Filed under: iPod Family, Retail
iPod vending machines...succeed?
When I first heard of the whole buy-an-iPod vending-machine concept, I dismissed it as yet another bad idea that had to play itself out. I couldn't imagine anyone ever actually buying an iPod at one of these machines. Looks like I was way wrong. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (subscription) that a single iPod vending machine sold a thousands of dollars worth of iPods in one month. A VP of Business Traveler Services is quoted as saying, "We've done about $55,000 in a month in gross sales just for the one on Concourse A. This is becoming the future for some high-end products in places like airports where space is at a premium." If you're willing to drop $349 plus tax, the iPod is yours. And it's a change from all those salty treats you normally get at a vending machine.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DWizzy said 5:29AM on 12-28-2006
Wait... three iPods in one month and you're calling it a success? Any idea about the TCO on one of those vending machines?
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LittleJoe said 8:05PM on 12-27-2006
Whats the point of buying an iPod at an Airport though?
Nothing like buying an DAP with no music on it before taking that big flight :P
Maybe I can make $5,000 a month with an iTunes vending machine!
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Leonard Nimrod said 9:08PM on 12-27-2006
I thought Apple would have opened kiosks or stoers in major airports by now. One section that sells iPods and accessories for all Apple products and another section that has download centers that users can connect their laptops or iPods to DL movies, TV shows and mucis to.
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Mac Diva said 11:33PM on 12-27-2006
The vending machines are showing up in recently acquired May Department Stores converted to Macy's by Federated out here in the Pacific Northwest. However, they look unfinished so far. Many of the selections haven't any product (not from sellouts) and there are no prices posted.
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Carl said 9:49PM on 12-27-2006
I saw iPod vending machines in concourse D at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport while I was traveling over the holidays. It was stocked with iPods, iPod Nanos, Shuffles and a variety of iPod accessories and headphones.
Honestly it was pretty convenient if you are traveling and don't currently own an iPod, or want to buy one as a gift.
I was looking for an iPod shuffle for my wife for christmas and saw them in the vending machine and made the mistake of not buying it. I ended up searching all over the city we were in for a shuffle last weekend... 2 WalMart's, 2 Targets, 2 Best Buys, a few Radio Shacks and they were ALL sold out of the shuffle.
It sucked because I knew exactly where I could buy one... that damn vending machine.
Luckily we made a 2 hour trip to Chicago and I was able to grab one at the Apple store.
But it opened my eyes to the potential of iPod vending machines.
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BearPDX said 12:37AM on 12-28-2006
there is one of these vending machines in Macy's at Lloyd Centre in Portland, Oregon.. one day it was fully stocked with ipods, and ipods acces. and here it is after christmas, and it was completely empty... apparently people use them.. (in oregon, we don't have sales tax)
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Twist said 1:12AM on 12-28-2006
Vending machines have proved to be a popular alternative to normal stores it Japan so I say it is about time someone tried it over here. In Japan there are small stores that are nothing but wall to wall vending machines. I don't know if we need to take it that far but I wouldn't mind seeing more products and credit/debit card support added to vending machines here in the states.
Also I wouldn't be too surprised to see iTunes Store kiosks sometime in the future now that iPods and iTunes support Library syncing.
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David Chappelle said 2:52AM on 12-28-2006
I bought my 30GB iPod in a vending machine in a mall in Atlanta. I'd been wanting one for a while, and when I saw the vending machine I decided to get one. If you're in the mall already, it's pretty convenient. I've also bought USB cables and power adaptors in the vending machine, and again, it's pretty convenient.
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Matt Turner said 3:31AM on 12-28-2006
Love the one at San Francisco Airport - you can buy an iPod and a pack of condoms from the same machine!
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ipodruz said 12:12AM on 1-01-2007
ummmmm DWizzy where do you se three iPods in one month???
"that a single iPod vending machine sold a thousand dollars worth of iPods in one month."
Anyways... This seems like a good idea but vending machines seem so venerable. I woud use it personally but still find it unsafe.
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Tom said 10:32AM on 12-28-2006
ummmmm ipodruz, do the math:
3 X $350 = $1050
Granted, it would be a slightly higher number (a whopping 6!) if people are buying the smallest capacity iPod, but still $1000 worth of iPods in a month is not good. I think the poster just screwed up the post a bit as the following sentence mentions the $55k in a month number.
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kmb1794 said 10:36AM on 12-28-2006
This is a machine I would love to hack. Think about it...all bills and lots of it!
PS Do ipods come with enough juice to play during a flight?
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moley said 10:42AM on 12-28-2006
the a is crossed out, so instead of reading "a thousand dollars worth" it reads "thousands of dollars worth"
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Maimon Mons said 11:07AM on 12-28-2006
$55,000 / 350 = 157. More if they were selling the cheaper models (which I would assume that they would).
Sounds like a gold mine to me. Someone should set up a kiosk next to it to sell iTunes songs or rip CDs. (Person inserts a CD, hooks in their ipod, and inserts $1.00 (for cost of the service), gets the CD copied to the ipod). Totally legal, too!
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PT Quinn said 10:51AM on 12-28-2006
All I wanted was a Coke.
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pillowcase said 11:21AM on 12-28-2006
"okay so..... C....... 7....... NO NNO NO NO NNOT B7!! I don't want a zune!!"
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Stefan Colmer said 11:52AM on 12-28-2006
Dows anyone know what kinds of payment does this machine accept? (Credit/Debit/Cash)?
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alamandrax said 11:35PM on 1-01-2007
There was one in the basement of the Macy's in San Fransisco (Stockton and O'farrel). Pretty decent interface with the prices listed in the interface rather than on the product itself, but it was very poorly stocked (many of the items were sold out). There was quite a crowd playing with the interface though.
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Big Cee said 11:59AM on 12-28-2006
I bought a shuffle as a gift at the ATL airport last X-mas on the way to my Mom's in FLA.
Very convenient, and this was when there were NO shuffles in the stores anywhere, or so I'd heard.
The machine takes plastic, not sure about cash.
There's a very good GUI and the robotic arm drops the product perfectly.
This is no Horn -n- Hardardt's machine.
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Dave said 12:03PM on 12-28-2006
Hopefully NOT cash, Stefan Colmer. I'd hate to be the person stuck behind that old granny buying an iPod for her grandson in $1's.
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