Small Business Strategies: Popular Mall Kiosk Ideas

Small Business Strategies: Popular Mall Kiosk Ideas

Kiosks and shopping carts are becoming very popular and incredibly profitable for many small business owners.  These small, mobile storefronts, once considered only for the low end of the market, are now often found at the high end.  
 
The appeal of kiosks and shopping carts is that they are relatively easy to set up, low maintenance, highly accessible to target consumers and cheaper than running a retail store.  If you're considering starting your own business, consider some of the most common and successful ideas and product options.  

7 popular kiosk ideas  
Mall kiosks and shopping carts can be excellent testing grounds for products and products or services of interest.  They can provide a steady stream of revenue in high-traffic areas, and the only real trick is to make sure your product or service fits where your kiosk is located.  The possibilities are endless, but here's what seven mall stalls thought:  

Fast food and food products  
The most popular products at these types of kiosks and carts are the usual staples: popcorn, peanuts, ice cream, hot dogs, pretzels and delicious doughnuts or coffee.  With the fresh scent of delicious snacks wafting through crowded areas, it can be hard for customers to pass your kiosk without stopping for a snack.  
 
Accessories and Clothing  
The beauty of these kiosks is that customers can browse attractive jewelry, scarves, handbags, and even custom orders that involve silk printing or airpainting on T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, and just about every other kind of clothing.  Cheaper items, such as costume jewelry, are great for younger buyers, while more upscale items, such as silver or gold jewelry, are great for high-end shopping malls.  
 
Gift  Items
If you have a unique gift, craft or specialty item, a kiosk is a great way to showcase those items without having customers miss them out as part of a larger in-store display.  Also, if your customers need to understand the uniqueness of your merchandise, a kiosk is an excellent setup to provide a quick, face-to-face infomercals by yourself or your staff.  
 
Glasses  
Sunglasses and other types of ornamental glasses are almost universal favorites that sell well at a stand or in a shopping cart.  These items appeal to both low - and high-income shoppers and sell well in both mainstream and high-end retail centers.  
 
Electronic products,  
Mobile phones, mobile accessories and other types of electronics are on display in a busy area of the home.  At the mall, inventory should shrink to the lower end of the price range.  Since many items purchased at kiosks and shopping carts are impulse buys, making your customers think twice about price is something you want to avoid.  
 
Cosmetics  
Beauty products have long been shunned by retailers in high-end malls, but they are gaining market share as merchants realize their value.  They are great testing grounds for new products or ideas, and consumers are used to kiosk merchants selling unusual or newer products.  In a market that is almost entirely female, visual appeal is key to success.  
 
Information display  
Not all kiosks sell products.  Many are simply informational stalls in the hope that passers-by will later buy the real product or service.  Some of the more common businesses that take advantage of traffic and interest generated by kiosks include time-sharing rentals, dealerships, and leisure and lifestyle businesses.  High-end locations are the best places for these kiosks because of the nature of the goods that end up being sold.