Research & Trends: Where Is Self-Service Going?

By Lee Holman, IHL Group

Last month we spoke about the historical changes in the POS landscape, as well as where we saw POS heading in the future. As part of that discussion, we briefly addressed the expectation that self-checkout systems and kiosks would continue to grow in the retail landscape. Certainly, self-checkout has made a significant impact upon retail since widespread adoption began in 1999, and the effects are seen in some of the largest retailers on the planet. Kiosks, too, have changed the manner in which consumers order prepared foods and deli items, rent DVDs and obtain airline boarding passes, to name but a few.