The vending machine is the ultimate instant gratification. Pop a few quarters into the machine, listen to that satisfying mechanical clicking, make your selection and a few seconds later you’ll have a salty, sweet, crunchy snack.
Or, if you’re looking for something more, a car, short story or first-aid kit.
Though newer vending machines have been spotted in airports all over the world carrying headphones, face creams and even portable DVD players, they might not be nearly as exciting as a few that have popped up this year.
If you think that soda and snacks are the only items worth your vending machine coins, think again. A French company, called Short Edition has been setting up vending machines all over the country that spit out short stories.
For the same price as a bag of chips, customers can get a little food for their brains. Inspired by the idea that employees crowd around vending machines for a small break and to get their minds off business for a few minutes, the company wondered what would happen if people’s minds were consumed by stories instead.
Customers can choose the size of the story they’d like to read, too. Stories as short as a three-minute read, and stories as long as a five-minute read can be purchased. The idea was also a way to convince customers to put down their smartphones and enjoy a little media that doesn’t require a back-lit screen.
Will fiction replace crunchy snacks someday? Probably not, but the idea of a little thought for food isn’t as farfetched as it once seemed.
In the market for a new car? You might not need to deal with a salesperson anymore. In Nashville, Tennessee, customers can now purchase cars right from vending machines. Place a coin in the five-story vending machine that’s able to hold up to 20 cars, and you can choose a car from a glass tower.
Technically, you still might need to deal with a salesperson. In order to pick up your car from the vending machine, you’ll first need to purchase it from a dealer online to get your coin. After purchase, Carvana will offer a $200 airplane credit for travel expenses and a free airport transfer to the facility.
After you arrive at the vending machine, simply insert your palm-sized coin into the machine, and you’ll drive away with your new car. To promote this new service, Carvana is also offering their customers videos of their vending machine purchases to prove to their friends and family this new way of purchasing a car is no joke.
Though the vending machine is obviously a little gimmicky, Carvana’s marketing plan is to show car buyers that purchasing a car online isn’t difficult at all. In fact, it’s as easy as heading down to the parking lot and buying a can of pop.
Should you require non-emergency medical treatment (or just a little relaxation), all you need to do is find an Opelika RecMed vending machine that spits out anything from first aid kits for bumps, bruises and cuts, to first aid kits that offer a little stress relief.
To purchase, simply begin your transaction by swiping a finger across the touch screen. Choose from 10 different kits to fix what ails you. Should you need a little sun relief, you can purchase a kit with plenty of sunblock. If you’ve been bit by a nasty mosquito, choose the bug bite kit. After choosing a specific kit, you’ll read instructions on the kit’s contents and how to use the kit. Prices range from $8 to $21.
After choosing your kit, you simply swipe a credit card, and the vending machine spits out your new treatment.
Developed by a 14-year-old boy, the first-aid vending machine has a few bugs (but not the kind that bite) to work out still. The company is planning on increasing the number of kits available once the bugs are fixed.
Will RecMed replace your doctor someday? Probably not, but it might decrease the number of times you see him per year.
Though the days of chips and cookies aren’t so far in the future that our kids (or grandkids for that matter) won’t remember them in 50 years, they might not remember a day when they couldn’t by a laptop or a car with the push of a button. This year’s newest addition to the vending machine in-crowd is sure to keep instant gratification at an all-time high.
