Thule Tests First Self-Service Kiosk

By April Miller

Originally featured in:
P-O-P Times
Vol.21, No. 1
January 2008
An official news publication of the In-Store Marketing Institute
InStoreMarketer.org

SEYMOUR, CONN. – Swedish car-rack manufacturer Thule teamed up with Portsmouth, R.I.-based Self-Service Networks to develop its first-ever interactive kiosk.

Available as either a standalone item or a built-in upgrade to Thule’s existing endcap offering, TIPP (Thule Interactive Point-of-Purchase) is a self-service, touchscreen device that allows consumers to match the right Thule rack system to their gear-carrying needs and vehicles.

The P-O-S is intended to attach outdoor enthusiasts in big-box sporting goods stores, sports specialty retailers and automotive accessory shops.

With the success of two pilot tests in Maine – one began in July, one in October – at an L.L. Bean and a Kittery Trading Post, Thule plans to officially roll out TIPP this month to 100 high-volume retailers. Stores need to meet ROI goals to qualify as candidates for the display.

“This eliminates the need to look up vehicle and product information in catalogs and application guides, and calculates the purchase price,” says T.J. Hanson, Thule’s vice president of marketing. “It will present the brand as innovative and intelligent.”

The permanent display includes a touchscreen monitor, 3-inch thermal printer and catalog holder. Video demonstrations of Thule’s various products, such as roof racks, rear mount racks and rooftop boxes, are also included. Consumers are led through a series of questions that identify their vehicle and the equipment they wish to carry; the system then configures the best fit for them. After choosing a rack system, they have the option to print a shopping list of the selected components and also can browse all products.

Functionality of both the standalone kiosk and the endcap are the same, but each kiosk can be programmed with specific retailers’ pricing and SKUs, and can be customized for seasonal promotions. The standalone display is 2 feet wide, 4 ½ feet tall and 1 ½ feet deep; the upgrade is the same height and depth but is wider to fit Thule’s existing floor display.

The Thule logo as well as a “Rack Your Vehicle” copy and image are both given prominent placement on the display. Both were designed for easy assembly, but for those retailers who choose not to do it themselves, a Self-Service Networks technician will visit the store.

“All of our solutions enable the broadcast of digital signage content while not in use,” says Rick Wessels, executive vice president of Self-Service Networks. “The dynamic content, full-motion video and exciting animations help draw the consumers’ attention and direct them to the purpose of the kiosk.”

Not designed solely for shoppers, the company also expects to eventually add content to the kiosk for sales associates to use as a product-training tool. TIPP also includes Self-Service Networks’ proprietary software, inReach, that tracks how shoppers use the display. The software also monitors the health of the kiosk.