Valora’s retail formats traditionally offer a physical range of products comprising, among other things, print media, tobacco products, food and non-food items. While hardly visible, services that offer telephony, gift cards as well as new payment and pick-up/drop-off options are growing strongly. The point of sale is increasingly transforming into a service centre. This is being made possible by innovative digital solutions with third-party companies as well as proprietary solutions and the dense network with around 2,800 points of sale. These serve customers in a convenient manner at the interface between the online and offline worlds – always close by and at their service in the evening and at weekends.
The ATM: It is possible to withdraw cash at k kiosk and Press & Books in Switzerland with the app of the Zurich-based fintech company Sonect. Customers do not incur any costs or fees for the transaction at the Valora point of sale and the amount is simply debited to a previously saved bank account after payment. 
The ticket centre: Event tickets for sporting spectacles, the cinema and stage productions can be booked online via starticket.ch. Upon presenting a QR code, customers have the option to pay for the ordered ticket at k kiosk and it will then be activated in the Starticket Ticketbox within 20 minutes. 
The book shop: In addition to the books in the Press & Books points of sale, customers can also order their desired book online. They can then select the pick-up point themselves within the point of sale network and also pay for the orders at the store. At the Valora retail points of sale in Germany, avid readers can use the «amazon vor Ort aufladen» service. Money can be added to the user’s own account via a barcode without having to save credit card details. This allows for the payment of the online book orders. 
The Swisscom easy point: In cooperation with the Swiss telecommunications firm, Valora offers the Swisscom easy point at its points of sale. In addition to routers, Swisscom TV boxes and fibre kits, SIM cards can also be purchased. Hardware and SIM cards are activated directly at the point of sale and can then be used immediately. 
The top-up station: The Valora point of sale is also at hand if the batteries of its customers’ smartphones are running out. At k kiosk, Press & Books and avec, the Zurich-based start-up Chimpy provides solar electricity with loaded power banks. The closest location can be found via the Chimpy app, while the device can be borrowed and returned to any point of sale – this service is currently only available in Switzerland but is soon also to be rolled out in other countries.
Photo: Noë Flum / Illustrations: Daniel Karrer.
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