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How to launch your retail business from a mall kiosk (Part 2)

Last week we published Part 1 of our guide on how to launch your retail business from a mall kiosk. It covers the critical steps of choosing the right location and the right type of kiosk for your business, so we recommend you click here to read it now if you haven't already. But if you have, let's continue with Part 2...

The design of your kiosk

Whether you decide to go for an off-the-shelf design or a custom-designed kiosk, our team will need a lot of information from you to ensure we give you the best solution for your needs. Jason Simpson, a retail designer from the Scan Retail Cape Town office, recommends you have a good idea of the following:

  • Location: The designer needs to know which malls (or other environment) you are going into, so they can confirm what design restrictions they need to take into account. They will also need to know your exact location within the venue. This helps them with practical considerations, such as the directional flow of foot traffic, and the availability and location of plug points.
  • Size: The square meterage you have been allocated.
  • Use: What products or services you will be selling, and how many staff will be operating within the space. These factors have a big impact on your needs within the space, and therefore the requirements of the kiosk.
  • Corporate identity (CI): Most businesses have a CI document which provides important brand information like how the logo can be used, what font types and pantone colours can be used, etc. If you do not have one, now is a good time to make these important decisions. Additionally, if you have any suitable graphics you would like used, these should also be submitted.
  • Budget: Last but not least, the designer needs to know your budget so that they can make the best choices to effectively fulfill your brief and stay within your budget.

Keep this in mind

While deciding on what type of shopping kiosk you want, you need to be aware of any restrictions that a property has in place which could impact you. Kerry van Deventer, a retail designer at Scan Retail Johannesburg’s office, says, “Most malls have a height restriction of 1.5m, so as not to block the signage and view of the stores around it.”

Other restrictions can be quite specific to a location. Charlton Liebenberg, an AE at Scan Retail Cape Town, highlights this when he points out, “Some malls want a certain look and feel for kiosks. Tyger Valley Centre is a good point in case – they want a floor on all of their kiosks.”

Once you have told the Scan Retail team which location you are considering, they will be able to advise you on any restrictions that may apply.

Design tips

Kerry shares her top design tips for a retail kiosk:

  • Good lighting: I always recommend good lighting on the display. This can have a huge impact on how good your product looks, so is easily one of the most important things about your retail kiosk.
  • High-quality graphics: Good images are also an easy way to elevate the look and feel of your brand and give a better impression of the quality of your products or services.
  • Invest in good finishes: Retail kiosks take a lot of strain in shopping centres, because of the high volumes of passing traffic. Therefore, I always recommend you opt for high-quality material finishes. Naturally your budget will play a role in this choice, but keep in mind that good finishes mean you won’t need to worry about touch-ups and fixes for a long time.

What’s included with every mall kiosk?

Every one of Scan Retail’s shopping kiosks comes standard with a number of features, adds Melfred. These include:

  • LED lighting: This is a big perk, as LEDs have a low energy requirement and will save you money on your monthly running costs.
  • Distribution board (DB): Each till point is equipped with a DB.
  • Toughened glass: Only 12mm toughened glass is used in the display cases, for improved security.
  • Modular design: This ensures that you can easily and cost-effectively add on units as your sales grow and you need more space.

Budgeting for your kiosk

You are probably wondering what you can expect to pay for your own mall kiosk. This question is about as easy to answer as “How long is a piece of strong?” But, very roughly speaking, a retail kiosk can cost anything from R45,000 to R300,000 depending on its size, finishes and how many added features it has.

To help ease this financial pressure, Scan Retail offers payment plans. These require a 60% deposit to secure your purchase, followed by monthly payments which are calculated based on your profile.

Budgeting for your other costs

Of course, you also need to take into account the other costs for your new business, such as your mall rental fees, staffing, stock and marketing. We strongly recommend you also read our Retailer’s Guide to Mall Kiosks Business in South Africa for more advice on how to successfully launch your retail business using a shopping kiosk. It includes a number of other important considerations to keep in mind, when setting up your retail business.

And remember – you can always contact us if you have any questions or need more information. We’re always happy to help!

Johannesburg: +27 11 492 1179 or az.oc.liaternacs@nitsuj
Cape Town: +27 21 409 1200 or az.oc.liaternacs@xela
Durban: +27 31 564 7602 or az.oc.nbdyalpsidnacs@dyrraj
Port Elizabeth: +27 73 236 6618 or az.oc.yalpsidnacs@riatsala
Gaborone: +267 318 2525 or wb.oc.nacs@dahsuan

19 Jun 2018 13:37

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