Vending machines have come a very long way over the years. And this lively sector is still seeing significant technological changes in line with changing patterns in consumption.

One of the most interesting developments at the moment in Canada is the use of vending machines as a marketing tool in big shopping centres and department stores.

Technology in this sector is going through a period of huge change: you now scan QR codes, you sign up online and give your details to the brand, which responds by providing a QR code on the vending machine through which you can get a free sample to try. These free-sampling stations are promoted on dedicated websites and social media channels.

Some firms are focusing on sales of high-end products by placing vending machines in large shopping centres and promoting purchasing as if it were e-commerce, but without the need to send anything anywhere: products purchased online are simply collected from the vending machine, which does away with the need to wait in for items to be delivered at home.

The Amazon Go programme is also moving forward, with collection stations or even entire shops that sell items with no physical payments or human presence at all. “Software detects the movement of people in the store and the products they are taking from shelves or refrigerated cabinets and charges them directly to their bank accounts or other electronic payment methods.

Contactless technology is facilitating all these giant leaps forward: you scan the barcode on your chosen product and make a contactless payment by means of a tiny stand-alone device (in some cases attached to the fridge door). The whole process takes between 4 and 6 seconds.