The vending machine has come a long way since it's conception in the late 1880s. They began with books and soon moved to packets of gum, cigars, postcards, and stamps. It wasn't until the 1920's that we even began seeing the drink and snack vending machines we're so used to today. And today, a century later, we're seeing way more than just soda and junk food in vending machines. They have become fully customizable. The custom vending machines out there today have made life easier and way more convenient that one could have ever imagined.
It seemed to begin with healthy food options. People felt a bit trapped that their only choices in office vending machines were candy bars and cookies. Especially with the rise of obesity rates, people wanted better choices in their vending machines, both at work and at schools. And now we can enjoy fresh sandwiches, yogurts, fruit, granola bars, and even smoothies in some machines. Of course the upkeep for these refrigerated machines are much higher. You don't want to offer spoiled fruit to consumers.
And with high quality food comes high prices. Not to mention the high cost of specialty vending machines. Vending machines selling "strange" items is nothing new in Japan but it is here in America. There are plenty of websites showcasing the most obscure custom vending machines you will ever find. You can purchase slabs of meat, umbrellas, full entrees, electronics, and even whiskey. You can't pay for any of those items with the change in you pocket. No, that's why some vending machines have the technology to accept credit cards. Chances are the one in your office building doesn't, but the technology is definitely there, it's just a matter of it being worth the cost. The added fees leave little room for a profit margin.
A better idea that might make more sense is paying for vending machines on a smartphone app. It's hard to find anyone without a smartphone today and a simple app, like the one Google just created, can allow you to make a purchase with a simple click of a button. However, the newly developed application is only available on Android phones, actually just one phone to be exact. And the program is only on a mere 6,000 machines.
But you have to start somewhere and I'm sure in the next decade or so we'll be seeing even more advances to these machines. Vending machines are way too convenient to ever go out of use and it won't be long before more custom machines pop up with even better methods of payment and the like.
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