Consumers think of it as ‘appyfication’, whilst those who are in the know refer to it as ‘true digitisation’. Call it what you will: the fact remains that the vending / unattended retail industry is one of the last consumer interfaces to jump on the ‘smart’ bandwagon – and enjoy the incumbent opportunities.
Having established a formidable reputation as a marketplace for Mobile top up, Gaming & digital services and more recently for Electric vehicle charging, and in conjunction with their partner Vendekin an innovative US based start-up focused on Vending Digitization and Automation, there’s no better-equipped organisation than Kwikpay to put that right. And in their vending solution, the company has delivered an intelligent app solution that’s custom made for vending…
‘With Kwikpay, operators and brands can easily transport their existing vending machines into the app, run loyalty programmes, entice repeat orders and run promotions’, CEO Neeraj Bhatia told PV. ‘Thanks to this service, operators can now get to know their customers better than ever before and use that knowledge to offer bundled products that have been designed specifically for them. What’s more, the solution is an easily installed plug-and-play solution. It can convert an operator’s traditional cash and coin units into Intelligent Vending machines.
‘Due to technical limitations, the vending industry has, until now, had one arm tied behind its back when it comes to taking its share of the opportunities incumbent in the digital era’ Neeraj added. ‘But today, thanks to this solution, operators can run the kind of loyalty programmes that have hitherto been the preserve of the big retailers. Operators can now enable the complete buying process on the app, entice frequent purchases from customers by offering them bundling, promos and time based offers that keep them coming to their vending machine day after day.’
Crucially, this can be achieved without an extensive machine overhaul. You don’t even need your machine to be connected to the internet. What’s more, the solution works seamlessly with your existing card readers and vending management software.
‘Kwikpay is an all-new smartphone app based buying journey for the consumer’, Neeraj said. ‘It offers a touch-free experience that enables the vending of multiple items from a standard vending machine; the ability to accept digital payments and to run loyalty programmes. In fact, it comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect in app based business. It gives the operator end-to-end control and visibility of their vending business; it reduces operational cost, it increases efficiencies and boosts the bottom line. For their part, brand owners benefit from having a more accurate appreciation of consumer needs and preferences.’
Thanks to this, the unattended retail eco-system should brace itself for huge and positive change. You can get more information by clicking here, or better yet, see it for yourself on stand 93 at Vendex Midlands, National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham on 24th April 2018