While some were still pondering the features and limitations of the iPad beyond personal use, visionary retailers grasped its potential for providing a fresh retail experience and started dialing the phone.  There are a few considerations related to hardware and software in providing the kinds of interactions desired in a retail setting, but with a knowledgeable in-store merchandising partner they are not obstacles.

The launch of the iPad has created a whole new category of mobility and presented retailers and the kiosk and self-service industry with an additional tool for serving brick-and-mortar customers.

What does the introduction of tablets like the iPad and its competitors mean for providers of retail experience kiosks? In an environment where consumers are becoming increasingly adept at building their own shopping experiences, is it another option or a transformation in retail self-service?

Filling in the Gaps
Retailers are now armed with data that indicate the cross-channel shopper is their best customer. At the same time, many admit they have not yet delivered on the expectation of a seamless experience from one channel to the next. In RSR’s Cross Channel Wake Up Call (July 2010), forty-five percent of retailers report they aren’t doing enough to leverage assets across channels. As an industry, we know we are a solution to this challenge.

The shopping kiosk is one answer to filling in the gaps at retail with online synergy.  The recent investment by Kohl’s, JC Penney and others in kiosks that link shoppers to online inventory and ordering are a testament to their promise.

The iPad kiosk offers the prospect of convergence, linking bricks and clicks in a novel form. Users of Apple products recognize the appeal of its multi-touch interface and the content its powerful applications can provide, while the publicity surrounding it creates broad curiosity by others.

The trend-setting, Apple-ness of the iPad appeals to a cross-section of brands, positioned from youthful to techno to luxury and beyond. Its first-to-market position has commanded retailers’ attention, though other tablet devices are in pursuit.

Alex Richardson, kiosk industry expert and principal with Selling Machine Partners, is enthusiastic about the opportunity offered by the iPad at retail.

“The iPad is the next big thing for in-store interactive. The iPad is not an interactive coffee table book. It's a powerful tool for cross channel marketing, inventory extension, incremental sales and enhanced customer loyalty,” said Richardson.

A cool-factor, small foot-print and engaging functionality send a certain message when associated with a brand. Even so, the real story is not the device; it is what an iPad or any tablet when partnered with a kiosk enables the consumer to do.

The iPad at retail is about accessibility. It is about fulfilling the quest of the cross-channel consumer and meeting or even exceeding her expectations. For a time-starved shopper it may be providing an efficient way of presenting information about selection, inventory availability, and pricing in the aisle.

The iPad at retail is also about experience and engagement. For the luxury customer or youthful shopper with time on her hands, the iPad kiosk presents a way of leveraging engaging online content in-store. The online “look book” with product information and ordering capability comes to life. Clothing choices can be shown in a runway video with accessories to match. A digital storybook becomes a catalog by touch-screen magic when you click on the characters.

Expanding the Market
The iPad doesn’t supplant the traditional kiosk at all. The kiosk market will continue to grow. The iPad presents a tool for retailers who might not have considered a kiosk in their mix or as a way of reinforcing a brand’s cutting edge or luxury vibe. One example is Ralph Lauren’s newest store in Manhattan. As reported by the New York Times: “It is also introducing its version of fast fashion, where customers use an iPad  to choose a clothing item and a monogram color and style, and a pair of seamstresses in the basement produce the order within minutes.”

So is the iPad or a subsequent tablet a traditional kiosk killer? Trendwatching.com’s 15 Trend Tips offers this sage advice, “… the new doesn’t always kill the old. … Both online and offline retail have many years of innovation and opportunity ahead of them. In trends, always try to figure out what the 'and' is, not just the 'or', and your trend (and opportunity) spotting skills will improve immensely.”

The iPad kiosk looks like an ‘and’ and an opportunity to me.

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