Futuristic Vending Machines Adding Convenience and Profitability

       New York -   Long before McDonald's, coin operated vending machines served pies and sandwiches to armies of workers.  But the United States has since not kept pace with Europe and the Orient, where futuristic machines offer a vast array of goods.  After five straight years of decline, revenue for the United States vending machine industry is poised to rise.  Experts say 2014 is a comeback year for the vending machine sector. High-tech vending machine versions are popping up at gas stations and shopping malls, peddling edibles more commonly found at restaurants or speciality stores.   Innovations in vending machine technology and the convenience machines provide have made them more popular in 2014. Some machines offer free Wi-Fi and touch screens that entertain shoppers while the shoppers wait a short time to receive their item, versus enjoying the full food court experience.  Vending machines now give patrons the choice of  standing in line if they want to, or of saving time for customers that don't want to stand in line to eat at the food court.  The variety of machines starting to seen around the country include everything from outrageously expensive items such as caviar and jewelry to common ordinary things we need like burritos and hamburgers. At one automated boutique at Hollywood and Highland Center tourists can spend up to $1,000 on fine caviar.  Tin cans of the rare delicacy are dispensed from the machine after pressing the payment button.  Many vending machines accept credit or debit cards.  L'Oreal tested a vending machine in New York during the previous holidays that scans the shoppers clothing outfit and recommends complementary make-up.  Some of these new virtual stores give store owners the ability to turn over some of their operations to the vending machine.  Sometimes this allows store owners to turn their stores into 24-hour operations and at the same time save money on the costs of human salaries and the costs of managing human employees.  Vending machine use is up 7% over 2013.  See also, www.popularmechanics.com.