when telephones or helicopters were sold in the same location for ten years. These days, there’s a lot more movement.” Sand Mountain sells a system called Shop360 which is a system of modular components that can be arranged in a variety of permutations and combinations lending itself toward the flexibility that is increasingly being called for in the mall common area.
SAND MOUNTAIN INC.
not much form or function,” Larson says, “now the look is to convey a sense of permanence.” This also has an additional benefit of assuaging hesitant buyers that the kiosk retailers are not fly-by-night operators but are instead a wholly integral part of the shopping center’s suite of offerings. Blake Sandberg, Co-founder, Business Development &
Innovation at Sand Mountain Inc., a kiosk manufacturer, says that one of the biggest challenges is to design kiosks generic enough that the mall can own and merchandise a variety of products on while yet working well for every category be it T-shirts or jewelry or phones.
Make way for mobile At a time when shopping centers are increasingly invested in curating their merchandise, a convenient way to achieve this same effect is to move existing common-area retailers around for a more fresh and updated look. The result is an increasing demand for kiosks and RMUs that are mobile and can be wheeled around easily. “In a lot of the older centers the kiosk was anchored to the floor and having to remove it required putting in new tile or covering it up in some way,” Larson says, “the trend now is to make them more mobile, whether it’s through wheels or some other lock-in system. They can be reconfigured to accommodate whatever the look is.” Sandberg agrees saying
that he sees an increasing emphasis on mobility in kiosk design trends. “Gone are the days
WIDE ANGLE MARKETING 62 Specialty Retail Report n Winter 2017
SpecialtyRetail.com
Material world Such flexibility and mobility increase wear and tear on materials so kiosk manufacturers are on the lookout for new materials that are long-lasting and look good. “We’re seeing a lot of resins, custom resins that were formed in rich patterns,” Sandberg says, “many of the units are clad in that instead of wood. Stainless steel is also being used for a high-end look. Black and white is a popular look and we’re seeing marble being used in counters and other areas.” Loeff points out that there’s always a fine line to walk
between materials that make a kiosk appealing and its long-term utility. Laminate chips she points out, look great, but when they need repairs, you essentially have to replace the entire panel, which makes for an expensive proposition. When wood veneer chips, it’s still wood, you can touch it up, she adds. Small details for materials were also incorporated into
the design for American Kiosk Management’s new virtual reality kiosk at Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, says Trisha Kee, Vice President, Experiential Environments at Plus Studios, the designer for the specialized kiosk. Since the bottom of the kiosk was liable to get nicked during routine cleaning, they decided to make the ramp leading to the kiosk floor with metal. The kiosk floor itself is a special vinyl material, Kee says.
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