Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The World of Vending Machines

Japan has one vending machine for every 23 people and can be found anywhere from street corners to office blocks. In UK , these machines are more common at the workplace. There are vending machines for everything from drinks (hot or cold) to newspapers, postcards, flowers, rice, alcohol, gifts and many more. Vending machines may well bridge the gap between internet and high street.

A drink vending machine can be for any beverage hot or cold. Coffee and cold drinks are more popular as compared to tea. Almost every office has one installed to convey a sense of caring to its employees.

Vending machines are, in fact, becoming a fixture at call centres. And there are more than ordinary reasons for that. One, employees at business process outsourcing (BPO) firms work round the clock, since they come in at different timings and in different shifts. So, companies want them to be inside the campus for safety reasons, especially during nights. Second, vending machines at convenient spots also help make sure that tea breaks do not get stretched.

In the process, call centres are opening up a big retail opportunity for beverage companies. In fact, some are already generating good business from BPOs and KPOs. Some provide cash-less service in offices through smart cards.

As of now, hot beverages' vending machines for tea and coffee have the substantial share in sales of machines in India. But the soft drink vending machine is not too far behind. But who would want an ice-cold soda in the dead of winter? Wouldn't a hot drink be preferable? There are machines installed in Japan, which sell both hot and cold drinks. And then there are energy drinks, which are getting more popular as instant pick-me-ups.

Kenco Local Business service offer drink vending machines that vend anything from standard cans of coke to bottles of water, fruit juices and even smoothies. Their unique motorless vend mechanism can handle most shapes and sizes of bottles and cans. It offers a clear display of all products. Their machines have a rapid pick up mechanism that gently collects the drink and delivers it at a convenient height and can vend both 330 m and 500 ml bottles. These vending machine experts make the effort to understand the need of buyer and use their experience and knowledge to make the process of selection of vending machines simpler.

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