NEW REPORT: Clear Complexions, Full Kiosks, Can’t Miss?

Look, Ma! No storefronts (or cashiers)

Just a few years ago the hottest commodities inside a vending machine was hard-to-find candy and, arguably, Fanta.

But today, vending machines and other unattended kiosks can immediately supply consumers with everything from candy to lottery tickets to beauty products to cars. The April Unattended Retail Tracker looks at how various companies across various industries are offering different services through vending machines and unattended venues.

Brave new world of business

From financial institutions to restaurants, the rise of unattended technology is promising to drastically alter the way business is conducted.

Banking customers may be seeing fewer tellers in their local branches, as several FIs recently announced plans to invest in unmanned technology. In Denmark, IT service provider Bankdata partnered with ATM provider Diebold Nixdorf to manage its network of automated teller machines, while Wells Fargo announced it will offer card-free access to 13,000 of its ATMS for 20 million of its mobile banking customers.

Even the automotive world is not immune from developments in unattended retail technology. Carvana, the Phoenix-based car vending machine provider with the goal of becoming the “Amazon of Cars,” just filed its initial public offering with the goal of raising $100 million. If the company’s business model takes off, could it foretell the end of car salesmen and dealerships?

In the restaurant world, fast food is ready to get even faster. McDonald’s recently announced it will offer a mobile order and payment service for its 20,000 U.S. locations by the end of the year. Chipotle Mexican Grill just unveiled a new “Smarter Pickup times” feature for its mobile app that allows customers to place and order and schedule a pickup time and avoid the checkout line.

Prioritizing unattended over brick-and-mortar

Could cosmetics join cars in the great unattended retail frontier? Several beauty companies, including acne treatment provider Proactiv, have recently deployed unattended retail kiosks to malls and airports around the world.

For the April feature story, PYMNTS caught up with Kimber Maderazzo, VP of marketing at skin care provider Proactiv, to discuss the company’s long-standing interest in self-service technology and why the company has invested heavily in unattended venues over brick-and-mortar locations over the years.

Check out the April Tracker for the full feature story, as well as more news and headlines from across the developing world of unattended retail and the Tracker’s comprehensive provider directory with 10 new additions this month: e-Nabler, Excel Vending, Gemini 2000, Image Holders, NCR, Refresh Vending, T2 Systems, Tablesafe, The-Venders and Vendpro.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To download the April edition of the PYMNTS.com Unattended Retail Tracker , click the button below…

About the Tracker

The PYMNTS.com Unattended Retail Tracker serves as a bimonthly framework for the space, providing coverage of the most recent news and trends, as well as a provider directory to highlight the key players contributing across the segments that comprise the expansive unattended retail ecosystem.