Best practices for integrating automated retail while enhancing customer experience

Best practices for integrating automated retail while enhancing customer experience are the focus of a panel at the upcoming Automated Retail and Kiosk Innovation Show, according to Kiosk Marketplace. The panel, "Making Automated Retail & Kiosks Fit: Integrating Across Venues," is sponsored by Tech2Success OptConnect and takes place Dec. 14-16 in Miami Beach, Florida. Among five panelists is Christina Henjum, director of concessions for Lee County Port Authority, who described how Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Florida, turned to automated retail after construction activity closed food and drink options in a concourse. The panel will examine deploying kiosks and vending across airports, healthcare, higher education, corporate and mixed-use venues. For small operators, the airport example shows how automated retail can fill service gaps with limited overhead.

An airport concession turns to automated retail

Henjum said the Lee County Port Authority owns and operates Southwest Florida International Airport and had used traditional vending machines for years before the construction closures created what she called a meal option deficit. To address the gap, the authority's concessions department bypassed traditional vending and converted a gate area into a bistro-style food court. The authority partnered with its concessionaire to select robotic machines that Henjum said are proven in airports such as Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dallas Fort Worth and Boston Logan.

Henjum said the automated setup now offers passengers hot and cold meals around the clock from national brands including White Castle, Wow Bao, The Cheesecake Factory and Evolve Breakfast. She described the solution as delivering speed, efficiency and convenience, driving incremental revenue with minimal overhead and enhancing the overall customer experience. The concessions department's goal, she said, was to provide hot meals that would bridge the operational deficit and give passengers 24/7 access to food and beverages.

A panel on integrating kiosks and vending across venues

Attendees will learn about infrastructure, operational considerations and stakeholder alignment, gaining strategies to integrate automated retail effectively while enhancing customer experience and driving operational and financial returns. Henjum is one of five leaders participating; the others are Valentina Ellison, CEO and co-founder of Evolvending; Sharon Loeff, president of Shopworks, Inc.; Catherine Loy, head of Max & XM at JLL; and Audra Mazzeo, vice president of retail at White Castle.

The Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show showcases the latest technologies and trends in self-service retail, vending and interactive kiosks. Attendees can see technologies in action, connect with industry experts, learn best practices and gain the insights needed to implement successful self-service strategies. Related articles on the organizer's site address autonomous commerce beyond the storefront and strategic self-service in high-traffic operations.