Good practice:

Jänkäsalo self-service kiosk-ahop

Jänkäsalo is an island in Taipalsaari municipality. Its self-service kiosk serves local people, summer residents, boaters of Lake Saimaa and tourists. Operation would't be profitable by traditional business models. 2007 established ferry connection between mainland and the island activated traffic and created needs for services. A free ferry ride attracts people, who are potential customers.

Kiosk operates from April to September from morning to evening. It works in a small hut at the boarding point of the ferry. Selection of goods consists of ice cream, sweets, conservatives, biscuits, basic daily consumption goods and souvenirs. Amount of sales articles is some 400.
There is also a hut serving as library with daily newspapers, mobile phone charging point, waste recycling point and a pier for boats. Kiosk-shop customers select the wanted goods, record them into a notebook and pay in a cash box. Sports association volunteers maintain the kiosk-shop; take care of the cash, supply products and daily open and lock the doors.

Volume of sales is low. Profitability bases on volunteers and cooperative partners. The summer residents are actively supporting the service point. Some are in high positions in the business life. Association running the kiosk-shop buys majority of the goods from another rural shop - partnership instead of rivalry.

In addition to retail sales, the kiosk yields liveliness to the community. Surplus from the kiosk is used to support local welfare.

The self-service kiosk has low operating costs; no salaries or rent for premises. Heating costs are minimal for summertime operation. Hut serving as kiosk-shop is a donation. Yet public funding in needed for further investments and development. Construction of the pier was such.

Profit from the Kiosk-shop support Jänkäsalo community’s actions for welfare. It was used to build for e.g. a market place (paved plaza) in front of the kiosk-shop, waste recycling point and storage for sport association’s equipment. Besides physical results, the association supports other associations’ operations in Jänkäsalo by admitting financial aids in annual basis. This peculiar way to operate a Kiosk has attracted attention and it has been notified locally as well as in national media.

Challange is to find volunteers in the operation to replace current ones in the future. Also goverment funded ferry boat should be in operation.

The practise is an example of alternative approach to organize a services in an environment not applicable for traditional profit-making business. First, practise presents the potential of self-service, when the need exists but is not large enough to cover heavy operational costs (salaries). Secondly, it shows how local third sector actors may, with this kind of actions, benefit the local potential customers and same time the local community. The Kiosk and profits from may serve as a funding tool for local community’s welfare actions. The practise encourages to consider alternative ways to organize the needed retail services in rural areas.