Nowadays vending machines are everywhere.

In New York, they launched new types of vending machines called L’Oréal Paris’ Intelligent Color Experience vending machines inside the subway.

What do you think they sell? Of course beauty items, as you can guess from the company!

However, that’s not what makes these vending machines special. They scan a user’s outfit to detect colors and style, in turn suggesting beauty products that “match or clash.” The purpose is not only selling beauty products to those who are too busy and lazy in the morning or forget to bring make-up items, but also gathering information used for marketing. According to Marc Speichert, CMO L’Oréal Americas, their new vending machines have the ability to measure the level of engagement based on the number of people who pass by, the number who interact with each screen, the number who leave their information. This could be “automatic marketing machines”, letting us know the preferences of each psychographic segment.

Also, location of vending machines is important for success. L’Oréal’s choice is pretty reasonable because subway stations in New York is one of the busiest places in the world. Therefore, people are likely to buy stuffs from vending machines because they are just on the way to offices, home or somewhere else and don’t have much time. Few people are there just because they have time or they like to be there.

At one of the busiest stations in Tokyo, we have vending machines selling bananas so that they can offer breakfast to people who did not eat anything at home.

The day may come when we can buy anything while waiting for trains!

reference
http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/10/31/LOreal-Vending-Machine-103113.aspx