Vending Technology

2020 has brought about many unforeseen changes, especially in Fairfax, VA break rooms. Whether a break room offered vending machines or office coffee service, refreshment providers have had to adapt. This isn’t, however, the first time that break room equipment has been modified to meet a new need. Since the very first vending machine was developed, individuals have continued to use them to solve a variety of different problems.

Vending Machine History

The concept of a vending machine has been around for a lot longer than most Fairfax, VA residents realize. In fact, the first vending machine was said to have been written about by the mathematician Hero in 215 BC in Ancient Egypt. In this machine, the user placed a coin in the machine and received holy water; a job previously performed by an individual. Here are several important changes that have helped make the vending machine what it is today include:

1888: Tutti-Frutti gum vending machines were installed in a New York City subway station.
1946: The first coffee vending machine was invented.
1950: Refrigerated sandwich vending machines expanded the lunch menu.
1950s – 1970s: located in U.S. airports, vending machines sold life insurance policies covering death, should the buyer’s flight crash.
1961: Canned soft drink vending machines offered customers new beverage options.
1972: Glass-front snack machines were introduced.
1985: Credit/debit card payment devices were introduced.
1987: Frozen food vending machines were introduced.
1991: Flavored coffees, espresso, and cappuccino were introduced in coffee machines.

Today

In the 150+ years since the first fully automatic vending machine was invented, a wide range of products, from practical to crazy, have been sold. In 2020, non-edible options including personal protection equipment (PPE) can be found. The following organizations highlight how vending machines can be converted to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

New Jersey Transit (NJT) has installed vending machines in handful of stations that sell PPE such as face masks, hand sanitizer, sanitized wipes, and disposable gloves to the public. Kevin Corbett, CEO & President of NJ Transit, explained, “We want our customers to trust that we have prepared the safest and cleanest transit system possible for their return and will continue to work hard every day to keep it that way.” 

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has developed a similar program. Located throughout the campus, vending machines offer masks, hand sanitizer and other protective products at no cost to the students or university employees. The university tracks “purchases” via the school’s id card system, ensuring that everyone can only make one purchase per product per month.

As with the new machines at VCU and NJT, vending machines in Fairfax, VA break rooms offer several benefits for employees. Employers can create a customized menu that includes the snacks and beverages their employees want. Not only are a variety of payment options available, including cash, credit/debit cards and mobile payment apps, but employers can also cover part or all the costs for their employees. In addition, break room vending machines can encourage employees to stay on-site when they need something to eat or drink, reducing person to person contact and the likelihood of coming into contact with COVID-19.

Is your Fairfax, VA break room ready to safely offer sought-after refreshment options? We are here to help you create an inviting and welcoming space that also safely delivers everyone’s favorite snacks, cold beverages, and coffee. For more information, please call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

In 2019 state-of-the-art technology is king, especially in Washington, D.C. break rooms. But, and it’s a big one, adopting new technology should not come at the expense of good employee experiences. Based on the most recent Consumer Payment Study performed by Total System Services (TSYS), researchers found that while Americans want to adopt and use the newest payment technology to pay for purchases, they also want to be able to speak with someone when there is a problem.

For Washington, D.C. employers, the challenge is to find the ideal balance between state-of-the-art payment technology and old-fashioned customer service when it comes to the break room experience.

What Employees Look For

• the option to use a mobile device – whether it’s through a mobile payment app or a bank’s app – to pay for snacks, beverages and fresh food 
• speed, agility and convenience during the buying process
• intuitive and user-friendly equipment and processes
• personalized offers based on individual purchasing preferences such as buy-4-get-1-free and information about promotions and rewards

Adding new technology in the break room also helps employers provide excellent refreshment services. Vending equipment is connected to vending suppliers, thus supporting remote data management or sales and inventory data analysis as well as machine maintenance. Vending machines with sought-after products and less time offline are a win for everyone.

“Old-fashioned” Customer Service

Reflecting on the TSYS study, John Dale Hester, Senior Vice President of Relationship Management at TSYS, explained, “Americans are demonstrating a strong appetite for digital technologies…but that willingness to adopt the latest technology has its limits. When people encounter a problem…most still want to interact with a real person.”

