HOW KIOSKS ENHANCE PROFITABILITY

Increased product offerings

By providing Internet commerce access to on-line shopping services, kiosks let retailers expand inventory without increasing floor space. The results are increased profits per square foot and enhanced customer satisfaction.

· Kiosks at REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) connect to the company's Web-based catalog, enabling customers to order out-of-stock merchandise as well as merchandise the store doesn't routinely stock.

· At Sam's Club, cars are purchased by consumers using the Sam's Club interactive kiosk.

· Quest kiosks at Price/Costco provide consumers with access to thousands of products, including electronics, cameras, and sunglasses that Price/Costco normally doesn't carry.


Expanded storefronts

Kiosks make it possible for vendors to expand their reach—and enhance
their profitability—by selling goods and services in locations other than their
storefront. Such kiosks frequently are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days
a week.

· Airlines, movie theaters, and concert halls now have ticketing kiosks in
numerous public locations, including airports, hotels, and convention
centers.

· Coinstar coin-counting kiosks are located in hundreds of grocery
stores.


Improved customer service; reduced personnel costs

Organizations can provide superior customer service by offering patrons access to kiosks that answer routine questions or handle routine transactions. These organizations save on personnel costs by reducing their need for sales clerks and customer service representatives. Meanwhile, those employees charged with sales and customer service functions are free to focus their attention on patrons' non-routine concerns.

· Kiosks in Fidelity Investment offices provide customers with up-to-the-minute mutual fund prices and ratings..· CompUSA customers use kiosks to help configure their computer systems.

· Hotel lobby kiosks provide check-in and check-out services and offer local restaurant and entertainment options.

· Kiosks at auto parts stores replace paper catalogs, providing product number, product availability, and cost information.

· Retailers—including Macy's, Target, Crate & Barrel, and JC Penney—use kiosks to post gift registries to let customers access a registry.

· At the Super Bowl and the Special Olympics kiosks provide attendees information about the time and location of upcoming events.

· Kiosks used as voting machines eliminate the need for ballot counters, cut printing costs, and reduce the time required to get final vote
tallies.


Enhanced product promotion

Kiosks attract consumer interest and ultimately increase sales by providing product information customized to each user's interests and needs.

· Movie previews at video chains like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster entice consumers into renting little-known titles.

· CompuCook recipe kiosks distribute coupons that increase sales in grocery stores.

· Kiosks in General Nutrition Centers offer information about hundreds of vitamins, minerals, and botanical products the centers sell. Kiosks also reduce the time it takes customers to locate products in each store.


Easier information access

Kiosks can dispense information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, minimizing the need for customer service personnel while increasing overall efficiency.

· Kiosks at trade shows and athletic events provide attendees with maps, transportation information, and lists of popular sites for food, lodging, entertainment, and other amenities.

· Many companies provide kiosks for employees to use to connect to their corporate intranet, where they can access job postings, benefits information, and company news.

· In Los Angeles, GeoMatch kiosks match commuters with rideshare partners.

· Government agencies rely on kiosks to dispense tax forms and job applications, post job listings, and enable individuals to order documents, such as birth certificates—all without hassle and with quick delivery.


Greater product customization

Kiosks that offer customized products and services increase their profitability by filling a unique market niche.

· American Greetings' Create-a-Card kiosks let consumers design customized greeting cards.

· Customers use Kodak photo enlargement kiosks to modify the size of photos on-the-spot.

· Lee Jeans in-store kiosks ask customers to specify their measurements and style preferences. The kiosk then recommends the styles and sizes of jeans most likely to match the customer's taste.


Reduced training costs

A company can use kiosks to train employees or teach them about the company's products and corporate procedures. Kiosks' touch applications are easier to use than traditional computer-based training and teaching.

· Kiosks in Mercedes dealerships provide extensive product information that Mercedes salespeople use throughout the course of a sale. Even though this application was developed for the Mercedes sales force, consumers use it as well.

· Bechtel has installed building-site purchasing kiosks that train site managers in the company's purchasing system and serve as the system's delivery mechanism as well.

· Meyer Cookware kiosks educate shoppers about product features and benefits.


TYPES OF KIOSKS WE OFFER

Like videos and books, kiosks are communications tools. But kiosks' interactivity and multimedia capabilities provide functionality that goes well beyond the static capabilities of other media. Based on their functions, kiosks generally fit into one or more of the following categories:

· Point-of-information kiosks
· Product promotion kiosks
· Service or transaction kiosks
· Product-dispensing kiosks
· Internet Commerce kiosks