Here's a peek at 44 kiosk exhibits from the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City.

Dawn Dickson presents the PopShop e-commerce fulfillment kiosk at the NRF Show in New York City.

Jan. 17, 2020 | by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The National Retail Federation's Big Show once again delivered an insightful snapshot of the rapidly changing retail technology landscape, and interactive kiosks commanded an even bigger presence than last year's impressive showing. The NRF show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City — which concluded Tuesday — has become a self-service technology launching pad as retailers rush to embrace digital commerce.

Self-checkout is one of the hot-button technologies retailers are embracing as they embark on "store of the future" omnichannel initiatives. As they explore their options, they are recognizing interactive kiosks as an efficient and effective self-service opportunity, one that not only boosts customer convenience, but customer loyalty.

In response to these major market opportunities, kiosk manufacturers are incorporating customer experience technologies like voice recognition, facial recognition and artificial intelligence that streamline the customer experience.

Following are show highlights in alphabetical order.

Acrelec America presented a self-order touchscreen kiosk that allows customers to scroll through a menu, place orders, add to orders, confirm or cancel orders. The customizable kiosk features a thin bezel and can take any cashless payment. The kiosk can also manage loyalty programs via a barcode scanner.

Frank Amoruso demonstrates the self-order kiosk at the Acrelec booth.

Advantech demonstrated its new 106 series that accepts numerous peripherals that support self-order/self-checkout applications. The all-in-one touch computers are equipped with Intel processors, fanless system and multi-touch screen.

Styrbjoern Torbacke presents a self-order/self-checkout kiosk at the Advantech booth.

Apex Supply Chain Technologies presented an updated version of its heated order pick-up station that allows customers to order and pay using smartphones. The self-serve station eliminates issues caused by increased order throughput.

Ben Savage demonstrates the heated order and pickup station at the Apex Supply Chain Technologies booth.

Appetize presented its "Store of the Future" enterprise cloud, point-of-sale technology, which includes POS terminals, handheld POS devices, mobile ordering, centralized management and real-time analytics. The technology allows enterprise level businesses to manage, streamline and future-proof operations.

Brian Whitney introduces attendees to Appetize's “Store of the Future” offerings.

BH QuickCollect GL from Bell Howell enables grocers to remotely program column temperatures to any degree. Customers place orders online or via the retailer's app. Once an order is inducted, the system notifies them via text or email with a unique pickup code the customer uses to scan at the kiosk console to open the locker door.

Grace Vanier and Brian Irish present the Bell Howell grocery pickup kiosk.

Buzzy Booth showed a new version of its selfie kiosk to allow customers to share their experiences and at the same time help market the restaurant. The kiosk also allows the restaurant to gather information about its guests and provides email and SMS marketing campaigns.

Charlie Evens presents the Buzzy Booth selfie kiosk.

The UpLift powered by ComQi's EnCage CMS provides an engaging and informative in-store experience for customers and allows retailers to track shopping behavior. The solution uses RFID technology in conjunction with ComQi's CMS platform, Engage. Lifting the product from its shelf  triggers product-specific media, including lighting changes, music variations and even scents.

Stuart Armstrong demonstrates the Upfit interactive media at the ComQi booth.

The Virtual Try On, a mixed reality platform from Convergent Retail, uses 3D scanning technology to place rings, watches and accessories onto a virtual arm. Customers narrow their product choices on the touchscreen before making their final decision in the store.

Gabbie Ciavarella demonstrates the Virtual Try On at the Convergent Retail booth.

Datalogic, a provider of automatic data capture and process automation, has introduced new vision technology for self-checkout. The vision technology helps eliminate customer frustration by detecting products, interpreting shopper behavior and providing retailers with new ways to make self-checkout hassle-free.

The technology can identify items at checkout and recognize shopper behavior. Rather than only rely on a barcode, Datalogic solutions can detect and recognize items using packaging information. The technology also alerts personnel when shoppers alter barcodes.

Chris Jones presents a self-checkout kiosk at the Datalogic booth.

Diebold Nixdorf demonstrated a kiosk with a 32-inch monitor and a card dispenser that allows gift cards or other types of cards a retailer, restaurant or entertainment venue might want to dispense to customers, such as newly-purchased cards for game play.

