User-friendly 'Media' Series Links Patrons And Suppliers

Crane Merchandising Systems will unveil a new vending machine platform at the National Automatic Merchandising Association's OneShow this month in Las Vegas. The line features integrated cashless payment capability, wireless and Ethernet network access and contemporary user interface options, all "right out of the box."

The company is the vending and payment business unit of Crane Co. (Stamford, CT), with offices in Bridgeton, MO, and manufacturing facilities in Williston, SC. Crane explained that the Media concept was developed to bring the experience of shopping at vending machines in line with the expectations and desires of today's consumers.

The next-generation line of snack, cold beverage and food venders will be marketed under the "Media" brand. The series has been conceived to chart a new course in machine design that will deliver a more engaging, rewarding and reliable customer experience.

"The solution is long overdue," said Tom Edwards, Crane Merchandising Systems vice-president of global food and beverage initiatives. "It answers a need by being built around the consumer, who has never been linked into the equation effectively."

The new vending platform is the culmination of three years of development inspired by NAMA research that identified lack of consumer confidence in vending as a root cause of declines in same-store sales in recent years. Consumers cited high product cost, low value, worn and dirty machines and the lack of cashless acceptance, among factors that deterred them from using vending machines.

"We built the Media platform to attack those issues and to help restore consumer confidence," Edwards said. He added that the goals of the new equipment offering align with those of NAMA's Industry Growth Strategy, which aims to revitalize vending by engaging 18- to 27-year-old "Gen Y" consumers, communicating a positive message and changing obsolete paradigms.

"Media represents revolutionary change in technology, functionality, look and feel. These combined attributes are changing consumer perception and driving growth," Edwards explained. "There is opportunity to forge stronger relationships with current users, and to make a stronger appeal to nonusers."

Crane's Media machines are designed to turn heads and draw consumers with sleek, modern styling highlighted by a high-impact LED lighting scheme, which conveys high technology.

In the vanguard of the new line are the Merchant Media snack vender and BevMax Media drink machine. Both have larger cabinet footprints than their predecessors, permitting increased product variety to spur incremental sales. The added capacity also allows for more inventory on site, reducing out-of-stocks and service visits.

The new snack machines can support up to 50% more spirals than standard five-wide models, and the beverage venders can accommodate 10 additional selections, amounting to 80 more bottles (three-plus cases) of additional inventory. Both variations offer powerful product presentation through a wide glass front.

A new delivery door on the Merchant Media is one of several key consumer-focused improvements. When the user pushes the door downward, the bottom of the bin elevates to present the purchased product in full view, eliminating the need to fish around in a dark bin to retrieve a purchase.

The new BevMax Media uses the theatrical appeal of an XY-positioning robotic arm to conveniently deliver cold drinks, upright and in full view, through a newly designed delivery port.

The delivery mechanisms, along with the two machines' user interfaces and payment systems, comply with the new ADA requirements.