VendingMarketWatch.com |

Automated Vending Technologies, Inc. announced the conclusion of an initial round of comprehensive digital signage field tests. The tests demonstrate a dramatic improvement in sales in the 10 vending systems equipped with AVT's custom personal computers loaded with proprietary digital signage software displaying flash advertisements, including advertisements for Otis Spunkmeyer, 5 Hour Energy and Tropicana.

The featured ads appeared on highly visible widescreen LCD displays. The field tests utilized 20 vending machines filled with identical merchandise but 10 of the systems were equipped with AVT's digital signage software displaying flash advertisements.

"We very closely and consistently monitored the sales of all our vended products by location, season and brand, among other variables. We had significant spikes in sales for nearly every product that was being directly advertised on the 10 LCD equipped vending systems," said Bobbi Church, vice president of operations, in a prepared statement. "We need to look closely at bringing this innovation to all 900 machines we presently have in the field."

"This direct advertising not only increases product sales but also provides direct supplemental income from the sale of the 'flash' ad products. The ads are managed over our proprietary virtual private network (VPN), which was designed by our in-house IT department," said Kevin Illingworth, president.

Tommy Buzbee, the company's national sales and marketing director, stressed that "this direct advertising program will enhance AVT's strong business model. We plan on working directly with vending product suppliers and distributors to offer a variety of comprehensive digital signage programs on all AVT sold vending and product dispensing systems."