In a modern era of speed and convenience over service (a bigger percentage of the American economy is done on the internet now than it ever has been before), vending machines have gone well beyond the typical candy and sodas that they’ve always had.
You can purchase anything from iPods and ties to 24-karat gold bars, beatles, and even Rolls Royce rentals (thanks to Miami’s South Beach).
But now Speedo is taking their vending machines poolside. In a story that I first read on VendingTimes.com (yes, there’s a whole website dedicated to the vending machine industry, and it’s more interesting than you might think), Emily Jed posted that Speedo USA has begun selling swimsuits and accessories through vending machines complete with touchscreens and sizing charts.
The machines will sell suits, caps, goggles, and other Speedo accessories, and will provide great convenience to swim parents who have emergency goggle-snappage or cap-tearage. The only drawback I can imagine is that people really enjoy swapping out swimming merchandise (I worked at a swim shop for a year, and people REALLY like swapping out swimming merchandise), so these machines will cater mostly to those who already know exactly what they want or need. That makes them a perfect complement to a brick-and-mortar shop, as the on-deck machine will suffice when a simple last-minute replacement is all that is needed, but there’s still a store in town to provide expertise and changing rooms.
The initial release, which was earlier this year, was at 15 pools in Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, and Ohio, and have thus far been successful enough that there are plans to expand the line.
So, to our readers in the above-mentioned states, have you seen one of these machines yet? Have you used one? What do you think, is this going to be a big hit or a bust?
Insider Perspective: Following the release of this article, we received an e-mail from a TOPSEC representative who pointed out that this “new” idea was originally coined by the French and TOPSEC Equipment approximately 12 years ago. In fact, the image in the header is one of the TOPSEC vending machines found in France. So, a huge thank you to the TS team paying attention to what we have going on with TSC, and another tremendous thank you for pioneering this upcoming trend in the US.
(Vending Machine picture via Life Is Just So Daily blog)
I’m in Maryland and would.love to have a machine in my fitness facility. It is Lifebridge. Health and Fitness, in Pikesville. Maryland.