When Washington, D.C. employees have a problem with any part of the refreshment services in their break room, there must be a way to connect with someone who can help solve the problem. Whether it’s via a facility/office manager or the mobile app, effective customer service in the break room is about helping your employees be as successful as possible.

But ultimately, customer service issues in the break room should fall back to your Washington, D.C. refreshment provider, and SunDun Office Refreshments understands that. Not only do we offer state-of-the-art technology and sought-after snacks and beverages, but we deliver top-notch customer service. Your employees’ break room experiences are important to us.

For more information about delivering top-notch technology and “old-fashioned” customer service in your break room, please call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731. We look forward to designing the best solution for your organization.

Have you ever thought about which technology you might see in the future in your Baltimore, MD office break room? Many of those new technologies are likely to first be found in quick service restaurants and grocery stores. They include interactive kiosks, robotsas (a cross between a robot and a baristas), and unattended retail technology or vending machines that sell unique products. The following is a list of technology that is either in use today or will be soon.    

Coffee Robot: It’s exactly what it sounds like. The unattended coffee distribution system or robot barista makes a variety of customizable beverages. Customers order their favorite caffeinated beverages from a smartphone app or a nearby tablet, and pick up their beverage from the robot. If you’re lucky enough to be in Austin, TX or San Francisco, CA, then you can try one for yourself.

Robotic Kitchen Restaurant: A new restaurant has recently opened in Boston, MA that is unlike any other. Customers use a touch screen to choose an entree on the menu, add additional ingredients, and remove unwanted ones. The robot then gathers the ingredients, cooks them in a hot pan, and passes the cooked food on to a human who adds some garnish and labels the bowl—all in under three minutes.   

Pizza Robot: This one is also exactly what it sounds like although there are currently several different types across the country. Whether the robot assists restaurant employees with making the pizza or is part of cooking the pizza and bringing it to you, it’s all about creating a delicious pizza pie as quickly as possible.

Robotic Burger Flipper:  Still one of a kind, this robot in California can flip burgers twice as fast as a human. The robot continues to learn by using feedback loops from its co-workers as well as from its own mistakes. But, there are still a few kinks to work out as this robot works too fast for its human counterparts.  

Ice Cream Self-Serve Robot: It’s an ice cream/frozen yogurt shop that makes customizable treats in a vending machine with a robotic arm. While it’s not available yet, it will soon be easier to enjoy a sweet treat especially when grocery shopping.

Unique robots aren’t the only innovative technology that might appear in a break room. Many Baltimore, MD break rooms already use cutting-edge technology such as ENERGY STARⓇ certified vending machines, LED lighting, wireless technology, and mobile payment systems. What’s in your Baltimore, MD break room?

Whether you’d like to update or make a few changes, SunDun Office Refreshments can help. We can also help customize the right mix of healthy snacks and beverages to fit your Baltimore, MD employees’ needs. Call us at 800.466.2731 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

Get ready to meet the new vending machine. In the not so distant future, vending machines will communicate with consumers through an application (app) on their smartphone that includes artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The app will learn the Columbia, MD customer’s preferences in order to improve and personalize the experience. Customers will also be notified via the app about future promotions and new ways to use the app such as placing a single order for multiple beverages.

Wireless Technology

While this technology is not available everywhere, most vending machines use other recently developed technology to improve the Columbia, MD customer experience. Gone are the days when coins were needed to purchase a snack or beverage from a vending machine. Today, credit cards and debit cards can be used on almost all machines to make cashless payments over wireless technology. Many locations also offer the option of making mobile payments on a smartphone via Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Wireless technology also offers additional benefits for both the consumer and the vending provider. Because of the constant wireless connection, real-time sales data moves between the vending machine and the vendor helping control inventory, track products, and forecast product demand.

