Vending machines are everywhere. How they came to sell everything from chips to bullets.
SlateThis is Checking Out, a column about how we shop, what we buy, and how it all makes us feel. “Gone are the days when vending machines were simple coin-operated snack dispensers,” writes Dave Berman, a co-founder of the U.K. vending-machine service company VendEase. Not only does this keep customers happy, but it also significantly reduces operational inefficiencies—something that simply wasn’t possible in the past.” All told, it’s easier than ever to operate vending machines, even if you’re not a big company. The NAMA report identifies a shift away from traditional vending machines and toward micromarkets: unstaffed retail spaces that also dominate airports, selling overpriced food and drinks. “All the vending machines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as long as they’re stocked.” And in some cases—like an early flight—it’s the only option.
History of this topic
US introduces vending machines for bullets to make ammunition ’more available’
Live Mint
Record price hikes at vending machines and restaurants as supply chain issues and labour shortages bite
The Independent
Sausage vending machines booming in Germany
The Independent
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