It all started last February. I had a party to go to and the birthday boy’s gift list was very specific. He wanted the latest World of Warcraft video game. NO substitutes! So off I went to my favorite Big Box retailer to pick it up. I expected a fairly simple, in-and-out experience… as much as any trip to a big box store can be quick.

But I was stopped in my tracks in front of a big glass cabinet: the DVDs were under lock and key. I get that; I realize that video games are high-ticket, sought-after items and must be the target of major shrinkage for retailers. So I followed instructions and went in search of an Associate to unlock the door. Ten minutes later, back in front of the unlocked cabinet, I started looking for my DVD. With the Associate hovering by my side and feeling like a perp, I manually browsed through the items, reading the game details on each box to find the right DVD. There was no easy way to check the inventory – except the Associate re-locking the cabinet in order to go to the computer. She gave that a valiant effort (she had never heard of WoW, no less Cataclysm) but in the end, I left empty-handed.

On the way home, I visualized a better way. I envisioned a stand-alone kiosk fully stocked with DVDs. A simple touchscreen user interface, an information-packed, browse-able inventory, and a straightforward transaction system. Just like our DVD Rental kiosks, it would be a self-service solution that would eliminate shrinkage, minimize staff overhead, maximize space and delight customers, both hard-core gamers AND the people who buy them gifts. Back at the office, the idea took on a life of its own, with my engineering and manufacturing colleagues piling on features like POS-system compatibility for the retailer, consumer demo options and an online pre-release reservation tool.

And here we are now: six months later and we have a waiting list to buy this incredible new kiosk solution. It’s another first for Signifi, and just the beginning of our line of automated retail kiosks about to launch. What can I say… but Wow!!

p.s. My friend received many cheques that birthday, as other guests shared stories of similar challenges satisfying his wish list. And yes… he was one of the first to give us his stamp of approval when he test-drove the new kiosk.

About the author

Shamira Jaffer is President of Signifi Solutions Inc. based in Toronto, Canada. She has been a leader and innovator in the kiosk industry for over a decade. Shamira is also a founding partner and current board member of Esprida, a kiosk monitoring and management company. Signifi Solutions designs, sells and supports DVD Kiosks: models including the outdoor Rainman (800-disc unit), Aero (500-disc unit) and the Lightning (1500-disc unit). www.Signifi.com/Kiosks