STORES Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 68)

NUTS AND BOLTS / KIOSKS Following Orders Kiosks bring increased efficiency – and sales – to supermarket delis BY LEN LEWIS t’s 6:00 p.m. on Friday, and the weekend shopping frenzy is in full swing. The line at the deli is backed up clear to the bakery, and people are leaving the line rather than waiting. I Such a scenario is not unusual for supermarket retailers, and the solution for a growing number of them is interactive kiosks. “It’s about increasing our own efficiency by collecting more orders at once and having them printed out,” says Robert Keane, a spokesman for Stop & Shop Supermarket. “It really helps with accuracy and it’s been working very well for us.” The Quincy, Mass.-based company was scheduled to have deli kiosks in half of its 400 supermarkets by the end of last month. The rationale for kiosk installation varies from retailer to retailer. According to Summit Research Associates, 27 percent cite revenue generation as a primary reason; less than 5 percent said it was to create a new channel, and 12 percent expect the installations to reduce costs. More than half of study respondents said providing information to customers was their main reason for using kiosks. Stop & Shop’s latest program combines all of these factors. It is being undertaken with Boston-based Modiv Media, whose DeliVision kiosks have processed more than seven million or68 STORES / APRIL 2008 ders since their first deployment in 2006. “DeliVision can provide a new way for customers to shop,” says Christine Dorman, senior vice president of operational and strategic initiatives for Stop & Shop. “And it gives us an opportunity to enhance customer satisfaction and increase our efficiency.” Shoppers enter their orders using the kiosk’s touch-screen; they can also scan their Stop & Shop loyalty card to see what they’ve purchased previously, and they have the option of selecting “give me what I got last time.” Moreover, the kiosks offer the potential for electronic cross-merchandising by making customers aware of featured items in other departments. Although the printed tickets include an estimated pick-up time, the store P.A. systems are also being used to alert shoppers when their orders are ready. In a further bow to convenience, Stop & Shop is experimenting with location by placing the kiosk near the entrance of its store in Pembroke, Mass. “This way, people don’t even have to go to the deli,” Keane says, “just go shopping until their order is ready.” While specific figures weren’t available, retailers are reporting an increase in per-trip purchasing when the DeliVision kiosk is used, according to Modiv Media president and CEO Robert Wesley. “Because shoppers don’t have to wait, they are more likely to order additional items and can quickly fulfill cusWWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - April 2008

STORES Magazine - April 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page More Retailers Bagging Monthly Comp-Store Reports Time-Warner Center's Economy-Defying Results What Shoppers Think 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Eating Locally Grocery Concept2Watch Restaurants Online Services Marketing Human Resources Product Lifecycle Management E-Commerce: Peer Reviews Drive Online Buyers Kiosks Recycling Operations Payment Systems POS Logistics E-Commerce: Getting Personal Website Management LOEB Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View NRF News Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - April 2008

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