Current And Future Models p. 47

By: Joe Nicholson MECHANICAL VENDING MACHINES are being replaced by various new types. Here are the types of vending machines.
? Mechanical rack. Remains the industry workhorse and probably stil accounts for 90% or racks on the street. Know as the "honor box" becase it depends on customer honesty to take only the top paper in a stack. Most sell for $250 to $350.
? Electronic rack. Operates with batteries, which last a year or two. Sales increasing steadily because they accept a greater variety of coins, including pennies and half dollars, than mechanical models. Some models also provide useful information, such as the time a truck driver loaded them, the time they sold out and how many newspapers were sold in 15-minute segments during a day. Most cost $350 and up.
? Multi-title rack. Has been sold for 215 years. It can be designed to sell a half dozen newspapers, a dozen, or more. The price for custom-built models can reach $3500 or more.
? Drive-in rack. A side-opening machine designed to be used by car drivers and usually placed at a drive in fast food restaurant, gas station, drive-in bank or at the driveaway exit of an apartment complex. Costs over $325.
? Futuristic Models. Varios models have been developed, but are stalled by prohibitive cost or marketing problems. Jack Chalabian, owner of K-Jack ENgineering Co. in Gardena, Ca., has built debit card machines and solar-powered machines. The debit machine probably will not be marketable unless there were to be widespread adoption of them, and the solar-powered machines must be supplemented by batteries. Another possibility is an electric plug-in model, but its use would be limited to an indoor location near an electric outlet and away from rain and moisture.
?(E&P Web Site: http://www.mediainfo.com)
?(copyright: Editor & Publisher March 28, 1998) [Caption]