Kiosk ordering is a staple of the foodservice experience at Global Partners’ Alltown Fresh stores, but the company was careful about how it placed the kiosks to ensure customers knew how the ordering process worked.
“The touchscreen kiosks are mindfully placed halfway between the entrance to the store and the kitchen so customers’ line of vision can connect the dots and order accordingly,” says Dave Avery, director of design and store planning for Alltown Markets, Waltham, Mass.
Advancements in point-of-sale tech are also helping free up the front-of-store space. “The size of the checkout kiosks has gotten much more condensed,” Henken says. “And then through creative planning, [retailers have] been able to get queuing in without sacrificing a lot of store area.”
Ultimately, integrating technology into the store’s design is about improving the experience, Bona says. “At the end of the day, stores are being built for speed. The more technology becomes a seamless part of the overall experience, the more rewarding it is and the more customers feel in control,” he says.
Checkout kiosks at Alltown Fresh locations have become more compact.