Tiffini Bloniarz shows the Diebold Nixdorf kiosk.

The Packagehold BOPIS solution from Digilock features a 22-inch kiosk, customizable locker sizes, admin and user dashboards and chip-resistant power coating. The user places an order online for in-store pick up. The order is then delivered to the locker, and the user receives an email or text with a QR or pickup code to collect their package. The company offers 24/7 secure access and support. The kiosk meets ADA and FHA accessibility guidelines.

Kacey Owens demonstrates the Packagehold kiosk at the Digilock booth.

Elo announced additions to its lineup of self-service, BOPIS and in-store fulfillment solutions, including the new Windows-based EloPOS Pack compute platform and two additional display options for EloPOS systems. The company also previewed Elo Edge Connect 3D camera for facial-recognition and secure-payment applications.

Calle Skoglof shows the I Series for Windows 2.0 at the Elo booth.

FEC demonstrated its new customizable self-checkout kiosk with a modular design that uses a camera to identify products on a tray. The unit has a scanner, printer and card payment acceptor.

Chris Lai presents the new FEC self-checkout kiosk.

Fujitsu demonstrated its walk-through RFID self-checkout portal. Customers simply walk through the portal and all items in their shopping bag or cart are automatically scanned. With PalmSecure and NFC payment options available, customers can scan and pay for their items and then walk out of the store in a matter of seconds.

David Luong demonstrates the palm recognition sensor at the Fujitsu booth.

FeedbackNow kiosk from Forrester is a cloud-based solution that encourages customers to give feedback and allows retailers to better understand their customers. The cloud-based solution combines in-the-moment customer feedback with customer experience analytics to enable business improvements.

Dave Mariano presents the Feedback Now kiosk from Forrester.

The self-service kiosk from Guangzhou MapleTouch Technology features a professional face recognition payment camera and a built-in speaker. The unit is available with a 21.5-inch or 32-inch capacitive touchscreen, and is available with a stand or mounted on the wall. 

Jenny Woo presents the MapleTouch self-serve kiosk at the Guangzhou MapleTouch Technology booth.

Kiosk Information Systems demonstrated a ticketing kiosk that accepts cash, along with other customized kiosks featuring in-store bill payment, endless aisle, loyalty and order entry.

The company also demonstrated freestanding form factors with facial detection technology integrated with AI to illustrate the power of data-driven targeted ad content and retail customer analytics. 

Kim Kenney shows a custom-made ticketing kiosk at the Kiosk Information Systems booth.

Luxer One presented its custom locker kiosk for buy-online, pick up in-store, order returns and other omnichannel functions.

Customers get an email with a QR code after placing an order online. The email directs them to the Luxer One BOPIS order pickup lockers at the front of the store to scan their QR code at the locker screen, prompting the locker door to open.

Melody Akhtari and Marc Parker present the Luxer One pickup locker solution.

The Mappedin software digitizes wayfinding maps to allow accurate indoor search and navigation and offers an interactive kiosk experience, featuring 3D wayfinding and AI-driven search. The software enables property operators to maintain data across more than 500 million square feet of retail space worldwide. The CMS allows users to change tenant information, including store names, logos and icons.

Thomas Dousek and Blake Donaldson present Mappedin software for indoor wayfinding.

Meridian, exhibiting in the HP booth, presented a locker that allows customers to pick up ordered merchandise at their convenience. The company has added clear doors and internal LED lights to its pickup lockers.

Melissa Harward demonstrates a Meridian kiosk locker.

The QBIT I/II Android 8 self-service kiosk features a 10.1-inch multi-touch display and an 8 MP camera that supports image recognition. The unit also features a printer and LED guidance/states indicators. The kiosk supports multiple payment methods, including credit cards and digital wallets.

Jeff Huang shows the QBIT I/II kiosk at the MPlus Technology Co. Ltd. booth.

NCR Corp. introduced a variety of self-checkout technologies, including a prototype of an RFID- and AI-based solution that uses computer vision that tracks the movement of product to ensure accuracy and identify customers using the wrong barcode when scanning a product.

The kiosk allows age-restricted items to be sold by allowing customers to register using a photo ID.

The kiosk also includes a cash recycler and a receipt printer.

