Interactive kiosks are quickly shifting from a one-off novelty into a staple asset for businesses. Following the massive success of Redbox – a self service kiosk system placed in shopping malls for DVD rentals – a range of large retail chains, city governments, and travel businesses are beginning to experiment with their own self service kiosks designed for payment, information and education, and automating simple tasks.

Of course, much like business staffing, kiosks are most cost-effective and valuable when optimized for use. For some businesses, this may mean a multi-purpose kiosk designed to minimize overall expenses and streamline in-store operation, while for others it could mean a very defined and single-purpose kiosk, installed with the goal of minimizing specific staffing requirements.

This flexibility is a key aspect of the ever-growing value of touch screen kiosks. From retail to travel, leisure to local government, kiosks can offer value in almost any industry. These three case studies illustrate how kiosks are changing strategy across three different industries: entertainment, retail, and travel.

How Kiosks are Boosting Cinema Profits:
The film industry has been thrown around over the last decade, but a number of recent technical advances are ensuring its profitability. The first is the installation of ticket kiosks in cinemas and theatre lobbies. With the addition of self service ticket points and payment kiosks, cinemas are lowering operating costs and rapidly increasing their profit margins, allowing moviegoers to enjoy relatively lower ticket prices and decreased wait times at cinemas.

Cineworld, one of the UK’s largest cinema chains, have experienced this boost in moviegoer spending first hand. Since installing automated ticket booths, their per-customer spend has greatly increased, alongside higher levels of customer satisfaction and a much more streamlined movie experience. Since installing touch screen kiosks, staff have been able to focus on major customer concerns more immediately, and overall operating costs have been lowered significantly.

The Effects of Self Service Kiosks in Retail:
Self service kiosks are quickly becoming a common sight in retail settings. UK childcare and baby products giant Kiddicare have implemented retail kiosks into their outlets, with some very positive results. Installed with the purpose of freeing staff to focus on customers, the kiosks have achieved their goals effectively, increasing per-customer spend and maximizing Kiddicare’s ability to focus on customer assistance directly.

A range of factors influence the value of these kiosks installations. On-screen software allows merchants to streamline their sales and information process. Similar to the direct sales process, kiosk software is designed to guide customers through a clear on-screen journey. Multi-purpose kiosks, one of the most effective tools for increasing ROI, benefit most from relatively minimal on-screen information and grounded navigational buttons.