Self-service order kiosks are becoming a central part of modern retail, helping stores reduce pressure on staff, improve customer flow, and extend the product range available to shoppers. This case study explores how two self-service order kiosks were used in a busy electronics department during a structured six-week trial. The trial demonstrated how these kiosks improved service, increased sales, and delivered behavioural insights through The Bridge that the retailer had never been able to capture before.
The Problem
A major US retail chain was facing predictable but increasingly disruptive issues inside its high-traffic electronics department. Customers were queueing not just to make purchases but to ask basic questions such as stock availability, product variations, or compatibility with other items. Staff were regularly pulled away from their primary duties to answer repetitive queries, help locate products, or explain options that were not well displayed. This created unnecessary waiting times and reduced the quality of service elsewhere in the store. Shoppers also had limited visibility of items that were available in the wider catalogue but not stocked locally.
The lack of automation meant the store had little understanding of what customers were actively searching for. They had sales figures and inventory reports, but no visibility of the curiosity that never translated into a purchase because the customer abandoned the search. They wanted a solution that would streamline service, reduce queue lengths, and give customers a more independent and efficient way to explore the extended product range. At the same time, they wanted to gather better data on customer interests and behaviour to support more informed decisions about product placement, stock management, and overall store layout.
The retailer had never used self-service order kiosks before, and the decision to run a controlled trial came from a desire to modernise the customer experience without committing to a full-scale rollout. If self-service order kiosks could handle common enquiries, present more of the catalogue, and shorten waiting times, they would immediately deliver value. If they could also feed insight into customer behaviour through The Bridge, the store would finally have a data-driven way to understand what customers wanted but could not find.
What We Installed
To address these challenges, two prototype self-service order kiosks were placed in strategic positions near the help desk and accessory displays. These self-service order kiosks enabled customers to browse an extended catalogue, view real-time availability, and place quick orders for collection. Commonly purchased accessories were highlighted within the kiosk interface, making it easier for customers to complete their purchase without staff assistance.
Once an order was placed, customers received an SMS confirmation with collection details, removing the need for printed receipts or extended wait times.
Every interaction with the self-service order kiosks was recorded through The Bridge. This allowed the retailer to understand customer behaviour in a way that traditional systems could not. The Bridge highlighted which products guests searched for most often, which categories drew the highest interest, and which times of day produced the greatest activity. This type of data helps retailers make informed decisions about product placement, staffing, and stock levels.
To learn more about how The Bridge connects devices and turns interactions into measurable insight, click here.
For businesses interested in building better customer engagement journeys, our digital signage and experiential devices provide additional ways to enhance the in-store experience.
The Results
Over a six-week trial, the self-service order kiosks delivered noticeable improvements. Queue times fell sharply, and staff reported a significant reduction in repetitive enquiries. Customers independently completed simple transactions and accessed information without relying on team members.
Sales of extended-range accessories increased by more than thirty percent, largely driven by customers discovering products not displayed on shelves. More than nine thousand interactions were captured through The Bridge, providing the store with actionable insights into customer behaviour. The data revealed clear peak browsing times, high-interest items worth stocking locally, and opportunities to reposition certain product categories for better visibility.
These results showed how the combination of self-service order kiosks and The Bridge could reshape the customer journey, increase sales, and improve operational efficiency.
For other retail environments looking to introduce automated customer-facing devices, our solutions for smart vending and experiential retail offer scalable ways to integrate digital automation into existing spaces.
Industry research supports this direction. Studies from the National Retail Federation (https://nrf.com) and Retail Dive (https://www.retaildive.com) indicate that self-service technology reduces friction and boosts basket size, especially in high-volume categories. These findings align closely with the outcomes observed during this trial.
