Dive Brief:

• Discount Drug Mart stores will be getting 3D kiosks through a multi-year partnership Provision Interactive Technologies to install Provision's proprietary technology in the drug store retailer's locations.

• The kiosks come with holographic capabilities and can provide customers with information as well as Discount Drug Mart promotions, rewards and coupons.

• The units can also be used for independent brands to push promotional content and interact with customers via a 2D  touch screen interface.

Dive Insight:

A recent survey from Bouncepad showed that 78% of the consumers surveyed said they want businesses they engage with to have more technology tools on-site to enhance their experiences. More than 60% said they prefer self-service tools like the kiosks by Provision.

Some retailers may see it as a way to work toward the level of personal and direct engagement of the online shopping experience. In that effort, Walmart has been experimenting with in-store kiosks and touchscreens.

The desire to bring a digital experience in-store could be behind Discount Drug Mart's partnership. But one nice thing about kiosks is that they do not need a grand scheme behind them for deployment to make sense. A retailer just needs to have a clear sense of what products or information they want to provide via kiosks and how they will reward shoppers who engage with the technology.

In the case of Discount Drug Mart, the rewards include coupon redemption, exclusive money-saving promotions, and giveaways of products and services. The inclusion of 3D graphics means that the Provision kiosks can be especially effective in encouraging customer interaction and can be a nice draw for advertisers and brands that can use the technology to make their marketing efforts pop.

Provision said that a recent case study showed the average rate of redemption for coupons generated by its 3D Savings Center was 17.4%, a figure well above what Provision says is the national average coupon redemption rate of just 1.2%.