How vending machines slot neatly into the pandemic trend of contact-free cuisine
Zahra TayebMar 13, 2021, 23:52 IST
The vending machine from Costco is not pictured.Syda Productions/Shutterstock
Vending machines are experiencing a surge in popularity, The Washington Post and others report.
Firms are selling items ranging from cannoli kits to grab-and-go frogs.
In some countries, people can pick up a COVID-19 testing kit and dinner at the same time.
New technologies and social distancing measures have spawned a revolution in the
retail industry as a response to changing consumer demands.
As The Washington Post and others reported, vending machines, computerized kiosks, and other take-out technologies, otherwise known as unattended retail are supplying consumers with gourmet pizza, cannoli kits, and vacuum-packed meat.
Syda Productions/Shutterstock
Firms are selling items ranging from cannoli kits to grab-and-go frogs.
In some countries, people can pick up a COVID-19 testing kit and dinner at the same time.
New technologies and social distancing measures have spawned a revolution in the retail industry as a response to changing consumer demands.
As The Washington Post and others reported, vending machines, computerized kiosks, and other take-out technologies, otherwise known as unattended retail are supplying consumers with gourmet pizza, cannoli kits, and vacuum-packed meat.
Carla Balakgie, the chief executive of the National Automatic Merchandising Association, was quoted in the Post report, explaining the increased popularity of vending machines.
How vending machines slot neatly into the pandemic trend of contact-free cuisine msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By LAURA REILEY | The Washington Post | Published: March 12, 2021
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more staff and wire stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. The pandemic has rocketed vending machines into new territory. Light-years beyond dispensers of Funyuns and Snickers, vending machines, robotic kiosks and other grab-and-go technology now broadly called unattended retail are putting artisanal pizza, hot bowls of ramen and prime cuts of beef into the hands of consumers 24/7. Carla Balakgie, chief executive of the National Automatic Merchandising Association, the trade group representing the vending machine industry, said coronavirus pandemic fears and social distancing have accelerated vending machine adoption.
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