How to Rent a Kiosk at a Mall (2024)

By Steven Buckley Updated March 01, 2019

Kiosks are staples of a mall environment. Mall developers use these modular "stores-on-wheels" to round out the product offerings and to generate incremental income for themselves in the form of additional rent. There is great ease of entry into a mall kiosk business - generally the kiosk is even provided by the mall as part of your rent. Come up with a desirable product and you may be on your way to a new business venture.

  1. Choose Your Products

  2. Carefully research and select the products that you wish to sell. Ideally, choose products that are not already sold at stores inside the mall or not easily found elsewhere. Explore suppliers of the product, and analyze cost, pricing and profit margins.

  3. Do Financial Projections

  4. Do a financial projection and break-even analysis. Determine what you comfortably believe you can generate in total sales. Don't forget that you will need to plug in the cost of product sold, rent payable to the mall, wages to kiosk attendants, taxes and insurance.

  5. Create a Business Plan

  6. Develop a business plan. Answer the questions, "Why would your products sell in the proposed mall and who is your target customer?" Outline your unique selling proposition, keeping in mind that you will present this business plan to the mall leasing officer.

  7. Study Traffic Counts

  8. How to Rent a Kiosk at a Mall (1)
  9. Approach the leasing officer at the mall, or contact agents at several malls. Look for malls with the highest traffic counts of your specific target customers. Present your business plan and supply actual samples of the products that you will be selling on your kiosk. Your goal is to convince the leasing officer that your kiosk operation would be a positive addition to the mall.

  10. Negotiate a Lease

  11. If the mall approves of your business, negotiate and sign the lease. As a small kiosk operator, you may have little negotiating strength, but try to get the best deal on rent and negotiate a fixed date for your business opening. Make sure that the mall developer will provide the kiosk. You will probably be expected to pay the first month's rent, plus a security deposit.

  12. Obtain a Business License

  13. Obtain a business license – or local authorization to conduct business, and reseller's permit for payment of sales tax. Buy required insurance, and set up payroll and complete filings, including an employer's tax ID, for required withholding and taxes.

  14. Order Product Inventory

  15. Order product inventory to stock your kiosk. You will need to pay product costs up front unless you can obtain credit from your suppliers.

  16. Open for Business

  17. Staff your kiosk. Install your cash register. Open for business and start selling.

  18. Tip

    You may wish to incorporate or become a limited liability corporation, or LLC. Discuss the options with your accountant. Sign the lease in the name of the corporate entity, if you choose to incorporate.

    Determine the exact type of insurance needed, based upon the lease requirements and any further liability that might exist.

    Open up a bank account solely for your business.

    Warning

    Monitor your sales, expenses and earnings to determine whether you have a profitable business. You may negotiate a cancellation option in the lease if sales profits are below a certain level.

How to Rent a Kiosk at a Mall (2024)

FAQs

How to Rent a Kiosk at a Mall? ›

High Foot Traffic:

Shopping malls attract a diverse and high volume of foot traffic. A kiosk strategically placed in a bustling mall provides exposure to a broad audience, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential customers.

How much can a mall kiosk make? ›

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Mall Kiosk Jobs
CityAnnual SalaryHourly Wage
Sunnyvale, CA$41,359$19.88
Livermore, CA$41,338$19.87
Arlington, VA$41,201$19.81
Kent, WA$40,102$19.28
6 more rows

How do mall kiosks stay in business? ›

High Foot Traffic:

Shopping malls attract a diverse and high volume of foot traffic. A kiosk strategically placed in a bustling mall provides exposure to a broad audience, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential customers.

How do you arrange a kiosk? ›

Time Frame of Lease

The first stage in planning for a kiosk is knowing whether the kiosk lease is temporary, long term or permanent. This factor determines instantly what can and can't be used to construct the kiosk. But also, what will be the most cost-effective solution.

How do I get sales at a kiosk? ›

This can include tactics such as upselling, cross-selling, and using persuasive language or visuals to encourage customers to make a purchase. Additionally, effective kiosk sales technique may include a good understanding of the target audience, and their needs, and adapting the products and services to them.

