For a long time, the retail technology field has divided history into “before the pandemic” and “after the pandemic.” This point in time marks a rapid and significant change in the way consumers interact with businesses and the processes deployed by retailers, restaurant owners and other businesses to adapt to their new habits. For grocery stores, pharmacies, and large department stores, the pandemic is a key event driving the exponential growth in demand for self-service kiosks and a catalyst for new solutions.
Although self-service kiosks were common before the pandemic, Frank Anzures, product manager at Epson America, Inc., points out that closures and social distancing have prompted consumers to interact with stores and restaurants online-now they are more willing to participate digitally-stores.
“As a result, people want different options. They are more accustomed to using technology and moving at their own pace—rather than relying on others,” Anzures said.
As more consumers use self-service kiosks in the post-pandemic era, merchants receive more feedback on the types of experiences consumers prefer. For example, Anzures stated that consumers are expressing a preference for frictionless interaction. The user experience cannot be too complicated or intimidating. The kiosk should be easy for consumers to use and should be able to provide the features that shoppers need, but there should not be so many choices that the experience is confusing.
Consumers also need a simple payment method. It is essential to integrate your self-service terminal system with a fully functional payment platform that enables customers to use credit or debit cards, contactless cards, mobile wallets, cash, gift cards, or other payments they like Way to pay.
In addition, it is also important to choose paper receipts or electronic receipts. Although it is becoming more common for customers to request electronic receipts, some customers still prefer to use paper receipts as “proof of purchase” during self-checkout, so there is no doubt that they pay for each item in the order. The kiosk needs to be integrated with a fast and reliable thermal receipt printer, such as Epson’s EU-m30. The right printer will ensure that merchants do not have to invest a lot of man-hours on printer maintenance-in fact, EU-m30 has remote monitoring support and LED alarm function, which can display error status for quick troubleshooting and problem solving, minimizing self-service Downtime for terminal deployment.
Anzures said that ISVs and software developers also need to solve the business challenges that self-service may bring to their customers. For example, combining a camera with self-checkout can help reduce wastage——the smart system can confirm that the products on the scale are charged at the correct price per pound. Solution builders can also consider adding RFID readers to make self-checkout for department store shoppers smoother.
In situations where labor shortages persist, self-service kiosks can also help your customers manage businesses with fewer employees. With the self-service option, the checkout process is no longer a salesperson or a customer’s cashier. Instead, a single store employee can manage multiple checkout channels to help fill the gap in labor shortages—and at the same time make customers more satisfied with shorter checkout wait times.
In general, grocery stores, pharmacists, and department stores need flexibility. Provide them with the ability to adapt the solution to their processes and customers, and use the self-service kiosk system they deploy to supplement their brand.
In order to optimize solutions and meet new requirements, Anzures sees that larger ISVs respond to customers’ voices and reimagine existing solutions. “They are willing to use different technologies, such as IR readers and QR code readers, to make customer transactions simple and seamless,” he said.
However, he added that although developing self-service kiosks for grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail is a highly competitive field, Anzures pointed out that “if ISVs have something new and create unique sales products, they can grow.” He said that smaller ISVs are beginning to disrupt this field through innovations, such as contactless options using customers’ mobile devices to make payments and solutions that use voice, or accommodating users with slower response times so that more people can Use kiosks more easily.
Anzures said: “What I see developers do is listen to customers during their journey, understand their needs, and provide the best solution.”
ISVs and software developers designing self-service kiosk solutions should keep abreast of the growth trends that will affect future demand solutions. Anzures said that self-service terminal hardware is becoming more fashionable and smaller-even small enough to be used on the desktop. The overall solution should take into account that the store needs hardware that can enhance its brand image.
Brands will also be more interested in customizable software that enables stores to better control the customer experience. Self-service usually means that stores lose touch points with customers, so they need technology that can control how shoppers transact.
Anzures also reminded ISVs and software developers that self-service kiosks are just one component of many technologies that stores use to operate and keep customers engaged. Therefore, the solution you design must be able to seamlessly integrate with other systems in the store’s evolving IT environment.
Mike is the former owner of a software development company with more than ten years of experience writing for B2B IT solution providers. He is the co-founder of DevPro Journal.
Post time: Dec-21-2021