In Italy, in recent years, there has been a veritable boom in vending machines: from tobacco products installed at tobacconists to simple vending machines offering snacks and chilled drinks, as well as vending machines for pharmaceuticals, hot drinks and much more.
I have seen many vending machines traveling around Japan selling all sorts of colorful snacks and more. In the United States we have vending machines selling ice, which is essential for preserving food in coolers during camping trips and long haul trips.
Here is the Italian and Ligurian vending machines that have started popping up here and there on our territory.
1) EGG VENDING MACHINE
Such vending machines are now used by farmers and small farms for direct sales to the public, the automatic egg dispenser has saved distribution costs, allowing producers to lower the cost of the final product and consumers to purchase a genuine, locally sourced product.
It is a great initiative that benefits consumers' pockets and the farmers’ growth.
2) DAIRY PRODUCTS VENDING MACHINES
Is there any cheese missing in the house? At the local vending machine, you can buy mozzarella, ricotta, stracchino, blue cheese and hard cheese too. And right next door, there's also a water dispenser for both still and sparkling mineral water.
The dairy products machine also sells fresh milk and all products come from a local farm.
The water is local too as it comes from the mineral water source in Beigua mountain, near Genoa.
3) WINE VENDING MACHINES
So far the wine bottles vending machines are very few, but we may soon become familiar with the practice of purchasing bottled wine from self-service wine shops as an alternative sale system.
Although a vending machine cannot offer advice on wines and it cannot carry a wide variety of labels, some vending machines now have different wines on display, they also have a space dedicated to wine-related gadgets and accessories for a total of up to 165 bottles, at an adjustable temperature between 0 and 18 degrees Celsius to preserve the wine in the best possible way.
This vending machine has several advantages starting with the price, which is the same as at the winery’s. It's a sort of extension of direct sales, offering producers a new opportunity and, at the same time, giving consumers the convenience of finding wine at lower prices than in wine shops or bars, served at optimal temperatures. Some of these machines indeed also serve wine by the glass!
The wine selection is tailored to the target audience, depending on the regions and appellations where it is installed. Wine can be purchased by inserting a health card or passport to verify age, similar to cigarette sales.
The machines can be managed remotely, are geolocated, secured, and connected to the Internal Revenue Agency. It is not in operation continuously because the sale of wine and spirits is banned from midnight to 7 a.m in this country.
4) DESSERTS VENDING MACHINE
Dessert is served: Tiramisu, cakes, pies and even gelato. Everything is strictly fresh from the artisanal lab but, instead of picking up your order at the counter, everything is done from the vending machine. The latest frontier in 24-hour food and essentials is the brand new ‘self-service pastry shop.’
It often happens that someone needs a dessert, especially in the evenings and this new service is proving to be a great success for both customers and pastry chefs.
The concept is very simple: you select the product, you pay by card or debit card, the counter opens, and you collect it.
The offer will change according to the season.
5) PHARMACY AUTOMATIC MACHINE
If you stop by a pharmacy and you find it closed because it’s beyond working hours, now you can buy sanitary pads, eye spray, denture paste, plasters, supplements, over the counter medications, disinfectant and even drug tests at the automatic machine.
Just use your health card to identify yourself and easily pay by cash or credit card.
