From Ready Meals to Meat and Alcohol... The Surprising Transformation of 'Japangi' in the Untact Era

Untact Trend Gains Momentum
Sales Expand from Ready Meals to Snacks, Alcohol, and Meat

Shared housing for single-person households 'Mr. Holmes' Gangnam Lounge features the 'Chulchul Box Smart Showcase'

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Sunhye] It has been a long time since coffee vending machines serving coffee in paper cups installed at bus stops and subway corners disappeared. As eating habits changed and coffee specialty stores became abundant, vending machines that once guaranteed high profits were fading into the annals of history. However, recently evolved vending machines are heating up the distribution industry. With the full-fledged rise of the untact (contactless) trend, vending machines handling various products such as home meal replacements (HMR), snacks, ice cream, alcoholic beverages, and meat are increasing in popularity.

Pulmuone's 'Chulchul Box' Surpasses 100 Units

On the 25th, Pulmuone announced that its smart vending machine and showcase 'Chulchul Box,' launched in May last year, has received positive responses from consumers and has recently been installed in over 100 locations nationwide. The installation sites have steadily expanded to include employee cafeterias of large retailers, unmanned stores in factories, and company cafeterias, stores, and pantries.

Chulchul Box is an F&B unmanned sales platform that has changed the existing vending machine paradigm. By applying the Internet of Things (IoT) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), it enables the sale of fresh foods with short shelf lives and refrigerated/frozen HMR without on-site management personnel. It offers snacks for infants and children such as ▲Organic Eye Juice ▲Organic Milky Roll ▲I Love Yogurt, as well as adult meal replacements like ▲Moist Eggs ▲Tonkotsu Ramen cup noodles. Using the Chulchul Box app, customers can also pre-order HMR.

>A Pulmuone official said, "If smart vending machines expand in earnest, we expect it will help secure new distribution channels separate from existing online and offline distribution channels."

Haagen-Dazs Vending Machine

Ice cream vending machines are also popular. H?agen-Dazs installed 120 ice cream vending machines earlier this month and began full-scale operations. H?agen-Dazs vending machines sell popular items such as five types of mini cups, five types of single bars, and one type of crispy sandwich. These kiosk-type vending machines are available 24/7, allowing consumers to use them easily and quickly without the burden of interacting with sales staff. Earlier in early July, H?agen-Dazs partnered with Korail Distribution to install 10 H?agen-Dazs vending machines inside Korail railway stations including Seoul Station, Yongsan Station, and Busan Station. A H?agen-Dazs official stated, "As untact consumption has become a trend due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, we expect consumer accessibility to be enhanced by installing vending machines mainly in places with high foot traffic such as companies, shopping malls, and tourist spots."

Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream ATM

Baskin-Robbins has also been operating ice cream vending machines since 2017. As of last month, a total of 19 vending machines have been introduced and are in use, including directly operated stores such as Brown Cheongdam, Sinnonhyeon, and Serosu-gil, as well as franchise stores like Incheon Yeonsu E-Mart. Although the menu varies by store, the vending machines mainly sell mass-produced desserts such as 'Block Pack' and 'Ice Macaron.' A Baskin-Robbins official explained, "Usage varies depending on the store's commercial district, but it is analyzed that up to about 50 people use it per day."

Unique Vending Machines from Donuts to Alcohol and Samgyeopsal

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Yeouido Branch Operating 24-Hour Unmanned Vending Machines

Krispy Kreme Donuts, operated by Lotte GRS, is developing a vending machine for selling donuts. In July, a vending machine was installed at the Yeouido store and is currently being tested, making the Yeouido store a 24-hour product purchase location. Currently, menus such as Original Glazed Dozen and Half Dozen are being sold.

Following food companies, distribution companies and public corporations are also entering the vending machine business. Seoul Metro Corporation partnered with agricultural company Farm Eight last September to install a salad vending machine at Sangdo Station on Seoul Subway Line 7. Ramen vending machines, which started in convenience stores, are also increasing mainly in resorts and school stores. Alcohol vending machines are expected to appear soon. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy recently held the '2020 2nd Industrial Convergence Regulatory Special Committee' and selected an AI indoor alcohol vending machine that automatically processes alcohol payments through pre-adult verification as a private regulatory sandbox. Testing will begin at small business sites, and depending on the pilot operation results, the business will expand to convenience stores.

Image of a meat vending machine operated by Ministop

Meat vending machines have also emerged. On the 23rd, convenience store Ministop announced the introduction of a meat vending machine that allows 24-hour purchase of fresh meat products. The meat vending machine operated by the fresh food platform Fresh Store is installed in Ministop as a shop-in-shop, allowing customers to purchase fresh meat products even during late evenings or early mornings when large supermarkets or butcher shops are closed. The meat vending machine will start testing at the Jang-an Jangpyeong branch located in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, and plans to expand to other branches after testing.