Matt Farrow shows a prototype self-checkout kiosk at the NCR Corp. booth.

NEC presented a number of self-service innovations, including "Pop ID" kiosks that register the user's face and allow them to automatically charge their credit card or a stored value account. The facial recognition is offered on an opt-in basis. The kiosk also displays information about past orders and loyalty point status. 

Yale Goldberg demonstrates the Pop ID kiosk at the NEC booth.

The K1 Kiosk from OK POS features a 21.5-inch, full HD screen with a barcode scanner and 3-inch thermal printer. The unit can be wall mounted or set on a stand. It is designed for retail, hospitality, health care and other verticals.

The Brands Hub kiosk from Omnic offers a click-and-collect solution that combines the features of a post office and vending machines. It contains cooling and heating modules for delivering orders form supermarkets and restaurants. 

There is a parcel dispatch and receiving portal managed by a touchscreen as well as an advertising platform. The kiosk can integrate up to 16 modules and accepts payment options including cash, credit card and mobile payment.

Ann Snitko and Yuliya Lockman present the Brands Hub click-and-collect solution at the Omnic booth.

OptConnect introduced its mylo, a specially-designed Cat M1 network for machine-to-machine communication that helps to ensure a connected device does not lose connectivity when it loses a cellular connection to a carrier. The mylo allows devices to switch between Verizon and AT&T, so that if one cellular network goes down, the connection automatically switches to the other network. The magnets in the mylo allow it to attach to any metal surface.

Kevin Dalton presents the mylo solution at the OptConnect booth.

Panasonic demonstrated its self-order restaurant kiosk which integrates PopID, a facial recognition technology that registers the user's face and allows them to automatically charge their credit card or a stored value account. The facial recognition is offered on an opt-in basis.

The kiosk also displays information about past orders and loyalty point status.

Robert Collins presents the Panasonic self-order restaurant kiosk. 

The BOPIL pickup locker from Parcel Pending for grocery ensures online orders stay fresh. The lockers are cooled between 35 to 44 degrees, allowing temperature-sensitive items to stay fresh longer than standard dry ice or gel packs. Customers are notified by text or email and provided with a code that they can type or scan at the locker kiosk. 

Jordan Byrd demonstrates the BOPIL pickup locker at the Parcel Pending booth.

Partner presented its Alfred Series kiosks, including one with a 21.5-inch anti-glare display with PCAP and another with a 15.6-inch touchscreen. The kiosks are available in vertical, horizontal, countertop or floor standing formats. Options include a thermal printer, image module, payment module, camera, RFID reader, ADA keypad and more.

Perch offers an in-store platform that unites digital content with physical products to engage customers and analyze customer behavior. The technology embeds in kiosks, retail shelves, cases and other displays.

The platform allows content, agency, application and retail fabrication partners to embed digital marketing in any physical retail display.

Brian Wreckler demonstrates the Perch experiential in-store merchandising.

PopCom displayed its market-ready model for its PopShop, an automated retail solution it has been developing for more than a year. Pop Shop is designed to allow e-commerce retailers to have a physical self-serve presence in the form of an interactive kiosk that uses facial recognition.

The management software collects customer demographic information at the point of sale, along with monitoring inventory, capturing sales data and generating insights for lead generation.

Dawn Dickson presents her PopShop at the PopCom booth.

The BigPOS from POSBANK is a self-service kiosk with a 21-inch or 27-inch display and a PCAP touchscreen. The unit is designed for retail, hotel, foodservice and entertainment verticals. Options include a barcode scanner, bill and coin acceptor, EMV terminal bracket, NFC reader, printer and camera. 

Peter Kim presents the BigPOS at the POSBANK booth.

The Apex solution from Posiflex features a VESA mount LCD that can be configured for a 19- or 21.5-inch LCD, mounted in portrait or landscape presentation. The Apex combines projective capacitive touch display with a flush-mounted PC. Transaction options include a side-mounted payment device, a receipt printer and a barcode scanner. All models are ADA compliant.

The Apex is available with a choice of an Intel J1900, i3 or i5 processor, and multiple options for variable requirements.

Robert MacKenzie shows the Apex kiosk at the Posiflex booth.

