Electronic Kiosks in Retail Service Delivery: Modeling Customer Acceptance

In-store interactive kiosks using Internet technology represent a channel within a channel in many retail and service settings. They offer wide-ranging informational, transactional and promotional benefits, as well as contributing to customer relationship management. Widespread adoption by customers is, however, required to realize their full potential. Drawing upon the diffusion of innovations and technology acceptance models, two empirical studies are reported, one using a kiosk prototype, the other an in-store trial system. In both cases, a model was able to predict around 50% of intention to use. Implications for retail strategy, positioning within stores, facility promotion and system design are discussed. (C) 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.