Grab, pay, and go

From laddus to innerwear to cars and coins, vending machines around the world are surprising shoppers

- VAISHALI DAR

Last week, a laddu prasad vending machine was inaugurated at Mahakal temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, by Union health minister JP Nadda and chief minister Mohan Yadav.

Devotees can now purchase laddus by scanning a QR code, and a packet of laddu is dispensed from the machine after making the payment for packets weighing 100 gm, 200 gm and 500 gm through the machine.

Retail offerings like boxers, trunks and boyshorts are also bought on vending machines now. Indian D2C inner-wear brand Bummer announced the launch of its first-ever vending machine at Ahmedabad Airport recently. "Shopping for innerwear should be as effortless as grabbing a bottle of water," says Sulay Lavsi, founder and CEO of Bummer, who plans to roll out machines in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru in the coming months.

In the age of smart buying, shopping is made easy and anytime with vending machines. For years, vending machines have been associated with passenger tickets at metro stations, airports and railway stations and serving beverages, candy and chips.

But globally, there are a number of services and products available through vending machines and the list might surprise you. Lettuce, underwear, gold and hair extensions, and even cars.

Carvana, an Arizona-based tech startup, sells used cars online and through vending machines that stand as tall as office buildings. The machines have primarily been installed in the southern United States but Carvana has recently expanded to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC.