History of vending machines

Today, vending machines not only sell drinks, snacks, tickets and various gadgets, but also serve companies – they take over the function of the warehouse, saving money and time. This is high-tech equipment that surprises with its functionality. And when, where and how were vending machines developed? The history of vending in a nutshell in our article!

The first vending machines – from temples to taverns

It may seem that the first vending machine is an invention of “our” time, maybe the last few decades. Meanwhile, in the 1st century AD, this kind of device was constructed by Heron – an Alexandrian mathematician and designer, whose goal was to automate the sale of… holy water. It’s a humorous story, but there is a grain of truth in it. In Heron’s works we actually find references to a revolutionary invention. A coin dropped into the machine was supposed to move a lever, which in turn would open a valve, allowing a portion of consecrated water to be drawn.

In fact, however, the history of vending machines began several centuries later – when portable brass machines selling tobacco appeared in English taverns in the early 17th century. Sources also read about an English bookseller who was said to have invented a newspaper machine to distribute literary works banned at the time.

The first modern vending machines and the success of unmanned vending

Information about the first fully automated dispensing machine is divergent – it is assumed that a British patent for a stamp vending machine was issued as early as 1867, but the first modern vending machine is considered to be the one constructed by Percival Everitt in 1883. The machine sold postcards, envelopes, letter paper and other such accessories. And by the 1880s it had already become popular in railroad stations and post offices.

In contrast, the Sweetmeat Automatic Delivery Company, founded in 1887, is considered the first company to install and service these vending machines.

In stories about the beginning of vending in the world, we can also find information that in the late 19th century, a German chocolate manufacturer sold his products in 15,000 vending machines, which turned out to be such a good idea that he founded several separate organizations that produced vending machines for cigarettes, chewing gum, matches or soap products.

At a similar time, already on the other side of the Atlantic, the Thomas Adams Gum Company built vending machines that sold chewing gum, and machines stood on railroad platforms. Business began to boom, and with it came all sorts of ideas on how to attract those still unconvinced customers – the vending machines were equipped, among other things, with small, amusing figures that moved while shopping. Over the following years, the range of machines, already manufactured by various companies, expanded to include drinks and snacks and useful gadgets.

However, in Poland the first vending machines appeared much later. It is assumed that only in the early 1990s. – after the communist period, in which problems with currency and lack of access to technology piled up.

Vending machines today, that is, not just snacks and small goodies anymore!

Nowadays vending machines are already very popular around the world. The record-holder is Japan, where almost everything is sold this way, and one vending machine for every twenty-something inhabitants. In Poland, the industry is developing intensively, but compared to vending in the Land of the Rising Sun, the United States and Western European countries, it is safe to say that the vending revolution is yet to come!

Slowly, vending machines are also no longer associated with selling snacks and drinks. Today they sell (or dispense) not only products, but also services – they are, for example, ticket machines or parking meters. Among the products sold through vending are books, electronics, pet food, clothing and cars, and most vending machines support modern cashless payments.

Increasingly vending machines are also being used not to sell, but to distribute products in organizations and businesses, especially in large workplaces, public institutions (schools, hospitals) or offices.

Modern vending machines in the service of enterprises

In vending solutions for businesses we specialize in ASD Systems. Since 2014, we have been developing automated and high-tech dispensing machines that function as warehouses. These are, for example, health and safety vending machines with work clothes and personal protective equipment for employees of a plant or company. Instead of traditional distribution – with a large warehouse and a multitude of employees who must be available regardless of the time of day or night, we have a network of unmanned machines that provide the necessary products and materials for work.

H&S automation is one option, but in creating our machines, we go one step further. Thanks to different machine models and cell configuration functions, tools, auxiliary or consumable materials and hygiene products can also be dispensed through the vending machine. In a word – everything needed in the company, which generates costs. Optimization of warehouse management with our automatic machines means savings of up to 50%, no downtime and simplified organization!

If you are interested in new applications of vending machines, feel free to contact ASD Systems specialists, who will present the possibilities of modern machines and talk about your needs!

FAQ:

When were the first vending machines invented?

The history of vending machines began in the 17th century in England, while vending machines dispensing postcards and other “postal” goodies, created in the 1880s, are considered the first such modern machines.

How can vending machines be used in a company?

In a company, a vending machine can be used as an automatic warehouse – to store and distribute products for employees, including health and safety or safety items, tools, supplies, hygiene products, etc.

Is it worth using vending machines in a company?

Of course! Used to distribute products to employees, the machines save time and money, ensure error-free record-keeping and maintain full control over the entire process. They are available around the clock and unmanned.