Payments

Survey: pandemic drives unattended retail

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August 18, 2021

Ninety percent of people used unattended retail as much or more during the pandemic according to a recent survey by Cantaloupe Systems Inc., a digital payments and software services company that provides end-to-end technology solutions for the unattended retail market, according to a press release.

However, according to the survey, younger consumers were the most likely to increase usage during that period. Nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents between the age of 18 and 34 said that the pandemic increased their usage of unattended retail, compared to 18% of 35- to 54-year-olds, and only 4% of respondents over 55 years of age.

Nearly half of consumers who increased usage in unattended retail during the pandemic cited speed (49%), social distancing (49%) and convenience (47%) as reasons for the increase. Sixty-eight percent noted it is important to have a touchless option post-pandemic.

Forty-one percent of respondents who purchased an item through an unattended channel in the three months prior to the survey said unattended options make them more likely to shop in a retailer's other channels in the future.

Other findings include:

• While debit and credit are the most preferred payment method overall (67%), 19% preferred cash, and 12% preferred payment apps like Venmo, Google Pay and others. Among those respondents between 18-34, 25% prefer cash. This compares to only 11% of participants 55 and over.
• Eighty-two percent of consumers have some interest in purchasing non-traditional items from a vending machine, and the increase has grown significantly since 2019. Clothing showed the greatest 2-year increase with 70% of respondents interested in purchasing these items now, versus only 55% in 2019. Health and beauty showed a significant increase as well with 71% in 2021 versus 64% in 2019.
• Sixty percent of respondents (versus 49% in 2019) noted the speed of unattended retail was driving usage overall with 45% of respondents noting that not having to talk to a store employee and having shorter lines were also key drivers compared to 35% in 2019.

For an update on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting kiosks, click here.