Veding Machines Are the New Retail?

In Japan, vending machines sell everything from razors to socks and cans of noodles and hot drinks. They boast an impressive 5,405,300 machines - making Japan the country with the highest concentration in the world. One machine for every 23 people! According to a survey, 22% of people use a vending machine at least once per day. The income of these nifty machines reached 7 trillion yen last year alone. So, what makes these machines more attractive that ducking into a retail store where you can be served by a real, live sales clerk? Convenience is of course a factor, but unique selection, payment methods and innovative technologies are attractive properties. Here are some great examples:

A new prototype by Fuji Electric is this moss-covered, solar powered machine that uses the energy collected to heat and cool the beverages, while the moss helps to insulate the machine.


Fujitaka created this cigarette dispensing machine with an age recognition program to prevent minors from buying the goods. Using a mirror and digital camera, the system compares facial characteristics, including skin firmness and lines around the eye, to a database created from over 100,000 faces to determine if the potential buyer is in fact an adult.


Coca-Cola Japan developed a cashless machine that allows the user to pay using their cellphone at all of their Club CMode machines. In addition to earning points towards free drinks, members receive emails to their mobile phones that include updates on new products and occasionally a coupon for a free drink, which is actually a barcode that can be scanned by these machines.


For more vending machines and for resources on the ones listed in this post - click here.