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32
VENDING MACHINES
32M continues leading the way with
advancements such as chip implants.”
5
Healthy eating
Products typically associated
with vending machines include crisps,
chocolate and fizzy drinks. An Australian
study published in the
Journal of
Nutrition & Dietetics
analysed the
contents of 61 vending machines at a
large Australian university and found
that 95% of snacks and 49% of drinks
were ‘unhealthy’. Fortunately, there’s a
growing trend for healthier alternatives,
as well as products that
accommodate special
dietary requirements, such
as gluten-free, vegetarian
and vegan.
This trend was evident
at September’s AVEX
vending exhibition, which
once again included a
Health andWellbeing
Zone, following its
inauguration in 2015. The
zone featured a broad
range of healthy vending
products, such as fruit and vegetable
crisps and nut and seed-based snacks.
According to AVA’s recent industry
census, water and low sugar/diet drinks
accounted for 39% of cold drinks sold in
2016, and Broderick expects this trend to
continue as people become more health-
conscious and initiatives like the ‘sugar
tax’ on the soft drinks industry come
into force.
“Healthier and free-from options will
become a must-have in the workplace,”
he said. “Our Broderick’s Better for You
range has many fans as companies aren’t
paying just lip service to encouraging
a healthy workforce, but are actually
delivering healthy options to a very
appreciative team!”
The key themes linking these trends
are ‘flexibility’ and ‘choice’: flexibility
in how to pay for products; bespoke
solutions to suit any workplace; the
addition of technology for a better user
experience; and a greater selection of
food and drink.
With today’s more engaging vending
technologies, it is no longer enough to
stick a vending machine in the corner
and be done with it. Instead, smart
businesses are using vending to engage
with their employees and show how
much they are valued. As Broderick says:
“The days of the old 1960s vending
machine hidden away in a gloomy
corridor or stairwell are long since gone!’’
Employees who are interested in the
technology but not the implant, can
wear an RFID wristband or an RFID/
Near-Field Communication Smart Ring
instead.
ToddWestby, 32M CEO, thinks this
technology could become the norm. “We
foresee the use of RFID technology to
drive everything – making purchases in
an office break-room market, opening
doors, using copy machines, logging
into our office computers, unlocking
phones, sharing business cards, storing
medical/health information, and paying
at other RFID terminals. Eventually, this
technology will become standardised,
allowing you to use it as your passport,
on public transit and for all purchasing
opportunities,” he said.
Westby added: “We see chip
technology as the next evolution in
payment systems, much as micro
markets have steadily replaced vending
machines. As a leader in micro market
technology, it is important that
...continued
perks package and that the more
engaging the shopping experience the
more staff are likely to spend.
“SMEs that introduce brodshops
are able to offer their team an
inviting shopping experience featuring
a great selection of high quality
beverages and snacks,” explained
Broderick. “Engagement can be further
strengthened by weekly promotions and
special offers. The brodshops checkouts
also enable savvy SMEs to advertise
key company, product and promotional
messages on-screen, acting as an
extension of an intranet.’’
4
Chips with everything
Taking convenience one step
further, US micro market company
Three Square Market (32M) recently
became the first U.S. company to
implant microchips into its employees
– or at least those who choose to take
part.
Using the same NFC technology
as contactless credit cards and mobile
payments, an RFID chip implanted
beneath the flap of skin between thumb
and forefinger allows employees to make
purchases in their micro market with just
a wave of the hand.
Micromarket
