New entrants "Vending Machine Power Japan" May 27, 22:24
A vending machine where you can easily buy the selected product with the push of a button.
Its role is being reassessed in the wake of the Korona-ka.
"Vending machine powerhouse Japan" is one after another with the utilization of new technologies and the entry of different industries.
I explored that possibility.
(Riki Yamane, Reporter, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Misatoshi Yasui)
* This content will be introduced in detail in Saturday Watch 9 on Saturday, May 28th.
Vending machines "recommend" cosmetics
A vending machine that handles eye shadows that appeared at a cosmetics shop in Shinjuku, Tokyo this month.
Vending machines don't just wait for customers to press a button.
In fact, AI = artificial intelligence is installed, and the shape of the shopper's face and the position and size of the eyes and nose are analyzed on the spot with the built-in camera.
They will "recommend" 4 of the 26 colors that are most suitable for the person.
There are about 350,000 color combinations.
It is gaining popularity mainly among young women.
It was developed by a major printing company.
With the spread of the Internet and other factors, the demand for paper media has shrunk, and while we are rushing to respond to digitalization, we have come up with the idea of a business that utilizes the latest IT technology in vending machines.
We aim to install 100 units nationwide by 2025.
Mr. Gin Tokura
"The feature is that we can propose products tailored to each individual even when non-contact is required due to Korona-ka. We would like to expand it to various places in the future."
Hot ramen vending machine from the United States
American venture companies are also participating in the vending machine business that makes full use of the latest technology.
Last month, a vending machine exclusively for ramen was unveiled at an event in Tokyo.
Frozen ramen with flavors from all over the country is thawed at once with high-temperature steam and served in a hot state 90 seconds after ordering.
The hardness of the noodles can also be adjusted by changing the heating time.
When it was put into practical use in the United States in 2019, it has become widespread mainly in facilities that are open 24 hours a day, such as hotels, hospitals, and factories, and has sold more than 200,000 meals so far.
In Japan, it is currently installed at Haneda Airport Terminal 2, and we are aiming to spread 250 units nationwide by the end of the year.
CEO Andy Lin
"I think this is not just a vending machine, but a cooking robot. Even facilities and factories that operate 24 hours a day can serve hot meals at any time without hiring people, and there is sufficient demand in the Japanese market. I think there is. "
The vending machine market in a difficult situation, in which ...
Roadsides, offices, train stations ... Vending machines found all over the country.
Japan is the world's largest vending machine country in terms of the penetration rate of vending machines relative to the population and land area.
However, it is not well known that the vending machine is gradually disappearing from Japan.
According to the Japan Vending System Manufacturers Association, an industry group created by vending machine manufacturers, the number of vending machines in Japan reached a peak of 5.6 million in 2000, but last year it was 4 million. In the last 20 years or so, the number has decreased by about 30%, or 1.6 million units.
In addition to the difficulty of replenishing products due to the declining population, the spread of convenience stores, and labor shortages, new services such as online shopping and home delivery agency services have recently emerged.
With the increase in rivals, the business environment is becoming more difficult.
However, the food sector is growing in the difficult vending market.
Although the market share is small, there has been steady demand for a long time, maintaining around 70,000 units.
Under such circumstances, the spread of the new corona infection.
Demand increased as the movement to refrain from face-to-face contact spread, and last year it was 72,800 units, an increase of 2,800 units from the previous year.
Industry insiders also say that food vending machines have room for growth in the future.
Unusual blockbuster food vending machine
One of the reasons for the widespread introduction of food vending machines was the development of new vending machines.
The highly convenient frozen food vending machine developed by a major vending machine manufacturer became an exceptionally big hit, with sales of 3,000 units in just one year from the start of sales in January last year.
Conventional vending machines for frozen foods have a "weakness" that they can only handle products of a specific shape and size in the space for storing products called stockers.
However, the latest model has been improved so that anyone can easily adjust the width and size of the internal stocker, making it possible to handle all types of products in one vending machine.
Mr. Kimura
"With the introduction of new food vending machines, the style that consumers can buy original products from restaurants and eat them whenever they want has taken root. There are still many possibilities."
Caviar with a vending machine!
??
With the advent of new vending machines, the range of food products that can be handled has expanded dramatically.
10 vending machines lined up along the national highway in Shinagawa, Tokyo.
There are various genres of food on sale, such as authentic takoyaki and Korean food.
In addition, there are even high-class ingredients such as caviar for 5,000 yen and Miyazaki beef for 2,000 yen.
It has a good reputation for its wide range of products, and according to the installer, it sells more than 5 million yen a month in this place alone.
