place orders, search for products available both in-store and online, and access personalized discounts and promotions.
Foodservice operators can utilize kiosks to reduce the burden on counter staff, allowing employees to focus on tasks such as delivering food to tables or assisting with takeout orders. Kiosks also serve as platforms for ads and promotions, driving revenues and gathering information about consumer preferences. Searches for specific products, for instance, can reveal opportunities to optimize assortments by including those items.
Here are six innovative ways restaurants and retailers are leveraging in-store kiosks:
- Ordering/Payment: An example of innovative kiosk use can be found at the new Kitchen United Mix food halls at Kroger supermarkets. Customers at selected stores can order from multiple restaurants using digital kiosks, creating a “virtual food hall” experience. Items from different restaurant concepts can be combined and paid for in a single transaction, making it convenient for busy shoppers to pick up lunch or dinner for the family while grocery shopping for the week.
- Product Information/Marketing: Retailers and restaurants increasingly use kiosks for ordering and payment while allowing customers to research specific menu items. Many ordering platforms include upselling features that suggest additional items based on a customer’s order, helping to drive check averages by encouraging add-ons such as sides and beverages or highlighting bundled meals.
- Artificial intelligence is enabling both restaurants and retailers to promote specific products based on factors like time of day, inventory levels, and local weather. For example, restaurants running low on a particular ingredient can automatically stop promoting items containing that ingredient, while retail shoppers might be prompted with promotions for snow shovels or umbrellas ahead of a forecasted storm.
- Product Location/Store Wayfinding: Walmart has tested kiosks that help customers locate specific products in-store and offer wayfinding services. This test allowed customers to pinpoint the exact location of more than 300,000 products and even suggested that oversized or heavy items could be shipped to a customer’s home, complete with a link for doing so.
- Loyalty Check-In/Coupon Loading: Food Lion is an example of a retailer using in-store kiosks to allow shoppers to access deals and load personalized offers onto their loyalty cards. Additionally, customers can print out a personalized “savings sheet” to help them shop for special offers, including both personalized discounts and regular promotions available in the retailer’s weekly flyer. Members of the retailer’s MVP loyalty program can check in at an in-store kiosk when they arrive and then scan their card at checkout to take advantage of the discounts.
- Self-Service Checkouts: Kiosks provide an efficient way for customers to complete their purchases without waiting in long lines. By enabling self-service checkouts, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and reduce the need for additional staff at the cash registers.
- Interactive Displays and Experiences: Kiosks can offer interactive displays that engage customers with the brand. For example, beauty stores can use kiosks to provide virtual try-ons of makeup products, allowing customers to see how different shades look on them before making a purchase. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also helps in driving sales.
- 1:1 video calls: Kiosks can facilitate 1:1 video experiences, connecting customers directly with experts for personalized assistance. This can be particularly beneficial in retail environments where customers may have questions about complex products or need tailored recommendations. By integrating video chat capabilities, businesses can offer a human touch in digital interactions, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The integration of kiosks in retail and restaurant environments offers a multifaceted solution to modern operational challenges. By enhancing convenience, personalizing customer interactions, and streamlining processes, kiosks have become a pivotal tool for businesses aiming to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. The versatility of kiosks, from facilitating quick and efficient ordering to providing detailed product information and promoting loyalty programs, underscores their value in creating a seamless and engaging customer experience. As consumer expectations continue to shift towards digital and self-service options, investing in kiosk technology not only addresses immediate needs but also positions businesses for sustained success and growth. Embrace the potential of kiosks to revolutionize your operations and connect with customers in innovative ways. Click here to learn more about how kiosks can benefit your business.
