Coin-Op of the Future

[Howard]

Are you guys (and gals) ready for this? I copied this from an arcade game website:



First Coin Operated Convenince Store Opens in USA - Is it coming to your neighborhood?
Imagine a 7-11 Convenience Store without a clerk.
Rather than go inside, you look in a big picture window and see a few hundred items, milk, snacks, over-the-counter medicines, etc.

You then go to the ATM-like computer screen, insert your coins, dollars or credit card, press the three digit number that was below the item you want and watch the vending machine go into action.

A big basket appears and positions itself under your item. Rollers the item, move the item to the edge of the shelf and your item falls into the shopping basket.

The basket then picks up any other items you selected and moves over to the pick up chute. Wait a few seconds, and a door opens and you can reach in and get your items.

It looks like the largest vending in existence.

Believe it or not, it is a new McDonald's venture, called the Tik Tok Store. It's a big "box", eighteen feet wide, nine feet deep and 12 feet high. This one was in the front space in front of a gas station.

The first one in the country just came to Washington DC, just 20 blocks from the capital on a neighborhood shopping street. None of the small businesses around the "box" like it. . . .they all forecast its failure.

We have two photo. Photo #1 and Photo #2 .

Apparently, the Coin-Op Convenience Store has shown some success in Europe and Japan. Since McDonald's is behind it, you may see the Coin-Op Convenience Store placed in their parking lots.

Will coin-operated convenience store boxes show up in every neighborhood? What's your forecast?

[Fred50]

If they make it a drive-thru convenience store, it sounds like a big hit!

People hate to get out of their cars to do anything, especially to buy necessities like milk, bread and eggs (cigarettes and beer to some!).

I bet suburban folks would even pay up for this service!

[David]

When I lived in Louisiana, there was a drive through convienient store on a busy road. It had gas pumps on the outside edges and a drive through for groceries. I don't think I ever drove by without seeing at least one car there. At 5:00 rush hour, there were as many as 10-12 cars in line. Amazing!

[Andy]

We have a drive-thru CS in my town, it has been around for over 20 years, it's the convenience in convenience store. I think we will see the proliferation of technology (predictable, efficient, rigorous) that proforms repetative tasks hence eliminating much of the human element (costly, temperamental, hovever flexible). I think the giant vending machine is here to stay. It is the same reason people use washing machines instead of walking down to the river to beat their clothes on a rock, well sort of.

[Anonymous]

Actually, the technology for this has been around for a long, long, time......

The problem here is that a lot of the sales from C-stores comes from folks seeing something, then buying it. For example, I go in for a gallon of milk, and walk out with bread, cereal, soda, & beer (and I forgot the milk!). It just seems that alot of the sales are from people seeing an item on the shelf and saying "oh yea... I need this".

I just don't see that happening with a large "vending" machine. I just don't invision that sort of impulse buying from a machine. They may be slightly successful, in certain situations, but I don't see them putting a big dent in the C-store business. I'm probably wrong - I said the same thing about the hoola-hoop......

Just my $0.02 worth......

[mike]

There used to be a video cassette renting machine in our town, it didn't make it, even though it enabled people to pay for the exact time the video was out. Haven't seen any for a couple of years. A good idea, but just a little bit to complicated for the "average joe" (sort of like emerald series wascomats :-)

[Andy]

I buy some of what you are saying Dave, however look at the purchase of gas today vs. 20 yrs ago. when you still had full service. This is more automated now. You could potentially still see things for impulse purchase, of course it will have to be similar to the display that most candy vending machines have. I go to the supermarket now and check myself out in the self serve lanes. Little by little these things will change. Not overnight but just a small step at a time.

[Anonymous]

Andy,

Good points.

It took me a long time to start using my debit card to pay at the pump. For a long time, I continued to go inside to pay.

And I have never used a self serve checkout lane.... not sure I can explain why. Probably for the same reason my dad still won't use an ATM....

But I see your point.

[pete f]

There is a self serve check out in the K-mart near me. You take your stuff, scan it, put it in your bag, scan your credit/debit and away you go. All on your own. They have 4 checkouts and 1 person watches over. The bag stays on the scale, if you put something in without scanning, the alarm sounds, as every item is weight determained if it was scanned or not. Pretty slick.

A coin op conveience store sounds a little much, to many items?
I know of drive thru ones.