Signifi Solutions, maker of self-serve kiosks, has partnered with Mac’s Convenience Stores on a DVD rental pilot program — putting rental machines in five of the latter’s stores in Ontario. The new Movie Spot kiosks, which also recently rolled out in chains such as Sobey’s and Zellers, hold up to 1,000 discs and feature some 300 titles.

‘Today’s time starved consumer demands convenience above all else,’ said Mac’s merchandising director George Kioussis in a statement. Each rental costs $1.99. The machines come with 32-inch digital screens and run ads and movie trailers.

By the end of 2009, Toronto-based Signifi expects to launch 300 kiosks across the country.

Signifi marketing VP Erin O’Neil says on-demand kiosks are gaining ground as more consumers look for convenience and accessibility. In 2007, movie rental kiosks throughout North America brought in US$197 million in revenues, according to Adams Media Research in California.

With files from Media in Canada