Environmentally-Friendly Technology

New technology has also positively impacted the environment. Vending machines that meet Energy Star ratings cost less to operate and use less overall energy. Installing light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs further decreases energy consumption and energy costs. Unlike most lighting that turns off when not in use, lighting in vending equipment remains on. Compared to other types of light bulbs in vending machines, LED light bulbs emit light in a specific direction without substantial loss of light, and emit less overall heat. The U.S. Department of Energy states that “today’s LED bulbs can be six-seven times more energy efficient than conventional incandescent lights and cut energy use by more than 80 percent.”

Delivering vending machine snacks and beverages to office break rooms in Columbia, MD has also been positively impacted by environmentally-friendly technology. There are fewer and lighter trucks on the road because real-time sales data and inventory tracking provide more accurate information about the products that need to be delivered. When combined with changes in vehicle emissions’ requirements, the trucks that are on the road use fewer natural resources and produce fewer vehicle emissions.

Overall, new technologies have had a positive impact. How have new technologies improved your Columbia, MD employees’ experiences in the office break room? Whether you want to install vending machines that have up-to-date technologies for the first time, or if you need to upgrade your current machines, we can help. Call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731 for more information.

“There will be exponential growth in mobile payments in the U.S. over the next five years.”  

– “The Mobile World of Retail,” a BRP Special Report

In the almost three years since Apple Pay was launched, the ability to make a mobile payment with a smartphone has become just one of several ways that a mobile device can impact the shopping experience for today’s consumers. BRP Consulting recently determined five key ways that mobile devices are impacting the retail experience: customer identification, customer engagement, associate training and task management, mobile POS, and mobile payment. For McLean, VA vending providers, the ability to make a mobile payment is something that cannot be ignored.

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ May 2016 report, 55% of the United States’ population was mobile payment users. 72% of those users fell into the Millennial or Gen X generations. While Millennials and Gen Xers enjoy the rewards, discounts, alerts, and electronic receipts that mobile payment solutions offer, they, 74% of Millennials and 70% of Gen Xers, are also very concerned about the risk of identity theft and loss of funds that might come with using mobile payment options. This block to using mobile payments results from a lack of understanding if mobile payments are faster, safer, or easier to use than traditional payment methods.

For mobile payments to be successful in the long run, there must be additional McLean, VA consumer education about:

• the length and ease of a transaction using a mobile device as compared to a traditional transaction
• how loyalty rewards programs can be tied to a mobile wallet, and how that can improve the overall shopping experience   
• the enhanced security features and faster checkout that mobile wallets offer

Consumer education about using mobile payment systems does not need to be long and drawn out. A recent USA Technologies study found “that call-to-action messages [on vending machines] underscoring speed, convenience and security of Apple Pay can act as an electronic gateway for consumers to learn about and use the mobile wallets already installed on their phones.” Not only did this information educate consumers, but it also increased mobile payment usage by 135.2% and increased overall sales by 36.5%. Knowledge really does make a difference.

Offering McLean, VA employees the option of using mobile payments to purchase a healthy snack or beverage in the office break room not only educates them about mobile payments, but it also gives them an alternative way to purchase a much-needed snack or beverage. Taking a break to stay hydrated or eat something supports their physical and mental health, and in the long run, helps your bottom line. To learn more about mobile payments, and how our vending services can benefit your organization, call SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.  

In 2017, there are many different ways to practice sustainable living at home. Individuals often use less water, think twice about who they are purchasing goods from, and reuse as many things as possible. Recycling at home also falls under the sustainable living umbrella, and is a relatively easy thing to do. Most communities offer their residents different ways to recycle paper, plastics, metals and used electronics, and many individuals actively use those resources.

Recycling

Recycling at home is an easy way to contribute to creating an environmentally sustainable community. However, if you were at an Arlington, VA local park, it wouldn’t be so easy as your recycling options would be extremely limited. Keep America Beautiful (KAB), a nonprofit organization that educates and encourages individuals to take care of their local environment, found that “only 12 percent of surveyed public locations had recycling infrastructure in place to recover the containers.”

KAB and the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) have developed a partnership that offers grants to local governments and community organizations to help them purchase new recycling bins. In its fifth year, the program has awarded 3,400 recycling bins to organizations in 38 states. Vicki Draughn, vice president of corporate affairs for DPS, explained that “providing choices and options is central to our commitment to our consumers. That not only means making and selling a wide range of the brands they love but also increasing the convenient recycling options available to them in their favorite parks and community spaces.”

