Chapter 4 - Is Time on My Side?

Our kiosk guru, Marie, is back with her 4th chapter in kiosk development. In case you missed them, here's Chapter 1, 2 and 3 to get you caught up.

Chapter 4 - Is Time on My Side?

One of the biggest differences between a national kiosk program and a regional launch is the time it takes to get to market. Depending on the complexity of your design and how many mall properties your kiosks will be in, it could very easily take up to 8 months to design, get mall approval, test functionality and operate a public location.

If you're hoping for a more speedy development, a solid option to consider is growing regionally within one mall property group. That way, you only have to design to one mall group's specifications, get their approval and presto -you can have a fully operational kiosk ready for the real world in about 2 1/2 months. This approach is also likely to give you opportunities to leverage cost- and time-saving elements in your kiosk program.

But if there's any possibility that you may expand your concept nationally and you can afford a little extra time on the front-end, then I'd recommend designing your regional program as though it may some day go national -meaning creating a kiosk that will comply with a variety of mall groups' guidelines. This should allow for a smoother approval process across most mall properties while keeping the brand look of your kiosk consistent from one location to the next.

Keep in mind, however, that this may cost more money upfront because you may have to use more expensive materials required by certain malls if you want to locate in their properties. The extra effort upfront does have its benefits though, as your design can now essentially be mass-produced and that will drive down your unit cost. Otherwise your kiosk vendor may view each kiosk as a one-off and price it as such.

-- Marie VanDrisse (Learn more about me here.)