Japan’s vending machines are a unique aspect of Japanese culture. Japanese vending machines are unlike the vending machines that you see in schools and offices in the United States. Japanese vending machines go beyond selling your average snacks and sodas. In Japan you can find items such as hot coffee, noodle stew, or even beer and Buddhist charms.
Vending machines inside a subway station
There is one vending machine for every 25 people in Japan. In 2015, Japanese vending machines generate more than $42 billion dollars in sales. The challenge for Japanese drinks company, Dydo Drinco, (who rivals brands like Coca Cola and generates more than 80% of its revenue from vending machine sales) is trying to stay popular in a market saturated with 24 hour convenience stores and other competition.
Vending machine selling hot meals
In order to attract new customers Dydo Drinco has been developing ways to make vending machines “more fun”. The company has previously introduced machines that can talk to customers and also offer the chance to win a bonus drink through a “roulette” game. Dydo also invented app through which users can collect points that count toward prizes. The app is linked to Line (the country’s most popular messaging app) and features games like “Final Fantasy” and “Dragon’s Quest”. However, these apps won’t help to attract foreign visitors, as Dryco was initially hoping, as they are only available in Japanese.
A Dydo Drinco vending machine app
Another idea of the company was to allow customers to pre-order from the machines during their morning commute or lunch rush via Smart phone. This idea is still in the works but Japan can expect to see more ideas being developed by Dydo in the future, many of them linking vending machines to smart phones to create a distinct interactive experience.
Vending machines lining the streets of Japan
