would you buy from a shop full of vending machines?

brightonman123

Have an idea for a shop with just vending machines- with possible regional seasonal variations in stock- no cash, just pay by sending a text on your mobile-eg 'buy xxx' (product code) to 12345 - cost is debited to your account, or taken from available credit, then item released..As well as the usual drinks, long life snacks, condoms, suncream, stamps etc.. maybe even beer (subject to licensing)..

GonzoAston

Yeah, but I think its already called Londis

Seriously though, its a good idea, but around me most newsagents sell everything you have listed. Would be good if you started a company that just dealt with the Mobile Credit option. That could come in handy at times

brightonman123

names like Vendo and Vendx seem to be in use already.. how about Vendalot, or vend-mobile?? the machines could be loaded onto an open sided van, and taken around remote office buildings,industrial estates etc..

(directory Enquiries? give me the nmber for Dragons den, pronto!)

GonzoAston

Vend-o-Mobile?

GonzoAston

Its not pronounced mobile, but I dont know how to type it. I think that m'bile would come closest to pronounciation.

Rymes with Meal

GonzoAston

Actually, if you put Games Machines in there too (as in Arcade game etc) I think that kinda shop would do well

GonzoAston

Just realised the best way to describe it is rymes with Automobile.

Duh, I have me blonde head on today!

Hermia

I wouldn't use it because I wouldn't want to text. If you could use cash maybe. And would there be anyone in the shop. I have had so many problems buying things from vending machines I'd be concerned if there was no there if things went wrong.

Hermia

Actually, you would need someone there to keep an eye on things. A shop like this would just attract the teenage chavs where I live.

foreign_correspondent

You may want to look at FEBO for ideas - FEBO are a chain of fast food snack shops in the netherlands, selling hot fast food, kroketten, bitterballen, hamburgers etc from vending machines!

Rustvaar

On one hand it sounds good but there are a huge number of 'What if?' scenarios.

What if it didn't dispense my item?
What if I paid for the text, paid for the item and the item was out of stock?
What if someone vandalised the equipment?
What if I don't keep my phone in credit OR I buy an item at £2.50 with only £2.00 in my phone?

Lots of things that need looked at, you'd need to have someone manning it, definitely, you'd need to accept other methods of payment.

Imagine I opened a bakery where you could only pay by cheque!;
"Whoops, I forgot my chequebook today."
"Hard lines, no yum-yums for you!"
"I think I will visit your competitor."
"Oh no."

I think a lot of people would be unhappy about the fact you're putting people out of a job (Okay, not a huge number) but in a similar way to how some people view the 'Self-Checkouts', you can probably have one person safely look after three of these at any one time, so what happens to the two other people no longer needed to operate a til?

Personally doesn't bother me that much, I think it's going to get to the stage we'll have a lot more automated services that don't call for human intercation so 'Yes', you could be a pioneer for that and I wouldn't mind buying from it so long as the service was guaranteed (which with technology it's not really) and the costs were low.