Analysts have claimed that the internet has lead to the retail industry’s biggest revolution. Thanks to online stores and low-cost shipping, outlets that were once decidedly niche have found new markets and more customers. The internet, at least in the eyes of technology evangelists, is the single biggest force in twenty-first century commerce.

We’re not entirely sure that’s true. Over the last thirty years there’s been another major revolution in retail – one that’s distinctly less observable for analysts and technology enthusiasts. It’s a revolution in self service, particularly in the massive progress caused by self-service kiosks and user-powered utilities in hundreds of industries.

We’ve picked seven of the world’s biggest industries, and highlighted exactly how self-service has contributed to their ongoing success. From multi-million dollar retail chains to key public facilities, the impact of self-service kiosks and interfaces is undeniably huge. With experts predicting multi-billion dollar savings and major strategy changes, this is one revolution that can’t be ignored.

1. Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

If there’s a single shining star of the self-service world, it’s the grocery industry. Faced with lowered profit margins and high staffing costs, self checkouts and interactive kiosks have helped thousands of major grocery outlets keep their budget balanced and their profits high.

Studies have demonstrated a six-hundred percent boost in employee efficiency when self-service checkouts are implemented, allowing businesses to cut staffing costs while simultaneously raising their overall output levels.
Despite early security hiccups, self-service checkouts are also relatively safe. Weight sensors and other helpful additions have kept theft levels low, while the monitoring and assistance of employees allows even the least technically minded user to operate a self checkout unit easily. Consumers and businesses are in agreement: self-service checkouts are great for the grocery industry.

2. Air Travel

Airlines have been using self check-in technology for almost twenty years, although the service has only found a wider audience within the past decade. Statistics from 2006 peg the rate of self check-in usage at eighty-six percent, indicating that long haul travelers are quickly growing fond of the efficient check-in and baggage register method.

But it’s not just airlines implementing self-service kiosks – a large number of immigration services are now opting for the automated devices. Passport scanners are now available in a number of EU and Australasian airports, giving flyers an alternative to standing in endless passport control lines.

3. Cinemas and Entertainment

Over the past decade, self-service kiosks have crept their way into cinemas and other entertainment booking areas. Once used almost exclusively for film information, a large percentage of UK cinema chains now use interactive kiosks for ticketing, feature film information, and previewing upcoming events.

While the new technology may have dulled the casual matinee environment, it’s certainly found support in theatergoers and cinema operators. With dwindling margins and a greater reliance on confectionary purchases, cinemas have been able to focus their staffing efforts on the snack bar, cutting the cost of staffing and boosting efficiency at the same time.

4. Digital Media, Movies, and Music

Currency kiosk firm Coinstar certainly hit the mark when it bought a share of Redbox in 2005. The McDonald’s funded company offers a variety of movies for rent through its kiosk network, allowing users to pick up the latest and greatest theatrical releases from as little as one dollar per night.

After passing the 100 million rental mark in February 2008, Coinstar bought the company outright for almost $180 million. The company, one of several movie rental operators using kiosks, plans to offer Blu-ray movies and television series within the coming months.

It’s not just Redbox that’s making waves in the self-service media world, either. Apple’s much-loved iTunes Store started offering movie rentals in 2007 and continues to do so today, alongside its huge and ever-expanding archive of classic albums and artist singles. Apple recently announced their ten-millionth sale – an important milestone in online self-service media sales.

5. Public Transport and Rail Travel

Commuters have been making use of self-service kiosks for almost two decades. With the ubiquity of automatic ticketing desks and automated account systems, it’s no surprise that a growing number of the world’s public transportation networks have been able to report healthy income figures.

Alongside the immense success in light rail ticketing systems and bus passes, several cities have seen successful results from self-service bicycle loan programs and communal transport solutions. Self-service kiosks remain a common sight along toll roads and major highways, letting motorists cut down on the amount of time required to pay travel costs and usage fees.

6. Fashion and Retail Shopping

What could possibly cause the world’s most exclusive fashion brands to adop

t a kiosk-only retail strategy? Huge boosts in customer satisfaction and loyalty. While self-service kiosks are a common sight in major shopping malls and department stores, the latest retail developments have seen them appear in high-end boutiques and luxury lifestyle shopping centers.

It’s not just high-end stores that are seeing the benefits of a self-service strategy, though. Shopping mall operators are increasingly opting for self-service information booths as an alternative to help desks, slimming staffing requirements while simultaneously making information more accessible.

Many of the world’s largest retailers have implemented self-service kiosks within their stores. Book stores continue to lead in self-service usage figures, while entertainment and multimedia stores have started to report high interactive kiosks usage rates despite low levels of consumer demand.

7. Catering, Restaurants and Food Services

Workplace cafeterias have enthusiastically adopted self-service kiosks, allowing users to place their orders more efficiently and easing the duties of serving staff. With the workweek forever extending and free time in a constant shortage, employees seem to be opting for self-service ordering systems in order to cut down on wasted rest time.
Touchscreen kiosks are also becoming popular in the commercial restaurant world, where both staff and customers are benefiting from more efficient ordering systems. Kiosks are often used to record customer orders and make notes on meals, allowing wait staff to accommodate diners with specific dietary requirements.