Will Multivendor Machines Rack Up Sales?
As city officials in San Francisco, Chicago and elsewhere label single-vendor newsracks clutter, vending machines capable of displaying multiple copies gain interest. Advanced Vending Manufacturing of San Antonio exhibited several such racks at NEXPO'98 in Orlando; rival vendors displayed racks environmentally friendly in other ways.
The Advanced Vending racks-two- and four-paper horizontal units and two- and four-paper vertical units--can be programmed with an electronic message--crawl across the top. Using a 486 computer, up to 25 words can be programmed onto a credit card-style collector card with a computer chip. A distributor downloads headlines or other information into the newsrack by inserting the card into a slot. A field-service person can also use the card to collect stored data and track sales patterns. One card can collect data from up to 65 different machines. A separate programmer card changes daily and Sunday pricing.
A third card, similar to a phone card but aimed at newspaper buyers, can be bought for $20 and used to pay for papers from the racks. The machines also accept coins and dollar bills.
The Automated News Vending System's service trays vend newspapers one at a time, preventing buyers from taking several papers. The New York Times and Houston Chronicle use the machines, said R. Gregg Gomm of AVM.
Amitech Inc. of Omaha, decreases the possibility of theft with its single-vendor racks. The K80 rack dispenses one paper at a time through a slot; a removable lockout panel makes the remaining stack inaccessible.
Kaspar Wire Works Inc. of Shiner, Texas, exhibited a variety of racks that present a sleek silhouette to discerning passersby. The Boulevard multivendor model has rounded corners. Kaspar also handcrafts wooden cabinet racks designed to fit the decor of upscale restaurants and hotels.