Dispensing Freshness in A Flash with Healthy Vending Machine
Take a step into the future with a healthy, fresh produce vending system.
Reducing human-to-human direct contact these days has been a priority. Even when the pandemic may have simmered down, still there is a slight fear of having contacts with strangers. But when it comes to consuming, people tend to lower their standards. A simple form of consuming is how we all try to fill our stomachs. We need energy and nutrients so that our bodies can work properly. So, we tend to get anything to make us full, not keeping in mind where the food actually came from. It also raises the possibility of the food being unhygienic and thus ruining your diet (we spot the McDonald’s wrappers).
The way things work today makes it easier for us to have better access to healthier choices of foods. It is then left back to us to be wiser with what we buy. When we mention ‘better access’, what if we told you that you definitely can buy something healthy out of, say, a vending machine? What if your next pack of tomatoes comes out of a vending machine?
Now, let’s get you fresh to the nines with this technology.
Read more about funky vending machines here: Mixing Culture and Convenience: Unique Vending Machines Around the Globe
Brand your fresh produce
Fresh produce means meat products and any grown agricultural product like fruits and vegetables that have not been processed. They are usually fresh because it is generally in the same state as they were harvested. When you go to a farmers' market or a traditional market, you can see many options for fresh produce which are mostly unpackaged but limited to local farmers. On the other hand, supermarkets offer wider choices of fresh produce that are transported from neighbouring cities, or imported from other countries.
Only if people implement a healthy lifestyle, fresh produce sometimes are not appealing to some people. But with innovations and ideas, these healthy options can be a hip addition to a fast-paced lifestyle. The key is convenience. People may like eating pineapples or watermelons but they have no idea how to cut them. Some may want to implement a keto diet but have no idea how to open an avocado. Some of us are just not that talented in the kitchen. We can use the opportunity to brand your fresh produce.
The usage of branded food products is also one of the most popular trends in fresh food vending, as the brand can provide some form of legitimacy to the consumers. They are willing to pay more for branded products than for generic items. So with additional cost to brand your fresh produce, it may increase the chance of the products being known to the public. This idea has been adopted into salad in a jar, cute fresh-pressed juice bottles, or various catchy names for plant-based milks so people can have cool options while staying healthy. All can happen with branding. Okay, now that you have your product on brand, what’s out there to offer?
Evolving technology
When we talk about buying groceries, the first thing that comes to mind is going to the supermarkets or traditional markets. We can get basically almost everything that can fill our fridges. But today, nothing you cannot do without smartphones. Even before getting into the sophisticated technology, people can order groceries via text messages. You can text your local greengrocer or tukang sayur keliling your grocery list to preorder for the next day. For payment methods, you can wire the money directly via bank transfer or via cash when the groceries are delivered (cash on delivery). We cannot deny that this evolved from back then when local mums gathered around the greengrocer to browse the fresh produce.
Taking a step from the delivery system, which is minimising human-to-human contact for hygienic reasons, is the trend of a vending system. This system implements easy access and contactless transactions as customers can just browse the catalogue from the screen, choose what they want and the amount, then make payments via smartphones or cash. The fresh produce can still be in great condition since it is kept inside a refrigerator, with certain temperatures that can keep them from going bad. The same technology can also tell which products are going bad.
The vending system that keeps the products fresh can also be maintained because, as it is unprocessed products, they have a shelf-life. Vending machines are now developed with remote monitoring technology so it is possible to check the machine inventories in real-time. Fresh products tend to have shorter shelf-life. On average, they should be sold in under a week. The fresh produce providers can regularly refill the produce according to the report on the management system so it is not based on an eyeball measurement. You can input the dates for each product so no customers will buy wilted or rotten products. Fresh vending reveals that vending machine retail possibilities are expanding and that customers are prioritising comfort, even when it comes to specialty goods.
What is a healthy vending machine?
Stepping into the spotlight is the fresh produce vending machine. This can be a solution as an addition to a healthier lifestyle. Fruits and vegetable delivery are already popular options, imagine how it would be to sell other healthy products that are visible in public places.
Not just fruits and vegetables, but products like fresh milks, fresh juices to healthy snacks like diet snacks, salads and sandwiches. Fresh salad vending machines are a thing, implemented by Chowbotics. With Sally, they can sell a customised fresh bowl of salad in under one minute. Ever heard of cereal vending machines? Kellogg’s made one for college students with their Kellogg’s Bowl Bot, to custom their cereal bowl with 22 ingredients available. We previously mentioned eggs vending machines, and it can be an option, too.
Places like commercial buildings, office towers, and residential buildings can be a good start to put fresh food vending machines. In buildings, it can take longer to access the nearest supermarkets. Office workers can have quick access to fresh sandwiches or freshly cut fruits during lunch breaks without sacrificing their time to go outside. Apartment residents can buy a pack of potatoes in case of when they can’t find anything in their fridge. It is much healthier than to order a delivery which you have no idea how the foods are made, right?
Get your fresh produce with Charaka Indonesia
In Indonesia, a fresh produce vending machine is already among us with PT CHARAKA. You might have seen some of their products during your grocery trips to supermarkets. Established in December 2001, PT. Chastolia Rama Laksana, or commonly referred to as CHARAKA, is an agribusiness company. With its vision and mission to build a community with healthy food, CHARAKA presents a variety of fresh products ranging from fruit, vegetables, to packaged food ingredients.
They have partnered with Smartven to make a healthy vending machine with their best-selling products such as packs of diet potatoes, satsumaimo, tomatoes, lemons and healthy rice. They want to make use of this vending machine as a way to reach more customers and start a simpler and healthier lifestyle.
Start fresh
If you have a similar idea of starting a healthy vending machine or a healthy brand that can benefit from using a vending machine, you can schedule your free consultation with Smartven team by clicking the button down below. You can also check our website and Instagram page for more information on Smartven. Stay healthy and see you soon!
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