Inventions and Inventors Volume 1 - Online Public Access Catalog

The next problem was to determine areas where there would be a
high turnover of Band-Aids. Bowling alleys were an obvious answer,
since many bowlers suffered from abrasions on their fingers.
The United States is not alone in the development of vending machines;
in fact, it is not as advanced as some nations of the world. In
Japan, machines operated by credit cards have been used widely
since the mid-1960’s, and the range of products offered has been
larger than in the United States. Western Europe is probably the
most advanced area of the world in terms of vending machine technology.
Germany of the early 1990’s probably had the largest selection
of vending machines of any European country. Many gasoline
stations in Germany featured beer dispensing machines. In rural areas
of the country, vending machines hung from utility poles. These
rural machines provided candy and gum, among other products, to
farmers who did not often travel into town.
Most vending machine business in Europe was done not in individual
machines but in automated vending shops. The machines offered
a creative solution to obstacles created by regulations and
laws. Some countries had laws stating that conventional retail stores
could not be open at night or on Sundays. To increase sales and satisfy
consumer needs, stores built vending operations that could be
used by customers during off hours. The machines, or combinations
of them, often stocked a tremendous variety of items. At one German
location, consumers could choose among nearly a thousand
grocery items.
The Future
Vending machine slug rejector / 855
The future will see a broadening of product lines offered in vending
machines as marketers come to recognize the opportunities that
exist in automatic retailing. In the United States, vending machines
of the early 1990’s primarily dispensed products for immediate consumption.
If labor costs increase, it will become economically feasible
to sell more items from vending machines. Grocery items and
tickets offered the most potential for expansion.
Vending machines offer convenience to the consumer. Virtually
any company that produces for the retail market must consider
vending machines as a marketing channel. Machines offer an alter-