Last week, a laddu prasad vending machine was inaugurated at Mahakal temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, by Union health minister JP Nadda and chief minister Mohan Yadav. Devotees can now purchase laddus by scanning a QR code, and a packet of laddu is dispensed from the machine after making the payment for packets weighing 100 gm, 200 gm and 500 gm through the machine.
Retail offerings like boxers, trunks and boyshorts are also bought on vending machines now. Indian D2C innerwear brand Bummer announced the launch of its first-ever vending machine at Ahmedabad Airport recently. “Shopping for innerwear should be as effortless as grabbing a bottle of water,” says Sulay Lavsi, founder and CEO of Bummer, who plans to roll out machines in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru in the coming months.
In the age of smart buying, shopping is made easy and anytime with vending machines. For years, vending machines have been associated with passenger tickets at metro stations, airports and railway stations and serving beverages, candy and chips.
But globally, there are a number of services and products available through vending machines and the list might surprise you. Lettuce, underwear, gold and hair extensions, and even cars.
Carvana, an Arizona-based tech startup, sells used cars online and through vending machines that stand as tall as office buildings. The machines have primarily been installed in the southern United States but Carvana has recently expanded to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC.
Globally, gold dispensers have been a big trend. In 2010, Abu Dhabi was the first destination in the world to set up a gold vending machine at the Emirates Palace Hotel. The bullion ATM in its lobby had security measures to prevent robbery, and money laundering.
Last year, Egypt launched its first automated teller machine (ATM) to sell gold bullion bars to citizens. The machine dispenses one gram bars and will be updated continuously and in real-time so that the buyer is correctly billed.
Apart from French fries and bread as common supplies in a vending machine, China sells live crabs, located on streets and in subway stations. Japan is another country quite savvy in vending a host of products like candy, sugary drinks, ramen, beer, umbrellas, and eggs. In the past many destinations have had vending machines for unique products. A Lego dispenser in Germany, hair extensions in the US. In 2016, Moët & Chandon designed a vending machine for a limited edition mini bottle of champagne, exclusive to Selfridges, London.
As per the Mintel 2024 trends for food and drinks, consumers’ daily experiences with technology will make AI, AR and other technology tools non-negotiable time savers in the kitchen, ensuring that AI, AR and other recipe generators suggest specific brands within consumers’ personalised meal planning. For instance, Nestlé’s subsidiary brand DiGiorno is testing a vending machine to make its frozen pizzas hot and ready to serve in three minutes.
The food giant’s effort to sell ready-to-eat thin crust DiGiorno pies can bake up and dispense a pizza in just about three minutes.
Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das announced last year a pilot project of a coin vending machine wherein customers will be able to draw coins through UPI payments in exchange for bank notes. Federal Bank has already set up India’s first QR-based coin vending machine functional in Puthiyara Branch, Kozhikode, Kerala. Coins are an essential part of the currency in circulation, necessary for daily transactions. The shortage of coins also causes inconvenience for customers so traditional coin vending machines have been deployed to address this issue.
The UPI-enabled ticket vending machines will trump the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System in 2025. The transport system will also include other payment options such as cash, credit/debit cards, UPI, etc.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board launched ‘Meendum Manjapai’ (return of cloth bag) scheme to curb the use of single-use plastic carry bags. The vending machines are installed at several locations in Coimbatore as part of a state-wide campaign. Other places like the Arunachaleswara temple and the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai will also launch similar initiative soon.
Startups like Daalchini, Vendiman and major players such as BigBasket and Adani Digital Labs are installing vending machines to dispense items like snacks, beverages, fresh food, hygiene products and even tech accessories.
Chennai-based BVK Biryani, also known as Bai Veetu Kalyanam, earlier this year launched a biryani vending machine. It is an automated takeaway ordering experience centre in Kolathur, Chennai. The company is eyeing 12 more locations across the city soon.
Delhi International Airport (DIAL) last year installed feminine hygiene product vending machines at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi in association with feminine hygiene products brand Sirona, offering a range of products, such as sanitary pads, tampons, and menstrual cups.
Rupa Publications India collaborated with vending machine network Daalchini to promote reading culture by installing 200 smart vending machines last year, across multiple locations in Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram and Noida. The aim was to offer books along with healthy snacks and beverages.
