RE-IMAGINE The
By Adrienne Zimmer, Managing Editor
Whether purchasing
new machines or
retroftting old ones,
vending operators are
upgrading equipment to
create a total customer
experience.
T
he vending machine is not what
it was ten years ago. Changing
consumer retail experiences have
challenged vending equipment manu-
facturers to create a total consumer
experience at the machine that
includes more fexibility, customiza-
tion, digital advertising and multiple
payment methods.
Operators are increasingly seeing
the need for "connected" machines
that enable them to manage new
aspects of their business — promo-
tions, advertising and merchandising
— remotely. All with an emphasis
on their return on investment. Now,
more than ever, the machine is tran-
sitioning from a static black box and
becoming a retail destination.
Integrated approach
New and retroftted machines can
help grow same store sales and grab
locations from competitors. In order
to show that differentiation, vend-
ing manufacturers have been creat-
ing machines with total integration.
"Integrated to us is about ensuring
an intuitive and simple experience
from both a consumer and opera-
tor perspective," said Tom Glomski,
vice president of sales & marketing
at Crane Merchandising Systems. "In
regard to our newest Media equip-
20 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com May 2015
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