August 2022 - 16

It could also mean expanding vending
machines to include a wider variety
of consumer products. " There is
tremendous growth and opportunity
in self-service, and it really is the
future of how consumers want to shop
because it's fast, convenient and safe -
so why not capitalize on it, " she noted.
This expansion of ideas outside of
" traditional " vending locations was on
display at the NAMA Show earlier this
year. 365 Retail Markets showcased its
new MM6 Kiosk for Dining, which is
also available in micro market mode,
and its Stockwell 2.0, a no-checkout
smart technology that combines
refrigerated and ambient design.
It gives operators the ability to sell
beverages and fresh food alongside
snacks and dry goods.
Other showcased products and
technologies, including Remote
Laundry Room, Nayax's Bee Meter
and Parlevel's Hubz Smart Cooler,
displayed different ways for attendees
to think beyond traditional vending
and look at new opportunities within
the industry.
" Post COVID, the days of selling
PPE and other COVID-related consumables
are over, " added Ashforth.
" Consumers are increasingly more
amenable to using smart vending
machines that can convey a brand's
look and feel. But, as with everything,
it's all about convenience and finding
what you want, when you want it. "
He points to several innovative
concepts that are meeting this
consumer need. " Food banks are
using temperature-controlled lockers
to conveniently deliver food to people
who need it. " His company also
developed a C-Store machine that can
extend up to 32 feet wide and offer
almost everything a regular store can
offer. " Unmanned retail is the future,
and with an economic downturn
ahead, companies will be looking to
use large, smart vending machines to
reduce shrinkage and save on labor
costs, " Ashforth continued.
Steiner believes that the industry is
at an inflection point where technology
is changing faster than ever
before, and operators are dealing with
real challenges such as labor shortages
and inflation. When it comes to
opportunities, she notes there are two
sides to consider: first, opportunities
to grow their business and expand
into new self-service applications,
and second, opportunities to leverage
technology to solve the day-to-day
challenges that are affecting their
bottom line - labor and inflation.
" If we talk about growth in selfservice,
I think there is tremendous
opportunity for operators to look at
A D V ERT O R I A L C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E
Easy Ice, The Ice Machine Experts
Easy Ice offers the only all-inclusive commercial ice machine
subscription in the U.S., with over 33,000 ice machines
under management.
An Easy Ice subscription includes the ice maker,
biannual preventive maintenance and cleaning, all
repairs, and backup ice for a single monthly payment.
They carry ice machine models that cover the full range
of daily production amounts and ice types, from major
brands like Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, and Scotsman.
In select cities, Easy Ice provides ice machine maintenance
and repair services to ice machine owners.
Customers who utilize this service include national
corporations with ice machines at multiple locations.
Easy Ice technicians are highly trained commercial ice
machine specialists who know how to clean, inspect,
diagnose, and fix ice makers to the gold standard.
Easy Ice was founded in 2009 by CEO Mark Hangen
and COO John Mahlmeister to disrupt the commercial
ice industry for the good of business owners.
They have since acquired several of the longest-running
commercial ice machine lease and service companies
in the country, adding decades of industry
experience and knowledge to their operations. On a
mission to simplify ice for businesses big and small,
with an emphasis on first-class ice machine care, Easy
Ice envisions a world where ice maker subscriptions
outnumber purchases.
That vision is ultimately about transforming business
owners' ice machine experience to reflect the Easy Ice
motto: No Hassle. No Capital. Just Ice.
16 Automatic Merchandiser * August 2022
August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022
