Zoom Shops

Juniper Foo | Nov 01, 2005

Get ready for Zoom Shops, high-tech vending machines that aim to give the Japanese ones a run for their money. Apple's iPods aren't the only gizmos to be sold through these standalone retailers. Since March, the Zoom Shops have been stocking Sony headphones, Virgin Mobile prepaid phones, XM and Sirius satellite radios, Bose gear, to mention a few. Expansion plans are in the works, with as many as 10,000 machines being planned by 2007. These machines are not only beefier at up to 40sq ft, which allows a max. of 150 items to be displayed behind the glass pane, this next-gen breed sports touch-screen capability and support for credit or debit card transactions. A robotic arm retrieves items, while optical sensors verify that customers have removed items from the machine before charging their credit cards. In an age of connectivity, these vendors can transmit all purchase data via the Internet to a central bank of service. Oh, and did we mention that they sell snacks, too.

Get the bigger picture here

Price: N.A.
Availability: Currently in the US
Device: High-tech vending machines
Basic specs: N.A.

Filed under: Gadgets
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