KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Vending machines are getting a lot smarter — and tougher to shake down.
Machines equipped with wireless, Web-based monitoring systems are not only helping the $20 billion American vending industry sell more products, they’re also helping to stop thieves.
“It’s an old industry with more of a new start, so to say,” said Mark Brenner, a Kansas City-area franchisee for Fresh Healthy Vending.
The recession and joblessness in 2009 led to the biggest one-year drop in vending sales — $2 billion, according to Automatic Merchandiser’s 2010 State of the Vending Industry Report.
Some operators have responded by increasing prices. But many have resorted to technology to keep a tighter control on inventory, saving unnecessary trips to stock machines and stopping theft.
One company that’s turned to technology is Treat America Food Services, a Merriam, Kan.-based vending and dining service management company with $52 million in annual vending sales. It is using a system designed by Cantaloupe Systems in many of its machines in businesses, colleges and hospitals.
Cantaloupe’s technology lets off-site vending-machine owners know how much product and money is in a machine, minute by minute.
The system also can text or e-mail an alert when a machine door is opened up after hours.
“We got it for operational efficiencies,” said Jim Mitchell, president-vending division for Treat America. “But it’s as if we have security in front of the machine 24 hours a day.”
