With an appreciate nod towards SelfServiceWorld, we’ll take a look at some of the roaring self-service kiosk success stories in 2009.

The economic downturn has, largely, left the kiosk industry unscathed – testament to the industry’s relevance and to the power of innovative, consumer-centric technology, kiosk deployments – whilst consumers continue to flock to self-service stand-bys like grocery self-checkout and DVD-rental kiosks in droves.

In the UK, it’s fair to say that Tesco has been one of biggest success stories. The supermarket chain recently made headlines when it opened an all-self-checkout concept store in Northampton. Though Tesco has operated all-self-checkout Fresh & Easy stores in the western U.S. for a few years, the new UK concept is an even bigger step for the self-service industry, given the traditional European lag in kiosk deployment and adoption numbers.

Positive reactions to Tesco’s new store recognise the inevitable draw of self-service at retail:

“Despite the sizeable initial investment, there has been a clear shift towards self-checkout since the turn of this century, especially by big-box chains,” said Frost & Sullivan’s Aravindh Vanchesan in a commentary about the concept. “Retailers are studying ways to attract new customers (in addition to retaining existing ones) and in this context, self-checkout has been positioned as a technology solution that can drive up customer satisfaction levels, leading to a more lasting relationship. Not to mention the cost savings.”

Though Tesco has met with some resistance to the concept, both in the UK and abroad, its customers still gravitate to the stores because, as consumers have shown time and again, many of them prefer self-checkout to a traditional lane. It gives them control and makes them feel as though they are receiving faster and more accurate service. Tesco is pushing the retail boundaries and helping the self-service industry make a stronger case for itself with these concept stores.