As recently as a few years ago, it was often difficult to get retailers to think seriously about unattended retail as an expansion or extension of their business. They were still too tied to the original concept of one-off, standalone vending machines for food and beverage...
While there are some segments of the retail economy that are enjoying what can only be described as boom times, for most retail — particularly physical retail — times are slow. Consumers advised to stay in and prevent the spread of contagion are doing just that...
Cashierless technology is finally hinting at a mainstream rollout, with 7-Eleven’s announcement that it is piloting a cashierless store, taking a cue from Amazon and Walmart. The move caps a flurry of tech activity from the 70,000-store chain, which has recently included a digital loyalty...
Mind the gap, as the saying goes. In this case, it’s the gap between interest and intent, the chasm that lies between consumer awareness of unattended retail and actually taking the plunge in buying at the kiosk and vending machine. In an interview with Karen Webster, Maeve...
There’s not much argument against self-checkout systems as a means of improving the customer experience. But at least a temporary blowback to the technology has begun, some of which has landed the issue in court and some of which has led Walmart and other retailers...
We all have certain moods and comfort zones when shopping. For some purchases – costly designer fashion and jewelry, luxury cars and major household goods, for example – most of us prefer to have a product expert to guide us (and maybe even upsell us)....
Consumers’ interest in unattended commerce goes far beyond candy and soda vending machines. There are 48.6 million consumers in the U.S. who would like to buy a wide variety of products and services through unattended retail channels, such as vending machines, self-service kiosks and even...
Self-service retail is, of course, a fancy term that replaces the traditional vending machine moniker (though kiosks and other digital- and mobile-anchored technologies are rapidly entering the mix, offering self-service options). For so long – and even now – vending machines and unattended retail have...
Evolution is the hallmark of everything that survives over a long period of time — and so it should come as no surprise that unattended retail has evolved, too, over more than a century since the first coin-operated vending machines made their debut in the...