Vending has always had its roots in food and drink, but now vending machines are being used successfully in industry to manage high value specialist tools and even art securely.
Laura Barwell, head of business development at VMC says: “It’s exciting to see contactless vending machines popping up in unusual locations and settings and the innovative ways that companies are using them to get their product to a wider group of consumers. Vending is a great way to get products in front of a new audience or placed in a new environment, and we’ve been involved in several projects that push the traditional boundaries.
“A manufacturing client uses our vending solution to manage the issuing of high value specialist tools using a smart ID or access control card to log key information like who took the tool, when and what job number it was used for. This provides them with a secure way to control and manage the use of their tools and enables reporting to be run for project and tool maintenance tracking.
“We’ve also collaborated with Birmingham-based artist and owner of The Vend UK, Clara Stromeyer, to create a contactless art vending machine in The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry.
“The first of its kind, the machine supplies both free and paid items including artwork, art kits, equipment and games and has proved incredibly popular. In this 24/7 culture we now live in, where consumers often want and expect to be able to buy things instantly and anytime, there is a real opportunity for vending to broaden its horizons. Operators who think beyond just the traditional food and drink clients will be the ones to capitalise on these potential new revenue streams for vending.”