Is a mall kiosk profitable? ›

Mall kiosk play a pivotal role in revenue generation, often yielding high-profit margins due to their low operational costs and the high visibility they offer.

What should I sell at a mall kiosk? ›

As a smaller businesses, carts and kiosks can find and fill holes in the markets they serve more nimbly.
  • Sunglasses. Sunglasses are a well-tested kiosk staple. ...
  • Phone Accessories. ...
  • Food. ...
  • Apparel. ...
  • Artwork. ...
  • Locally Made Items. ...
  • Accessories.
Feb 26, 2021

How do I set up a kiosk in my mall? ›

Mall management: The first step would be to contact the mall management team. They can provide information on the requirements and regulations for setting up a kiosk in their mall, as well as information on available kiosk locations and rental fees.

How do you attract customers to your kiosk? ›

14 ways to engage customers at a pop-up shop or kiosk
  1. UNDERSTAND YOUR OBJECTIVE AND MEASURES FOR SUCCESS. ...
  2. PARTNER WITH INFLUENCERS. ...
  3. FOCUS ON CREATING CONVENIENCE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS. ...
  4. SHARE YOUR VALUES AND MISSION RATHER THAN PITCHING. ...
  5. ENSURE YOU PICK THE PROPER SITE FOR YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.
Mar 29, 2023

Is a mall kiosk a good business? ›

Leasing a shopping center kiosk allows you to sell your products and expand your business without taking up too much space: “Don't be fooled, a small size can generate big business. Kiosks can generate six and seven figure incomes; you don't have to be a behemoth like Walmart to be successful,” (eshopper).

What are the 7 types of kiosk? ›

Exploring the Various Types of Kiosks
  • Self-Service Kiosks. As the name suggests, self-service kiosks provide customers with the independence to complete various tasks on their own. ...
  • Information Kiosks. ...
  • Internet Kiosks. ...
  • Advertisem*nt Standing Displays. ...
  • Wayfinding Kiosks. ...
  • Survey and Feedback Kiosks. ...
  • Parking Kiosks.
Mar 26, 2024

Where is the best place to put a kiosk? ›

There's an obvious answer to why kiosk placement is important: if customers can't see it, they won't use it. Also, if it's not easy to use or accessible to people of various abilities, it won't be very effective. Thus, you'll often see kiosks near entrances or in other high-visibility, high-traffic locations.

How long does it take to set up a kiosk? ›

While the physical installation of a tablet kiosk generally only takes an hour or so, planning and executing a self-service kiosk project often takes several months. For larger projects, a multi-year timeline may be required.

How much does it cost to make a kiosk? ›

Mid-range kiosks (such as countertop kiosks) are generally priced between $700 and $1,000. Meanwhile, outdoor kiosks are usually far more expensive than indoor kiosks, as they'll need to be weatherproof. You could pay up to $20,000 for a custom outdoor kiosk with lots of features.

How do I start a small kiosk? ›

Start a kiosk business by following these 10 steps:
  1. Plan your Kiosk Business.
  2. Form your Kiosk Business into a Legal Entity.
  3. Register your Kiosk Business for Taxes.
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card.
  5. Set up Accounting for your Kiosk Business.
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Kiosk Business.
Oct 12, 2023

How much does a retail kiosk cost? ›

As the ideal vehicle for grabbing attention and displaying your products, a retail kiosk can cost anything from R60, 000 to R300, 000 to purchase, depending on the size and finishes chosen.

How much does it cost to start a kiosk business? ›

The upfront investment for a kiosk or a cart ranges from just $2,000 to $10,000, according to Patricia Norins, publisher of Specialty Retail Report , a quarterly trade publication for specialty retailers.

How much does a mall owner make a month? ›

Mall Owner Salary in California
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$238,830$19,902
75th Percentile$123,400$10,283
Average$78,777$6,564
25th Percentile$26,200$2,183

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