Information kiosks: the case of the Belgian retail sector

Purpose - The article aims to focus on how information technology allows firms to deliver services by means of information kiosks. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 22 exploratory in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants in the retail and other sectors, in primarily Belgium or France. Subsequently, 14 hypotheses were developed that were tested by means of two exploratory surveys, one with 84 customers and one with nine retailers. Findings - The findings suggest that information kiosks can be implemented successfully with up to three easy-to-use kiosks at the entrance of the mall or inside the store and, if retailers allow, internet access to a limited number of web sites. Retailers must keep their information centrally updated and relevant, and customers are not interested in ordering all kinds of products and services. Research limitations/implications - The study is limited by the number of respondents, both customers and retailers, and the way that the sample was taken across three different locations may not be truly representative. Practical implications - The managerial implications are discussed in terms of advantages and disadvantages vis-a-vis the customers and the retailers. What customers want from an information kiosk should be examined so that an appropriate balance is struck between being customer-and technology-led. It is also possible to look at ways that allow firms to communicate with their customers using automatic speech recognition and verification by voice. Originality/value - Success factors for implementation of information kiosks have not previously been identified in the literature.