Vending machines can be found on nearly every street in Japan – and that’s no joke – with more than 3.8 million machines in this technologically advanced country, one could say that vending machines are quite popular amongst its residents. The same goes for France and the UK, who have plenty of vending machines that can be found in train stations, hospital waiting rooms, gymnasiums, libraries – the lot! This month Nu Vending will be delving into the world of what if? and exploring the idea of whether or not vending machines have the potential to replace shops.
Vending machine history
Vending machines are automated machines that are used to sell goods, and the very first vending machine was about in the 1st Century CE – exchanging coins for holy water.
The first modern vending machine was assembled in England during the 1880s – distributing postcards, envelopes and paper – and was invented by Percival Everitt. These machines could be found in train stations and post offices, where people might find themselves short of and in need of these items.
Benefits of a vending machine
- Low overheads
As vending machines are machine operated, you needn’t worry about overheads that you typically would with human operation for things like sick days, holidays, paternity/maternity leave and resignations. Vending machines will work around the clock, 24/7, 365 days in a year and only require refilling.
- Healthy options
Although the vending machine stereotype is considered to produce sweets, chocolates, sugary drinks and crisps – this need not be the case. There are healthy options, including yogurt, fruit, nuts and more.
When popping to your local supermarket, it’s often easy to get sidetracked by special offers of multipacks and other items that we didn’t need. This is why vending machines are convenient because if you’re peckish, you can just pick up exactly what it is you need, rather than accidentally picking up 5 chocolate bars as well as a sandwich.
- Versatile
Vending machines can pretty much be placed anywhere – in your office, on the street, in a hotel, in auto shops, ice arenas – wherever, you name it! Vending machines can be moved and needn’t be a permanent fixture, which you can’t do easily with a shop.
- Take up little space
Vending machines are versatile as they can be placed anywhere, without taking up too much space. Whereas a very small shop would require an estimate of around 1,500 square feet for shelving, a till and a staff room with a toilet.
- Convenient
If you’re working on a large site with hundreds of employees that’s a good distance away from a little shop, a vending machine is the perfect solution that offers quick and convenient refreshments.
Could vending machines replace a shop?
Large supermarkets truly offer convenience, as it’s a place where you can get everything at once, such as, frozen, chilled and canned foods, beauty and cosmetics, toiletries and pharmaceuticals – something that only a huge vending machine could pull off.
What’s more, if you’re uncertain of where an item is, you can ask for help – which is something that would need to be considered with a huge vending machine. Also payment could be tricky – at a supermarket you simply pick up all of your items and pay at the end, so the process of paying for each individual item should not be overlooked if a machine were to replace a shop. Otherwise, one quick shop would certainly turn into a tedious and repetitive task.
That said, with the right technology and enough staff to refill these large machines, and a well-thought-through plan of how to allow people to pay at the very end of their visit, vending machines could quite possibly stand a chance in replacing a shop.
Nu Vending providing vending solutions to customers throughout central London and the surrounding areas – so if you’re looking for coffee machines, snacks, cold drinks and water dispensers for your establishment – call today. We supply modern equipment, personal account management and market-leading customer satisfaction. To find out more, contact us today.
