In today’s fast paced technology controlled era, businesses have moved towards different ways in order to cut down their expenses, and increase the productivity as much as possible. One of the strategies which have been used by forward-moving businesses is automated retail – a self-service scenario, in the form of standalone machine, situated in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls and airports.These standalone vending machines are alternatives for a brick and mortar franchise, and allow consumers to get whatever they want; on the-go! Another terms being used for such machines is Automated Retail Kiosks – a revamped version of traditional vending machines.
What Are Automated Retail kiosks?
Kiosks are basically new types of products, which have been dispensed automatically and they help in providing customers with the ease to get whatever they want on-the-go and the retailers a benefit of saving costs over development of a brick and mortar franchise. Being a combination of innovation, technology and robotics, the kiosks serve the purpose of merchandizing different products at high-traffic areas, such as airports, shopping malls and train stations. While these machines provide a convenience to the consumers, kiosks also let firms display and sell different products such as DVD’s, books, electronics and different food items.
About the Technology:
Kiosks are basically a showcase of the modern technologies, such as data and transfer, human interface, microcircuits and wireless communication. It uses a cashless payment system, and brides it with a backed cloud-based telemetry system, which allows firms to sell their products to customers, without even being physically present at the purchase-site.
Benefits of Automated Retail Kiosks:
Prevention of Shrinkage:
One of the biggest advantages of kiosks is that it has reduced the risk and the amounts of thefts, which were carried out in a brick and mortar franchise.
Cost-Effective:
Cutting down the costs of development, structure, construction and much more – kiosks offer a cost – effective alternative to selling your products.
24/7 Customer Service:
Kiosks is a machine which allows firms to provide 24/7 self-service and gain rewards in their offline marketing strategies as well. These machines are extremely easy to use, and do not require physical representatives to instruct the customers.
Low Operating Costs:
You do not have to spend a lot on training different employees and staff members. Kiosks offer a virtual representative, which is always present to guise the customers in every way possible.
Effective Merchandizing:
If allows you to merchandize almost every product on places where you may not be able to set-up a brick and mortar franchise. Moreover, installing a kiosk at a high-traffic area can increase the rate of you scales immensely.
The Bottom Line:
Automated retail is one of the best ways through which businesses can save massive amount of production and promotion costs, and increase the rate of their sales simultaneously. In terms of automated retail, kiosks are the newest invention carried out by the thinkers, which lets people get whatever they want – whenever they want it! Hence, if you’re a firm looking to cut corners on the capital you have to spend on a brick and mortar franchise, installing a series of kiosks at high-traffic locations is on option worth considering!