Placing additional recycling bins in public spaces such as parks, stadiums, airports, building lobbies and office break rooms is a great way to keep building sustainable communities in Arlington, VA.

Energy

A different, but just as important, approach to reducing the use of important resources is to consider different ways to decrease energy consumption, especially in the office environment. Reevaluating the different types of equipment and appliances, such as computer monitors, copy machines, and vending machines, from an energy usage point-of-view will provide a more complete picture of the cost of each item. Choosing equipment that meets Energy Star ratings will not only lower electricity costs over the life of the machine, but it will also use less energy. That’s a plus for both the company’s bottom-line and the environment.

Another way to decrease energy usage is to determine which type of light bulbs are currently being used. Switching away from incandescent and fluorescent bulbs to light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs will not only decrease energy consumption but will also likely decrease energy costs. Unlike most lighting features that turn off when not in use, lighting in vending equipment remains on. Compared to other types of light bulbs in vending machines, LED light bulbs emit light in a specific direction without substantial loss of light, and emit less overall heat—two positive features. The U.S. Department of Energy states that “today’s LED bulbs can be six-seven times more energy efficient than conventional incandescent lights and cut energy use by more than 80 percent.” Regardless of how you look at it, that’s a positive impact.

Whether you offer your Arlington, VA employees recycling bins throughout the office, or healthy snacks and beverages from Energy Star vending machines in the break room, your organization is helping to create a more sustainable community. To learn more about our state-of-the-art vending equipment and product offerings, contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.

Have you seen the Capital One TV commercial that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” It’s no longer just about what’s in the object that holds the cash and credit cards that you carry in your back pocket or handbag. It’s now about what type of wallet you use – a mobile wallet that holds a variety of credit card, bank account, and loyalty program information, or the one that holds actual cash and credit cards.

Historically, vending machines accepted only cash. As technology changed, so did the types of payments that vending machines allowed. Today, a new option is available that has the potential to increase sales at Washington D.C.’s healthy vending machines–the contactless transaction. This type of transaction is not only cashless but also credit cardless. The person purchasing a healthy snack or beverage needs only to carry a smartphone that has a mobile payment app, and he or she can quickly buy that item. Many universities and colleges have already seen an increase in the use of mobile wallets by students. Some of the more well-known mobile payment systems are Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay, but banks and credit cards are also creating their own mobile payment apps.

Do you use a mobile wallet? If you do, you are part of a segment of the population that is moving toward a cashless society. A June 2016 Gallop Poll found that fewer Americans are using cash for purchases today than they did five years ago. In November 2016, Capital One surveyed 1,805 individuals and found that 24.4% of the participants use a mobile wallet for purchases, and 63.3% of those individuals adopted the technology during the past year. That leaves 76.7% of those who participated in the study who do not use a mobile wallet. Another way to look at it is that there are 1,364 potential new mobile wallet users in the Capital One survey. Or 1,364 potential vending machine users in Washington D.C. that could purchase a beverage using a mobile wallet.

Digital advertising for contactless transactions or mobile payments also impacts the volume of sales at vending machines. A recent study by USA Technologies, Inc. (USAT) examined the relationship between digital advertising and the use of mobile wallets, specifically Apple Pay, at 35 vending machines in New York and Louisiana. They found that there was a 36.5% increase in overall sales at the machines that promoted the availability of Apple Pay. Maeve McKenna Duska, senior vice president of marketing and sales at USAT, stated, “Based on our study, we believe that when businesses and operators present consumers with the option to pay for items with Apple Pay, the number of mobile payments made and the amount spent increases.” Given the large volume of vending machines currently being used in Washington D.C. and the increasing number of individuals who are switching to mobile wallets, there is an opportunity for growth as sales typically increase when mobile payments are available.

If you are looking for mobile payment options for your healthy break room vending machine, contact SunDun Office Refreshments at 800.466.2731.