Vending machines are one of the oldest selling forms in the world. The first vending machine was introduced in England in 1880, selling postcards then chewing gum and they are increasingly developed in the modern era with a variety of items.
The history of vending machines
The first vending machine
The first vending machines were coin-operated. These machines provide postcards, envelopes, notepapers,... and they are being placed in high-traffic locations such as train stations and post offices to facilitate purchasing.
In 1887, the first vending machine service company - Sweetmeat Automatic Delivery Co - was born. After that, Thomas Adams Gum Co introduced vending machines to the United States and they were installed on subway stations in New York. These vending machines sold chewing gum and became an attraction for customers at these locations.
Vending machines are increasingly being improved, providing a variety of products to serve all human needs. In 1902, an all-coin-operated vending machine called Horn & Hardart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The introduction of beverage vending machines
In 1890, the first drink dispenser machine was invented. After that is the appearance of beverage vending machines in Paris - France providing beer and wine. In 1920, soda vending machines were introduced and customers could buy by the cup.
Currently, beverage vending machines are developing strongly and are the most popular machine model on the market. They help meet the needs of refreshment and replenish energy for people anytime, anywhere.
Cigarette vending machines
The cigarette vending machine was invented in 1926 with the invention of William Rowe from the United States. They offered a wide range of cigarettes to customers. However, cigarette vending machines are less and less popular, because smoking is not good for health and is not recommended, especially by underage people. In some countries, to purchase drugs, customers are required to provide all kinds of age verification documents.
Fresh food vending machines
In the 1940s - 1950s, vending machines were concentrated in factories and they were used to sell fresh and packaged foods to serve the food needs at the factory.
Vending machines in Japan
In 1960, vending machines developed in Japan and quickly became the main distribution system of the country.
Japan is the country with the most innovative vending machine applications in the world. The machine provides many products such as fruits, fresh vegetables, hot food, sushi, flowers, clothes, wine, batteries...
Payment form
In 2006, the vending machine industry took a leap from using coin payments to swiping credit cards. This payment form makes purchasing easier and more convenient for customers, they also open up opportunities for high-priced items to be sold.
At this stage, vending machines can offer a variety of products such as lottery tickets, books, life insurance, electronic devices, hot food, pharmaceuticals, pet food, and even cars.
In Singapore, Autobahn Motors opened its first car vending machine, providing Ferraris and Lamborghinis to serve luxury customers, that is when credit card payments were necessary.
The current vending machine
Nowadays, there are many types of vending machines with different functions, models, and sizes in the world. The machine can sell a variety of items such as snacks, fast food, drinks, frozen food, personal items, …
Along with that, vending machines accept a variety of payment methods such as cash, credit cards, e-wallets, applications, ... and have the ability to return change. As a result, consumer purchases become faster and more convenient.
The future of vending machine
In the future, you will easily come across vending machines anytime and anywhere. The machine will provide a variety of products to serve all the customer’s needs. Additionally, you will find modern vending machines that offer many payment functions, allow face or fingerprint recognition, network connectivity.
It can be seen that vending machines are becoming more and more intelligent and modern over time. Vending machines will be a convenient purchase model and from consumer’s buying habits.