New Antavo interactive kiosks push retail loyalty programs

Loyalty management platform vendor Antavo recently launched Loyalty Experience Kiosk to boost loyalty programs in stores through interactive puzzles and games.

The kiosk is a 22-inch, wall-mounted multi-touch screen that utilizes near field communication (NFC) technology and sensors. Customers can use NFC readers, QR codes or facial recognition to set up or log into their loyalty accounts via the in-store kiosk.

"If you talk to industry execs in retail and fashion, they would say they want more tech, but this tech needs to be frictionless," said Zsuzsa Kecsmar, chief marketing officer at Antavo. "If it's amazing but hard, it will not be frictionless … that's what 2020 is about."

The kiosk is used to engage with members of the retail loyalty programs via options that include:

• A prize wheel: Customers can spin a prize wheel to unlock offers and deals.
• Brand-themed quizzes: Retailers can gather information about shoppers through quizzes that ask about types of products, clothing sizes, favorite colors and other preferences.
• Treasure hunts: Shoppers are encouraged to search around the store for specific items and earn rewards for each item found.

"As a customer or person who walks into the store, before you sign into the loyalty program there needs to be something that lures you in," Kecsmar said. "We wanted to enhance discovery. For example, for the treasure hunt, there might be these icon items in the stores that the retailers want you to find."

Loyalty Experience Kiosk retail loyalty programs can also be set up to offer product suggestions via a "virtual stylist," and then browse those items curated in-store by an associate.

Antavo is not the only company that has stepped into the world of customer engagement. ComQi has the UpLift kiosk, which uses products to trigger specific media just by lifting items off the kiosk shelf.

Pricing for Antavo Loyalty Experience Kiosks starts at $30,000.