The Selfpos 10 for café shops and bakeries from Qingdao Wintec System Co., Ltd. combines traditional kiosk functions with artificial intelligence to improve the checkout process. The kiosk has an Intel processor and a projected capacitive touchscreen, a thermal printer, a speaker, a camera and a scanner. The kiosk accepts multiple forms of payment, including facial recognition. 

Michael Zhang presents the Selfpos checkout kiosk from Qingdao Wintec System Co., Ltd.

RetailAI Protect uses artificial intelligence-supported product recognition to identify and stop scan errors as they are made, including missed scans and ticket-switching, at self-checkout kiosks. The HD camera is installed above the self-checkout surface. When fraud is detected, the transaction stops and a store associate is notified. The system protects customer privacy.

Matt Scott shows the fraud detection system at the RetailAI booth.

The Digi shelf checkout kiosk features a vertical screen that lists items by price in descending order with color coding that adds an extra layer of security at the self-checkout. Product weight verification is built into the platform to ensure accuracy at checkout.

Ryan Shen presents the Digi self-checkout kiosk at the Shanghai Teraoka Electronic Co. Ltd. booth.

The Smart Micro Market from SNBC allows customers to select and purchase products in under 15 seconds, the company said. The glass-front merchandiser holds bottles, boxes, cans and irregular shaped packages. It operates on Windows, Android and Linux operating systems and has a 15.52-square-foot footprint and a 21.5-inch LED touchscreen with payment module. Refrigeration is optional.

Michael Ma shows the SNBC glassfront merchandiser.

The Star Micronics printers now can connect to a kiosk via an ethernet line, removing the need for a wireless signal. Options include a presenter, bezel, LED bezel and large paper roll holder.

Kyle Lauber presents the Star Micronics printer.

The AudioNet EF keypad from Storm Interface uses an assistive USB device to enable software navigation via audio direction. Users with impaired vision, reading difficulties or impaired motor skills can navigate menus or directories that would normally be presented on a visual display or touchscreen. Screen content is described by recorded or synthesized language via a headset or handset. Menu pages and options can be navigated using a tactile keypad device.

Nicky Shaw demonstrates the navigation keypad for persons with impaired vision at the Storm Interface booth.

Suzo Happ demonstrated its SPS 700 and SPS 800 cash recyclers integrated with self-order kiosks. The cash handling solution minimizes manual cash handling in checkout lanes. The unit uses sensors that recognize and reject counterfeit coins and notes.

Simon Jones demonstrates the Suzo Happ cash recycler integrated with the kiosk.

The Edge Kiosk from Touch Dynamic is available in Windows and Android and features a 21.5-inch projected capacitive touchscreen and a built-in printer. Options include pin pad mount, a scanner and a webcam.

Tyng Lee shows the Touch Edge Kiosk at the Touch Dynamic booth.

TeamSable presented its EMV/PCI-compliant Windows and Android POS terminals for retail, foodservice, hospitality, transportation and other verticals. In partnership with its North American distribution partner, POSDATA Group Inc., TeamSable offers software-loading and remote key services.

Walter Shan presents new POS kiosks at the TeamSable booth.

Verifone, which last year acquired Zivelo, presented its K250 and K450 kiosks. Both feature an ADA input device, a Verifone P4400 payment device and a barcode reader.

The K250 features a 22-inch PCAP multi-touch screen, a camera and a printer chute.

The K450 features a 27-inch PCAP multi-touch screen.

Frank Yoder and Scott Perkins show the Verifone kiosks.

The Vicki machine from ViaTouch Media, shown in the Fiserv booth, is a vending machine that utilizes artificial intelligence to allow shoppers to take a product from the shelf and examine it before making a purchase. Once the product is removed from the shelf, a video screen above the door plays related content. 

The machine also has voice recognition, allowing the customer to ask questions and get answers about products in the machine.

The machine's shelf sensors monitor product movement. Should the customer return the product to the shelf, the purchase is canceled. If they take the product, their account is automatically charged.

The unit also uses iris authentication technology to recognize and authenticate the customer.

Robyn Azus demonstrates the Vicki vending machine in the Fiserv booth.

Elliot Maras is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. He brings three decades covering unattended retail and commercial foodservice.

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