1. 56 RETAILER August 2013
Small is the new
Shipra Srivastava
Retail Strategy Kiosks
C
onsumers often
walk into a mall
with a long
shopping list
and with only a
couple of minutes
to spare, and often the simplest
answer is to head to the nearest
kiosk and complete the task at
hand without much fuss. Kiosks,
which are often just 7 feet by 3
feet, have been present at key
road junctions, tourist locations,
and metro stations for several
years, but are also increasingly
being opened at malls.
The reason – rentals are
lower vis-à-vis conventional
outlets at malls, and they can
also be opened for a limited
duration, without blocking
too much working capital of
the retailer. Apart from that,
kiosks are ideally suited for
seasonal businesses, like selling
a particular fruit and allied
products, and those related to
the festival season. And, it is
no surprise that kiosks offer
products in diverse categories,
ranging from cosmetics and
jewellery, and meet the needs
of both high-end as well budget
conscious shoppers.
Benu Sehgal, VP-Mall
Management, DLF Place, Saket,
highlighted that kiosks offer
products that are not available
in other stores or not viable at
a conventional store in a mall.
In addition, kiosks address the
seasonal needs of consumers,
and Sehgal, describes these
outlets as akin to ‘casual’
licensing, and they also help to
increase footfalls at malls.
Yogeshwar Sharma, COO,
Select Infrastructure, which has
promoted Select Citywalk, said,
“We have received requests
from leading global mobile
makers to open kiosks at our
shopping centres, and it would
be in addition to regular outlets
operated at our facilities.”
Getting started
The USP of a kiosk is the ability
of a retailer to combine unmet
consumer needs and a suitable
location. And, with leading malls
in metros that attract footfalls
in excess of 10, 000 per day,
along with being the preferred
destination for the family during
weekends, they are being
increasingly preferred over high
street locations.
Analysts tracking the sector
highlight the product offerings
of a kiosk should not be in direct
competition with regular outlets
in its vicinity in a mall, but at
the same time should be able
to quickly carve their niche. Dr
Prodipta Sen, Executive Director,
Alphaone Mall, said, “Malls need
to have the right mix of tenants
including kiosks, and they should
help to attract footfalls in parts of
a mall which are not very popular
with shoppers.”
Retailers typically have to pay
monthly rentals of Rs 2,000 –
6,000 per sq in leading malls in
metro cities and it depends on
a number of factors including
location in the mall. Several
malls also work on a part cash
and part barter model with
regard to their rentals. Kiosks
bigKiosks are en vogue in malls, not just for popcorn
and ice cream, but also for high-end mobiles and
jewellery items. In addition, they allow retailers to
reach affluent consumes at comparatively lower
operating costs.

2. August 2013 RETAILER 57
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• Kiosks allow retailers to reach high-end consumers at lower
operating costs vis-a-vis conventional stores
• Ideal for seasonal businesses, as well as products not viable
to be retailed in conventional outlets
• Kiosk design should reflect a brand’s core personality and
also facilitate impulse buying
Bird’s-eye view
located on the ground floor often
have the highest rent, coupled
with those located close to food
courts and related areas with
high footfalls.
The startup cost of a kiosk
depends upon the merchandise
offered, and an outlet related
to gems and jewellery would
require substantially more
investment as compared to one
catering for food and allied
items. Ashwin, proprietor, Sunny
Side Up, said, “I opted for a kiosk
at Select Citywalk as the total
rental costs are lower vis-à-vis
conventional outlets at this mall,
and I can also reach high-end
consumers visiting this mall.”
Adds, Ridhima Kansal,
proprietor, Roosemoore, said,
“Fragrances are often purchased
on a split second decision and
kiosks are an ideal business
model to operate with.”
Designing a kiosk
Kiosks in malls are in different
sizes and its design depends on
the product category offered,
coupled with the target audience
for an outlet. Store design
experts also point out that the
layout of a kiosk should permit
ease in customer engagement,
along with reflecting the core
personality of a brand and enable
a retailer to deal with a large
number of customers at a time.
Vijay Joshi, VP and Country
Head, Express KCS, a kiosk
designing firm, said, “Layout
of a kiosk should reflect the
core personality of a brand, and
facilitate impulse buying.”
Malls also have a zoning policy
in their malls, and developers
highlight that kiosks help to
add the ‘novelty’ factor at their
centres, als well as help to
optimally utilise spaces which
would otherwise have not
been leased out. Vishal Gupta,
General Manager – Leasing,
Pioneer Property Zone, said,
“Kiosks help to create additional
revenues for a mall and also
facilitate optimum utilisation of
space.”
Clearly, kiosks are an ideal
way to reach high-end consumers
at lower operating costs and
the popularity of this model
has encouraged a range of
entrepreneurs to successfully
leverage this store format.
ImageCredit:ExpressKCS