Retail Asia 2018 RA September.October 2018 (Online) | Page 10

NEWS FEATURE
Dispensing solutions for
retail gaps with the
help of technology
I
n recent years, many developing
countries have adopted convenient
vending machines and the Asia-
Pacific vending machine market
is expected to witness market growth
of 17.6% CAGR from 2017 to 2023,
according to market and research data
provider ResearchAndMarkets.com's
Asia Pacific Vending Machine Market
Analysis (2017-2023) report.
Vending machine technology
continues to provide the latest
advancements such as face recognition
systems and identity card identification
to verify the buying history of
customers, thereby ushering an era
of technologically-advanced vending
machines.
The adoption rate of self-services
technology in the Asia-Pacific region
(which includes China, Japan, India,
Australia, Singapore and Taiwan) is
notably high, due to technological
advancements and emergence of new
business models. China and Japan hold
the maximum market share of vending
machine market, the report said.
India and Australia, on the other
hand, are showing tremendous potential
towards the adoption of self-service
technology during the forecast period.
ResearchAndMarkets.com also cited the
boom in the retail sector and emerging
infrastructure as some of the key factors
facilitating the growth of the vending
machines in this region. For example,
NTT communications in Japan has
introduced SIM card vending machine
to address the needs of tourists in the
country.
Retail Asia checked with Tony
Chng, CEO at JR Vending and group
COO at JR Group of Companies, to
learn more about the appeal of vending
machines in today’s economy. He shared
that vending machines provide a variety
of choice to consumers and are not
limited to a bricks-and-mortar store’s
standard operating hours. The machines
also fit the fast pace lifestyle of today’s
consumers by offering a convenient
and fuss-free grab-and-go method of
purchasing.
“We are complementary to the
bricks-and-mortar shops such as
convenience stores and supermarkets.
Chef-in-Box is poised to expand its suite of food offerings to supermarkets and foodservices
such as hotels, restaurants and caterers.
8
Retail Asia September/October 2018
Chef-in-Box offers flavours of India,
Thailand and Korea.
For customers who want to have more
variety and have more time to browse
and shop or prefer to have human
interaction, the bricks-and-mortar
provide customers with such options.
For customers who are time-starved
and need a quick bite on-the-go, the
Vendcafé fills that gap,” he explained.
Each Vendcafé provides hot food
around the clock and also a selection
of hot drinks (including coffee and
tea), fresh orange juice, cakes, salads,
sandwiches and snacks. The meals
are produced in the company’s
manufacturing plant in Singapore, with
no preservatives added. They are made
from fresh ingredients and cooked
by a team of chefs, Chng shared, and
the same meals are also available in
convenience stores, supermarkets and
online platforms. “The first Chef-in-
Box Vendcafé, the first food vending
machine café in Singapore”, opened in
August 2016 and there are currently 10
Vendcafés in service.
Chng opined that vending machines
will be more commonplace over the
next few years, and will no longer be
limited to dispensing the usual canned
drinks and snacks. “With rising rentals
and shortage of manpower, companies
will look to more innovations to increase
their productivity. Perhaps, that might
come in the form of vending machines
for some, while other companies will
innovate differently,” he said. ra