Steve Marx's drivers are now using smart phones instead of clunky handhelds.
Steve Marx, CEO of Royal Vending in Maple Grove, Minn., credits vending technology with helping to achieve tax equity for vending operators in his state. Thanks to the ability of vending machine telemetry to identify individual unit sales in vending machines, a new state law now exempts items in vending machines that are exempted in convenience stores and grocery stores.
Marx, a longtime leader in introducing vending technology, considers telemetry a "game changer" for the industry. The role that telemetry played in helping the vending industry achieve tax parity in his state is one example of the benefits the technology offers.
As the president of the Minnesota Automatic Merchandising Council, Marx learned that the state was not exempting certain items sold in vending machines because the state's department of revenue did not believe vending operators could distinguish what particular items were being sold through the machines.
The machines will offer more than 70 different items.
CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, plans to install automated retail vending machines stocked with on-the-go necessities including "better-for-you" snacks and personal care products at locations nationwide.
The machines are designed to serve customers in locations outside the traditional retail space.
Each machine will be customized to fit each location with more than 70 products, including items from exclusive CVS Pharmacy store brand lines such as Gold Emblem, CVS Health, Beauty 360 and Gold Emblem Abound.
Parlevel Systems, a technology provider for vending, coffee and micro market operators, and the International Vending Alliance (IVA) have announced a preferred partnership to offer technology solutions to IVA members worldwide.
IVA will offer Parlevel's vending management system (VMS) and a suite of mobile applications to its potential and existing member base, which currently covers over 70 countries and an installed base of over 1.9 million machines.
In exchange, IVA operators have access to Parlevel's VMS to run their businesses more efficiently. Operators can improve their bottom lines with Parlevel's prekitting application, warehouse module and product spoilage tracking.
Ashwath Rajan and partner Paul McDonald have tested more than 30 Bodegas in San Francisco.
A self-serve pantry service that utilizes machine learning has raised some significant capital and has placed more than 30 of the units, called Bodegas, in San Francisco. Google veterans Paul McDonald and Ashwath Rajan are launching the self-serve, glassfront pantry kiosk that offers non-perishable convenience items. A smart phone app allows customers to unlock the box and remove their items, according to the company website. Cameras register what the customer picks up and automatically charges their credit card.
The machine uses computer vision systems and machine learning to determine what items sell, and restocks accordingly, the company's website noted. When inventory drops, new items are automatically ordered. Products are ordered from retailers such as Target and Smart & Final.
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