BY IAN REYNOLDS-YOUNG
Right then, that’s enough from me – for now! It’s time for you to take your places as thought leaders in the vending industry,
What do you think? What impact will the burgeoning Internet of Things have on the vending industry’s operators, suppliers; wholesalers, software egg-heads, cashless payment providers and so on, and so forth?
My view, for what it’s worth, is that the vast majority of our industry colleagues are underestimating the changes that are coming as a consequence of increased connectivity and the data it delivers. And that’s despite the fact that there companies out there that have been creating products of this sort, specifically for vending, for ages: Nayax, Coges; Kwikpay, SUZO HAPP, Vianet, Vendman and TouchGo, to name but a few. (Apologies if I failed to mention your business).
The EVOCA Group recently announced a partnership with Mastercard that allows consumers to buy from a vending machine via a new app called ‘Breasy’ and other manufacturers will have done / be doing the same. I hesitate to say it but if there are any Rip Van Data Winkles out there, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Thought Leaders
So, here’s the proposition: let’s work together as thought leaders and let’s get the industry thinking. By that, I don’t mean ‘let’s use PV’s Vending Insight feature to sell widgets and boxes’. On the contrary, I mean, ‘let’s demonstrate how the IoT, connectivity and cashless purchasing is changing our way of life.
At PV, we trawl the Internet each week to bring you 10 stories that, in their individual ways, are ‘eye-openers’. But what have you read recently that made you think, ‘that’s a great example of what I keep saying about where our industry is going / ought to be going.
You can do this is two ways.
Route One: if you come across a story online that you think your potential customers should read, send me a link to it, together with a short paragraph that explains why you think it’s important. That’s free, you’ll get a credit and we’ll also link to your web site.
Route Two: Let’s have your thoughts in depth, in the form of an interview. You and I will talk on the phone (or meet face to face), and I’ll write a piece that conveys your thoughts in the clear, concise and entertaining way that’s responsible for putting Planet Vending in the world’s top five vending blogs. That’s £ negotiable, but it’s not an invitation for you to big-up various products. On the contrary, it’s a chance for you to share your personal philosophy with your peers, for the greater good of the industry as a whole.
Operator, supplier, whatever role you play in vending; it’s time, ladies and gentlemen, to take your place among the vending industry’s thought leaders. Let’s not get left behind in the New Age of retailing and commerce.
*Previous Editions of Ian’s blog are here, here and here.
