The National Association of Convenience Store trade show is a smorgasbord of M&M’s, salted soft pretzels, adult magazines and gas pump displays. But the annual expo also draws its share of self-service companies and deployers.
This year’s NACS conference was no different on that end. However, many of the self-service devices on display were products that have been on the market for more than a year, not up and coming, innovative products that usually take over the trade show circuit. Some of those kiosks might have added features like multiple languages but they were hardly re-imagined.
Is this a sign that the kiosk market is running out of steam and product ideas are running dry? The answer is most likely not.
Many of the companies in attendance at NACS are entering the convenience store space for the first time. Coinstar, which owns half of DVD rental company redbox along with McDonald’s, showcased the DVD-rental kiosk. Coinstar and redbox announced plans at NACS to deploy more than two dozen DVD-rental kiosks in convenience stores across the United States. Coinstar plans to have 300 of the kiosks in place by the end of 2007.
NCR, Triton and others in the ATM space are also landing in c-stores. They have already been there for years, but are continuing to deploy more and more, particular in smaller grocery chains.
A traditional, successful kiosk solution bodes well for convenience stores. In a retail environment where quick is best, a kiosk that is user friendly and familiar will get customers in and out of the store speedily. A complicated, yet innovative, kiosk would no doubt look very attractive in a c-store space, but likely confuse those in a hurry.
This is not to say that a multi-dimensional, never before seen, kiosk couldn’t make it. Something like a gift-card kiosk or the digital media kiosk MAX BOX could give c-store patrons something they are looking for and not have them loitering.
As mobile and Internet self-service makes its way into the market more prominently (some would already say they are the most prominent), it will be interesting to see what happens to the standalone kiosk. I’m not sure you will see customers use their cell phones to text in an order for a pop and a candy bar. Likewise, an Internet site to preorder your gasoline and get a sandwich at the c-store deli is unlikely.
So I imagine the tried and true kiosks that have worked successfully for years and have ingrained themselves in key markets will be around.
