The American shopping mall is making a comeback. Retail experts though that the future of mall was touch and go thanks to online shopping. Some customers realize that they miss things about the in-store shopping experience. Shoppers miss trying on clothes and being able to experience a product before they make their purchase.
Of course, stores in the mall have had to adapt to the changing marketplace. The same thing goes for restaurants. That is why more mall food stores are choosing to use kiosks to sell their items. There are some distinct advantages to utilizing mall kiosks instead of storefronts for retail establishments.
Low overhead – Retail is a volatile industry. Businesses can go from being in the black to being in the red overnight. The best way to increase profits is to reduce your bottom line. Kiosks give business owners a place to sell their product with a much cheaper lease. The money saved can be used to improve the product or towards payroll.
Versatile – Kiosks are easy to expand and downsize. You can adapt them to the local market in real time. That helps keep overhead low to an even further degree. There is no reason to spend money on space that you don’t need or aren’t using.
Visibility – Kiosks are designed with an open format. You can display all of your product to everyone. That is in stark contrast to regular retail stores that can only display select merchandise in the window. Some stores only have the room to display 3% of their inventory. Having a kiosk makes it much easier to draw in new customers.
Portability – Kiosks can quickly move to other locations in the mall. The unit can be transferred to adapt to any changes in traffic that may occur in the shopping mall. In bigger malls, some areas could be completely dead while other sectors packed with shoppers. You can also move the kiosk to be closer to special events that are attracting people.
When I considered moving my business to a mall kiosk, it came down to the cost overall. The money that I saved on space I used to increase advertising and pay my employees better. That has attracted more customers to my store, and my employees worked harder for them because they were getting paid more. If you are considering opening a mall retail establishment, start with a mall kiosk.
