Kiosks in retailing: the quiet revolution

Abstract Kiosks have the potential to be a significant application of IT in retailing, information provision and service delivery. This article discusses and analys es the application of kiosks as a channel for in -store service delivery. For these kiosks a taxonomy,that characterises kiosks by their function: inform, interact, transact and relate is proposed. Eight case study examples,of in store kiosks are analysed i n using a framework that includes environment, task, audience, and technology. Included are: kiosks used by Halifax, Daewoo, Argos, Ikea, Debenhams, GNER, Sainsbury’s. and Boots. Both the taxonomy,and the framework,provide a basis for further analysis of the role of kiosks in service delivery, by allowing analysis and discussion of individual kiosks to be contextualised within a wider framework. Keywords : Kiosks; Service Delivery; Retailing