Choosing between an walkthrough or island style kiosk.

Whether you’ve been shopping for a kiosk, or just walking through the mall, you’ve probably noticed that there are two primary styles of kiosk-- island and walkthrough. When deciding on a kiosk for your own business, these two unique designs each have distinctive benefits.

Benefits of a Walkthrough Kiosk

Bigger: The design dictates that customers be able to literally walk through the kiosk. This can sometimes mean that your “kiosk” will have a greater
number of shelves strategically placed for displaying of your product.

Dual-Sided Display: This is a big plus for many mobile retailers, primarily those with less-expensive products. You may recall the seasonal calendar stands which sit in the center of many malls with their easily browsed “bookshelf” type feel.

Better flow across displays: Having your customers physically move through your merchandise is a good thing in retail. The closer they get to the product and the more they can see, the more likely they are to buy.

Interactive Retail Space: An employee working a walkthrough kiosk cannot sit idly by while customers simply admire the merchandise. Instead, a walkthrough design encourages the salesperson to actively engage customers as they walk around and through the retail selling space.

Benefits of an Island Kiosk

More Storage: Single-sided display cabinets allow for greater storage space. The ability to use space beneath the display area as well as space created by dividing the back half of the glass showcase from the front allows for increased storage space to conceal extra inventory.

Easier to wire: A one-piece kiosk can be strategically placed over a floor outlet making access to electricity simple. The wires and plugs are all hidden beneath the body of the unit. Wiring in a walkthrough kiosk is much more difficult because of the distance between separated fixture and limited number of outlet choices. Walkthrough kiosks often require the addition of a subfloor that is not necessary with an Island kiosk.

“Creative Merchandising”: An island kiosk can accommodate, but does not require creative merchandising, which refers to unique display techniques that are often used in walkthrough displays. The ability to use different display tactics is always a bonus, but the fact that island kiosks have the additional option to revert back to display cases can be a luxury.

If you have additional questions about the kiosk as a retail solution, download our eBook outlining important aspects to know before opening a retail kiosk. Keep current with industry discussions and product information on Twitter: @PalmerPRS. Palmer derives great satisfaction from designing unique interactive kiosks that incorporate maximum functionality, ergonomics and offer long-lasting service. To connect with us you can visit our website at www.palmerretailsolutions.com.

Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.