Vending machine supermarkets - the future of shopping?
Shopping 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year - completely independent of opening hours and with no queues at the checkout. Vending machine supermarkets are the new trend that makes this possible. This blog post explains why this is the case and the advantages of opening a vending machine supermarket.
How do vending machine supermarkets work?
Simply put, vending supermarkets are nothing more than a collection of several vending machines in a sales area. It doesn't matter whether it's just a container on the side of the road or a permanent building. The vending machines are accessible to the public around the clock, which is a major advantage over traditional supermarkets. In addition, there is usually no staff in vending machine supermarkets - payment for the goods is not made at a central checkout, but at the respective vending machine containing the products of desire.
Where does the trend for vending machine supermarkets come from?
The trend for vending machine supermarkets originated in Japan, where vending machines have been widely used for many years. The main reason for this is that Japan has a very high population density. At the same time, labor costs in Japan are high and space for sales areas is very limited. In precisely such a constellation, vending machines or vending machine supermarkets make a lot of sense. However, this does not mean that a vending machine supermarket only makes sense if the same conditions exist as in Japan. In our opinion, a vending machine supermarket almost always makes sense.
What are the advantages of a vending machine supermarket?
- 24/7 availability: Conventional supermarkets are usually open until 10 pm at the latest. In rural areas even only until 8 pm. These limited opening hours conflict with the working hours of many people (e.g. medical staff working in shifts), who then have difficulty finding time to shop. Even if your own working hours don't conflict with supermarket opening hours, we all know it: the late night craving for a certain product. Most of the time, you don't have that particular food in the house and, in the worst-case scenario, you have to wait until Monday when the supermarkets open their doors again. All scenarios that are a thing of the past with vending machine supermarkets.
- Convenience and speed: Shopping in the supermarket is sometimes an odyssey. The checkouts are arranged in such a way that you have to walk through the entire supermarket to get to the checkouts. The whole thing is then topped off by long waiting times at the checkout. A vending machine supermarket is much more convenient for the customer: Select a product at the machine, hold your smartphone up to the machine and you're done.
- Cost efficiency: hardly any staff are needed to operate this new, trendy shopping concept. All that is needed is someone to regularly refill the vending machines and a cleaner to keep the supermarket clean. These reduced costs not only lead to higher profits, but can also be passed on to customers through the prices.
- Less space required: A vending machine supermarket can be operated in a very small area. A walk-in container or an area of a few square meters is sufficient in most cases. This also leads to reduced costs, which have a positive impact on profits.
- Scalability: Ordinary supermarkets require a lot of infrastructure and generate high operating costs. The opening and expansion of vending machine supermarkets is much easier to realize. It is also easy to adapt to different store sizes.
Target group or potential customers
In theory, the target group of vending machine supermarkets is everyone. Everyone needs food to live and as (at least our) vending machines are very easy to use, no one is categorically excluded from using vending supermarkets.
However, this new business model is particularly attractive for the following groups of people:
- People in an urban environment (e.g. students would make particular use of this shopping option)
- People in rural areas: as mentioned above, supermarkets have limited opening hours, especially in rural areas. In addition, shopping opportunities are much rarer in such areas.
Conclusion
Vending machine supermarkets have the potential to replace conventional supermarkets in the long term. They are not only extremely attractive for operators, but also for consumers. The possibilities are practically unlimited: from the small vending machine supermarket in a container on the side of the road to the large sales area in the city center. From the vending machine supermarket that stocks a wide range of products to the vending machine supermarket that is run by a small company/start-up and only stocks its own products (which, by the way, is an excellent marketing opportunity to promote awareness of your own products and boost sales).