LEISURE VENDING
CONTACTLESS The addition of contactless payment enabled operators to provide a 24/7 service that was low maintenance and didn’t need to be staffed. The success of this encouraged many businesses to think more broadly about how and where they could apply contactless payment elsewhere within their operation. Laura Barwell, head of sales at
VMC explains: “Many in the leisure and hospitality sectors are already successfully utilising contactless vending to complement their standard catering setup. In the last 12 months we have seen an increase in enquiries for contactless payment solutions in non-food environments as operators look for ways to provide an automated retail solution that makes it easier for customers to access site facilities themselves.” “The benefits of automating other on-site services are two-fold, for the operator it’s a chance to grow sales without paying for extra staff and for capturing those all-important impulse purchases. For the customer it makes the transaction easier as they don’t need any cash, and makes their overall experience a more positive one, a factor that is high priority in these sectors. “Our approach is very much about what else contactless can do
for your business and the beauty of our systems is their flexibility and how they can add value over and above the physical transaction. With the power of VMC technology behind it, it can add value in the form of advanced loyalty schemes, detailed customer data capture, bespoke promotions, and even green initiatives. In the last two years we have installed contactless readers on everything from vending machines and coffee serving stations, to pool tables and laundrette machines. The list is growing all the time.” A growing demand for automated retail in leisure and hospitality to
not only provide convenience, but to improve operational efficiencies and cashflow for leisure businesses, has also been noticed by data management solution specialist Vianet. Marketing manager Rachel Little observes: “Vianet saw a huge
increase in the use of contactless payment across unattended retail businesses during the pandemic, with up to 50% more transactions through contactless payment devices than cash compared to the previous year (2020 vs 2019). This was due to the increased demand for minimal contact with people and cash, preventing the spread of a global outbreak. “While we have moved on from the pandemic, these figures continue to grow for automated retail - improving cashflow, efficiency and convenience for any machine-based business. “Today, Vianet are seeing more demand for contactless payment being applied to the likes of pool tables, arcade games, jukeboxes, photobooths, golf ball dispensing in driving ranges and much more. With low transaction fees from 1.2% and ability to get cash in the bank from 24 hours, Vianet’s solutions certainly offers the wider unattended retail industry a competitive solution to maximise their profits.
Vianet’s new ‘SmartContact Pro’ contactless payment terminal is an all-in-one device with built-in telemetry. This is ideal for leisure and hospitality assets, with clever technology to assist with many self-service elements. From offering a configurable selection window for different machine programmes, to multimedia capabilities with the ability play multimedia such as videos or adverts through HDMI screens or monitors. Not only this, but the integrated telemetry offers a solution to access machine data and insights remotely, allowing businesses to manage machine estates anywhere, anytime.
CONCLUSION While the adverse effects on hospitality and leisure during the pandemic were devastating, opportunities arose for the vending industry. The demand for unattended retail with contactless payment options opened doors for vending operators and it appears the applications within the sector are expanding.
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