If you happened to be staying at the Argent Hotel in San Francisco for last week ’s Macworld Expo , you might have noticed something odd about the vending machine in the anteroom . Instead of come out in something south of a dollar , this auto will draw a few hundred bucks right from your checking account statement . But instead of spit back some sort of God - awful tooth - rot that ’s been sitting behind glass for the past twelve lifetime , the ZoomShop machine in the Argent betray something much sweeter : iPods .
ZoomShops look like ordinary vending political machine at first blush . Behind the glass lie wrangle of product stacked in an neat mode , awaiting passersby with cravings for peanuts and Solanum tuberosum chips . But then you notice the kindling and the case itself , which looks more Sharper Image than Minute Maid , and the ATM - trend touchscreen off on one side .
But it ’s what ’s within behind the spyglass that ’s really eye - popping . iPod — nanos , videos , shamble , you name it — as well as accessories like interference - canceling headphone and case . There are also token for the line of work traveller like cellphone phone battery and headsets , phones from Virgin Mobile , LinkSys wireless products and blank medium from Maxell . And there are fun things , too , PSPs , Gameboys , even Sirius and XM portable planet radio set .
It make like this . You come up and reach the simple machine via an ATM - stylus interface . Three touches will take you to a purchase decision . Along the way you may get production information , or see some accessories . Swipe your card , and once it ’s approved , a robotic arm appears from behind the touchscreen . It proceed a delivery bin to the shelf where product is , and gently removes it for you . Your receipt print up , and you ’re on the elbow room . There ’s even a way to make certain that you get your goodness before your card is charged .
ZoomShops had their generation in Australia in the late 90s whereZoom Systemswas installing automobile on campus and in office common so that people could buy printing process supply , like toner and ink , and drop off their empties for recycling , all without have to go to an office supplying store . Out of this grew the software control for an automate retail environment . A Nipponese companionship provided the robotics know - how , and in 2000 , Zoom arrive in the United States with a new thought : high - dollar bill particular sold in high - traffic locations by automatise systems .
“ We need to offer technology to brand leaders and retailers who want to deploy stores in locations like drome , malls , and hotels , ” Zoom System CEO Gower Smith told Playlist . “ Places where they had actual estate and interest in selling mellow - time value , democratic product , but they were not retailers . ”
Thus was born the ZoomShop — the company does n’t even like to call them vending machines — a path to reach valuable consumers like job traveler in places they tend to advert out , but do not of necessity shop . The idea is to offer a modified pick of product , focusing on items with brand - name entreaty like the iPod or PSP , target towards the fix where the shop is set up — remember business travel in airports and gift shop in shopping mall .
“ Each of the conception we make for to market is to fetch the best of the undecomposed of the best , ” sound out Smith . “ We do n’t impart mp3 players from four different makers . At a traditional consumer electronics stock you ’d see Samsung and iRiver and Creative . We ’ve settle from a digital music standpoint , Apple is the honorable of the best of the best , so we offering that strategical exclusivity . ”
Zoom then belt down these particular in places where the great unwashed expend a lot of idle metre like an airport — a resume released last summer evidence business traveler spend an norm of 77 minutes lingering there , most of that clock time at the gate .
“ We can really reach locations that would have been very , very thought-provoking to give if you had to have the real landed estate and toll of a staffed fund , ” says Smith . “ Yet locations like airports have huge traffic and very good demographics . People are there await , they desire it , and we can give it to them . ”
Although it would n’t exhaust specific numbers , Zoom claims to be betray a lot of iPods . Indeed , the Argent was sell - out of two unlike models . However Smith did tell us that turnover has ranged from 12 times all the manner up to 60 times per year in some localisation , and that he ’s sell eight - to - ten accessories for every iPod . Over the 2005 Holiday season , he allege his stores were run down in an average of $ 8000 per square foot , with some hitting up to $ 15,000 .
So far Zoom has about 130 store in Atlanta , California , Colorado and Nevada . you may find them in plaza , hotel , airports , retail environments , even grocery stores . Smith say he trust to have 10,000 stores in the next five years .
Where next ? According to Zoom ’s merchandising boss Rick Cusick it could be anywhere . “ Our only requirement are 28 square - ft and K and chiliad of people . ”
Mathew Honanis a San Francisco - free-base writer and lensman . His study has also appear in Macworld , Wired , Time , and Salon .
For more on the iPod , please visit theiPod Product Guide .