In fact, the spread of food vending machines had another important factor in addition to internal improvements.
It is "cashless payment".
Recent vending machines allow you to shop without using cash by holding up electronic money or scanning a QR code, but the spread of cashless payment is the reason why it is difficult to sell high-priced products at vending machines. Is said to have made it possible.
In fact, on this day as well, we saw customers buying Japanese beef by paying 2000 yen using the cashless function.
Certainly, I rarely come across a situation where a vending machine on the side of the road throws in many bills at once.
However, with cashless payments, shopping in units of 1,000 yen can be completed instantly with a "pip".
Even with the same amount of money, consumers' psychological barriers to payment are lower than if they insert multiple 1000-yen bills, and the risk of crime prevention is reduced by reducing the handling of cash.
President Naito
"I'm paying attention to the fact that I can easily buy five thousand-yen bills because sometimes I don't have them in my wallet. The prices are a little high for delicious foods in the price range that are not sold at supermarkets and convenience stores. But I'll leave it. "
Utilizing vending machines to develop the market
The food and beverage industry, which has been hit by the Korona-ka and is seeking new sales channels, has particular expectations for food vending machines.
For these restaurants, some companies have launched a new service called market research using vending machines.
A company in Nagoya that sells cutting tools to automobile parts manufacturers.
In response to the trend of EV shift, there is concern that the number of jobs in the main business will decrease in the future, so I came up with a new business using vending machines.
Last month, the company spent 2 million yen to install a food vending machine at a tableware store in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
We call out to three popular restaurants in Nagoya that are considering expanding our business, such as expanding into Tokyo, and sell "Nagoya Meshi" such as chicken wings, hitsumabushi, and stewed beef tendon using red miso.
The monthly fee received from the restaurant is 16,000 yen, and all sales of the products go to the restaurant.
However, if you just sell a product, you can tell how many you have sold, but you cannot tell who bought it and why.
Therefore, we set up a mechanism to contact the person who bought it.
The product contains a voucher that can be exchanged for a mug at the tableware store where it is installed, and customers who purchase it can receive a free gift in the store.
Then, when a customer visits in exchange for a free gift, a clerk at a tableware store asks for impressions such as "small quantity", "high price", and "strong taste" about the product bought from the vending machine, and records it together with information on gender and age. I will continue to do it.
The data and information collected in this way are analyzed every week after analyzing the best-selling items, and are passed on to restaurants for use in the development of new products.
Expectations for restaurants in Korona-ka
It is a long-established restaurant founded in 1945 in Nagoya city that uses the service.
Stewed beef tendon using red miso and pork cutlet are popular, but with the Korona-ka, I felt the need to diversify the sales channels and began to consider expanding into Tokyo.
Chef Kato
"I really fell to the bottom in Corona, so I decided to try what I could do and participated. Since we do not install vending machines directly, there is less risk and we are considering expanding the business. I think it will be used more and more in restaurants. "
According to the company that provides the service, if a restaurant in Nagoya city tries to open a new store in Tokyo, it requires an initial investment of about 50 million yen, which entails a great risk.
On the other hand, if you start with vending market research, you can see if your food is acceptable without the risk of such an investment.
In the future, we plan to reach out to other restaurants, mainly in the Tokai region, and increase the number of vending machines installed in Tokyo.
President Wakuda
"Our company originally has a business that supports manufacturing in the Tokai region, but now we want to spread Nagoya cuisine nationwide. We have the know-how for that."
Live in a niche market
The vending machine market is changing even in a difficult market environment.
Experts point out that while it is difficult to grow steadily, it is possible to find a way out by focusing on specific needs and customer base.
Managing Director Yamazaki
"Vending machines have a limited product lineup and inventory, so stores are superior if they can sell a large amount of products, but they are used in places where people's movements fluctuate, such as office buildings and factories. There is a lot of room for this. It is possible that the market will expand further as a so-called niche market by increasing the entry of products from small and medium-sized manufacturers that are difficult to mass-produce and cannot be handled by major chains. "
A vending machine that attracts attention again in the wake of the Korona-ka.
With the advent of services that make the changing lifestyles of consumers more convenient and enriched, it can be said that "Vending Machine Power Japan" has entered a new era.
Riki Yamane ,
Reporter, Economic Department
Joined in 2007
After working at Matsue Bureau, Kobe Bureau, Economic Department, and Tottori Bureau, he is currently in charge of the trading company industry.
Reporter of the Ministry of Economic Affairs
Misatoshi Yasui Joined the station in
2014
After working at the Sendai station and Nagasaki station, he is currently in charge of the distribution industry, etc.