• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Subscribe
  • Submit Content
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Advertise
    • Display Advertising
    • Email Marketing Campaigns
    • Newsletter Advertising
    • Sponsored Content
    • Lead Generation Services
  • Top Product Sources

WholesaleCentral.com Blog

The Industry's Trusted Source for B2B Retail and Wholesale News

  • For Buyers
    • Retail News
    • Products & Suppliers
    • Ecommerce
    • Marketing & Management
    • Trade Show News
  • For Suppliers
    • Supplier News
    • Marketing & Management
    • Importing
    • Manufacturers
    • Warehousing
    • Finance
    • Show Exhibiting
  • Wholesale 101
  • Trade Show Calendar
  • Wholesale Products
Home » Vending Machines Are the New Smart Retail Solution

Vending Machines Are the New Smart Retail Solution

October 22, 2020 by Krystina Morgan

buying from a vending machineJapan has been utilizing retail vending machines for years. Retail conglomerates such as Adidas, Lululemon, and Revlon have only just started pursuing the use of vending machines for their customers. As COVID-19 continues to challenge the nation, vending machines can be the new smart retail solution to keep consumers safe.

In August, a company called anna put up their weed vending machines this month at Strawberry Fields dispensary in Pueblo, Colo., and will put up more at Starbuds dispensary in Aurora, Colo. over the coming weeks. According to Fox Business, shoppers can browse in-store using anna’s touchscreen, and can also order online by scanning their QR code upon arrival at the dispensary. The new technology allows customers to check out within a minute and receive their cannabis products while also maintaining social distancing and staying safe during the ongoing pandemic.

Safe Shopping During the COVID-19 Holidays

Aside from the safety that retail vending machines can provide at this point in time, they can also provide extra safety during holiday shopping, which will be crucial for consumers deciding from which stores to shop. Trevor Sumner, CEO of Perch, says he thinks vending machines could be an effective way for consumers to shop during the holiday season.

“Crowd control in the age of COVID will be one of the greatest challenges to holiday shopping,  and vending machines will allow brands to connect with shoppers outside traditional retail channels. Retailers can leverage curbside and outdoor real estate more effectively,” Sumner said. “Newer generation vending machines provide selection, immediacy and the digital content necessary to make buying decisions and drive brand engagement without the costly need for a large retail footprint. That’s why Adidas, Lululemon, Ulta and many others are deploying them.”

AnytimeCBD vending machine
AnytimeCBD vending machine.

Beat the Long Lines & Increase Impulse Buys

Vending machines can also help to deter frustrated customers from waiting in long lines. If you situate them right outside of your store or somewhere nearby, shoppers can grab what they’re looking for right from the vending machine. If a specific product they’re looking for can only be bought in-store, then they can take that route.

Valerie Vacante, Director of Strategy at LiveArea, says that combined with queues, pop-up vending locations present novel grab-and-go experiences to buy something that consumers might not normally buy. Independent brands can team up with a larger retailer to have a vending machine at that location for the holidays as a test before investing in a bigger commitment.

Huge Opportunities with Entertainment Value

“Footlocker teamed up with Nike to create the Nike Plus unlock Box, a digital vending machine packed with ‘scan to win’ Nike gear such as shoe strings, key chains, chargers, and more,” Vacante said.  “With the power of co-creation, there is also an opportunity to create vending machines with offerings curated by designers or key industry influencers or experts.”

In order to compete in today’s retail landscape, business owners need to provide consumers with the right experiences to draw attention to their store. There is a huge untapped opportunity for entertainment value in vending machines, according to Vacante. Think ‘shop and wrap’ experiences where consumers select a product, watch it drop into a gift bag topped with tissue paper and a card inside, and voila!

Meeting the Needs of Consumers

“The rise of ecommerce has conditioned U.S. shoppers for more automated, simplified and efficient models of commerce for managing goods, with 38.4 percent of vending machine shoppers desiring to use the technology for non-traditional vending machine categories. Usage in one category is conditioning shoppers into new categories. Technology has risen to meet the needs of the American consumers just as that shopper is ready to embrace the vending machine as commerce,” Sumner said.

Category: Retail News Tags: October 2020 Issue, small business

Primary Sidebar

Latest Posts

Using Blockchain to Grow Your Business

Ecommerce

5 Tips to Boost Ecommerce Conversions

Ecommerce

Success Tips for Food & Beverage Wholesale Distribution

Marketing & Management

8 Entrepreneurial Myths Debunked

Retail News

Improve Retail Pop-Up Experiences with Technology

Retail News

Halloween Retail Displays to Boo-st Sales

Retail News

Sign Up for Buyer Updates

WholesaleCentral.com

Join the Buyer's Network

Get news & updates only for retailers.

Editor’s Picks

How to Build the Perfect Marketing Campaign

Editors Picks, Wholesale 101 for Buyers

The Best & Worst Times to Post on Social Media

Editors Picks, Marketing & Management

Best Made in USA Products to Sell in the Summer

Editors Picks, Featured Products, Made in USA, Product News

More Editor's Picks

Follow Us:

© Sumner Communications, Inc.
6 Research Drive, Suite 420 | Shelton, CT 06484