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AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISER (USPS 017-280) (ISSN 1061-
1797, print; ISSN 1948-5697, online) is published nine times
per year: February, March, April, May, June, August, September,
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Where we stand
The top issues in vending haven't changed much in 10 years,
but how we work together and use technology to achieve success has.
CHANGE
happens
in the
face of
challenges
Facebook/VendingMarket @VendingMagazine http://linkd.in/VendingMarketWatch
t's interesting how much, or how
little, a decade has changed things. I
looked back at the December 2004
issue of Automatic Merchandiser to see
what the hot topics were 10 years ago.
The editor at the time wrote about "blue
sky" biz ops darkening the reputation of
the vending industry, reasons to support
local health initiatives and a whitepaper
on launching cashless vending.
Cashless is still a growing segment,
perhaps even more so as the smartphone
started to gain a global presence in 2006.
Mobile payment options are the newest
piece of the non-cash
payment evolution.
In April of this year,
there were no less
than six companies
exhibiting retroft
mobile payment
options at the NAMA
OneShow. To help
compare these offer-
ings we have a chart
on page 24 as well as
a discussion about
how mobile payments
might evolve.
Health and wellness
While health initia-
tives were a top issue
in 2004, I would say
that year was just part of the upswing
into today's obsession with labeling food.
In 2005, NAMA created Balanced For
Life, a program to help vending operators
support nutrition education proactively.
The FitPick® healthy vending program
grew out of BFL and in 2014, FitPick was
revamped to include FitPick Select — prod-
ucts that meet the USDA's Smart Snacks
in School restrictions. Just this month, the
Food and Drug Administration fnalized
the rule stipulating how and where opera-
tors must provide calorie information.
More locations are signing agreements
for vending with targeted healthy graph-
ics and brands. It's a best-selling category
in the micro market model. The evidence
is mounting — health and wellness are
going to be headlines for awhile yet.
The least discussed issue is the blue
sky scams, which seem to have receded to
the level of other industries. We still see
these reports and the criminals behind
them being prosecuted, but they are
trumped by technology and wellness.
Technology is the answer
Change happens in the face of challenges.
We all know the challenges, so how can
we change? Make the biggest difference by
investing in technology and learning how
to use new systems to operate more eff-
ciently. This will produce better margins.
It's also time to come together to pro-
mote ourselves from the food retailer of
last resort to the forefront. That is what
many professionals in our industry try
to do everyday, which is why this month
is dedicated to them — our frst Pros to
Know issue. Our overall winners, Jeff
Whitacre and the Cantaloupe Systems
Team, show that there is still positive
change happening in the industry. They
aren't ready to give up on vending despite
it being a different business than it was
in the 90s. Read about the leaders in our
industry starting on page 14 and end this
year on an optimistic note.
I
6 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com December 2014
E D I T O R ' S N O T E B Y E M I L Y R E F E R M A T