Steve Murphy, vending division manager for Southern Foodservice Management, based in Willow Spring, N.C., took interest in the unattended retail systems on display at the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow in Chicago. In an on-site interview with Elliot Maras, editor of Automatic Merchandiser, Murphy explains what he sees as the benefits of the self checkout systems. To listen to the podcast interview, go to: www.vendingmarketwatch.com/podcast.
Editor's Insight: The unattended retail systems, also referred to as "self checkout markets" and "micro markets," were an item of interest to many attendees at the OneShow. There was also an "operator perspectives" seminar on the show floor during which users of these systems explained their experiences and took questions from the audience.
The unattended retail systems are one of the fastest growing areas of refreshment services today, despite the fact that they require a big investment and the country is still mired in recession.
Refreshment service operators who have not come up against these systems in the field will do so in the near future. 05-03-11 by Elliot Maras
