One Vending Machine per 23 People! Can you guess where?
These days when we think of a vending machine we tend to think of snack products like chips, chocolate, hot coffee and soft drinks. But there’s a whole other weird and wonderful world of vending machines out there.
It was the English who were the first to really embrace vending machines with records of coin operated machines dispensing tobacco in taverns as early as 1615. They were also the first to reportedly use vending machines to dispense:
- newspapers in 1822
- stamps in 1867, and
- postcards in the early 1880s
Specialised vending machines began as far back as the 1950s when America airports provided vending machines selling life insurance policies covering death in the event that the buyer’s flight crashed.
Modern day vending machine products
This trend of specialist vending machines has created an endless range of products, and these days you can buy:
- electronics
- items for musical instruments such as guitar strings, picks and drumsticks
- toiletries such as toilet paper and make-up
- clothing items such as socks, ties, underwear and shoes
- hot meals such as pizza, noodles, and burgers
- bike parts for repairs on the go
- drugs such as alcohol and marijuana
- other random items such as pet food, umbrellas, books or baby products.
The modern-day mecca for vending machine enthusiasts is Japan, where there’s reportedly one vending machine per 23 people!
But the prize for the coolest vending machine has to go to online auto retailer Carvana – a United States company that sells cars completely online. Customers go through the normal process of selecting their car, their insurance and financing options online. The car can then be delivered to their door, or customers can pick the car up at one of the car vending machines by depositing a unique oversized coin provided by the company.
With more and more companies looking for ways to reduce the financial overhead of retail bricks and mortar stores, the advantages of unstaffed sales points available for customers 24-7 is becoming an increasingly attractive option. And as the above examples show, the products that can be sold through vending machines is only limited by your imagination.
Find your perfect match
At Gecko Vending, we’re a little more traditional than cars and toiletries, but we have an excellent range of fresh, healthy, delicious meals, snacks and beverages available through our machines that are sure to be a hit with your customers and employees.
There’s no setup costs, maintenance costs or contracts and we service businesses across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast regions. For a free appraisal contact the Gecko Vending team on 0417 779 562 or email info@geckovending.com.au
