Chapters Indigo Announces New Smart Kiosks for Bookstores
When you search for a book on-line that data is captured and funneled to the website inventory manager. When you search for a book in-store (or ask a bookseller — the scandal) that request is lost forever. Until now.
The Indigo Chapters 2008 annual report (PDF) lists a new smart kiosk as one of cornerstones to the strategic objective to “Re-imagine the Indigo/Chapters experience”…
Our new kiosk will also provide real-time information to our buyers about books which are being searched for by customers but not available in a given location,helping us to make intelligent adjustments in store- specific selection. Both the software and hardware for our kiosks were designed by us and we expect them to be a breakthrough experience for staff and customers.The new kiosks will be launched in our stores this fall.
This would be huge — if they can do it right. Tailoring selection to specific locations was a great promise of Indigo’s supply chain re-design in 2004. It didn’t happen. Too few people manage too many variables to make store-by-store buying a reality. Having in-store search be a feedback loop for head office would be a great help to the HO buyers as long as it is not report 104 of the 86 reports they are already supposed to be looking at.
Also, if it works, I believe it would also be an industry first. Way to go guys!
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