W hen the clock strikes 3 a.m. Sophisticated new machines such as this one are reinvigorating the vending industry in America, and bridging part of the labor gap at the same time. But we've become a 24-7 culture.
People work longer hours with shorter lunch breaks.
In Finland, customers use cell phones to purchase soft drinks from a machine. Japanese shoppers purchase bags of rice or small kegs of beer from outdoor kiosks. The Belgians have an automated convenience store offering a selection of about 200 items from a single machine. American vending companies are launching their own versions of these marvels. Take, for example, the hot-entr e machine being used at Corning Inc. and in California.