We are back with yet another blog post featuring crazy vending machines that are almost too strange to believe. This is getting to be a thing for us, but it's all good fun. Every time we see one of these unique ideas, it reminds us how awesome the vending business is.
Below are two strange vending ideas that may or may not survive. Here's hoping they do. In the meantime, we invite you to contact us to learn more about our nutritional vending solutions. Healthy vending machines from Nutrivend are perfect for gyms, leisure centres, hospitals, schools, and more.
Hats for Japanese Cats
Anyone who knows vending knows that Japan has a reputation for vending creativity. In Japan, they aren't afraid to put anything in a vending machine. If they can get it to fit and find a location to sell it, they will stock it. The latest example is a vending machine that dispenses feline headgear. That's right, hats for Japanese cats.
Japanese vending operators have a special class of machines they call 'gotcha gotcha' machines. These are capsule machines that sell unusual items. The key to making the gotcha gotcha machine work is to stock it with something that people will buy just out of curiosity. They may not need what's inside, but the item is so unusual that they feel compelled to buy just to see what it is.
That's what the feline headgear machine is all about. Insert your coins, turn the knob, and you'll be rewarded with a small hat for your cat. Each of the six hats on offer is aquarium-themed. At least that's what the advert says. It's worth noting that a couple of the pictures that come with the advert don't look anything like something you'd find in an aquarium.
Vending for Meat Lovers
American meat lovers living in the Capital District of New York state no longer have to visit the local butcher for their steaks and sausages. No, they can head to downtown Accord or Stone Ridge and look for the meat vending machine. These machines are available to consumers courtesy of the Applestone Meat Co.
Applestone Meat bills their carnivorous vending machine as a '24-hour butcher shop' perfect for overnight workers who get a yearning for a good piece of meat. The machines stock a range of beef, pork, lamb, sausages, and ground meats. The only problem is that it is all raw. Anybody planning to grab a steak from the vending machine has to be prepared to cook it. Unless, of course, raw meat is the entrée of the day.
We thoroughly enjoy scouring the news for interesting vending ideas. Every time we find solutions like the two listed here, we are reminded of how easy it is to sell sport nutrition products with well-placed vending machines. If you can sell feline headgear and raw meat in a vending machine, you can certainly sell protein bars and energy drinks.
Sources:
Boing Boing – https://boingboing.net/2018/08/28/cats-in-hats-as-found-in-japa.html
