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2 ex-Google guys secure venture capital, re-invent vending machines
- Thread starter The Technomancer
- Start date
what i mean is there's no need for an app or a camera, because there's technically only one customer whose gonna be charge no matter what, since its centralized to one room
hotels have had that as a system for a long time, its not really new in concept
the automatic selling of the mini bar items are new, tho
I think a potential problem is the quantity of the same product they could store in such a relatively small space that would have to be refilled. Seem's like a substantial amount of work for a single bodega. Although it seems like they would sell the device to a gym, and the gym would put their various products in the bodega. And the gym people would monitor and refill as needed, which works out logistics wise. But doesn't seem to offer much of an improvement over the worker at the entrance that also sells those same products over the counter.
It's an interesting idea I suppose, but I don't see much of an advantage to it over classical sales methods at places like gyms.
It's an interesting idea I suppose, but I don't see much of an advantage to it over classical sales methods at places like gyms.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Honestly I feel like they chose the name knowing it would get attention because the thing itself is nothing special
Pretty much exactly what I was thinking. There are a lot of mid-density places that could easily support something like this. Now whether they can turn a profit without scaling beyond those markets, I'm not sure.
I also see this idea being less about the vending machine model and more about doing some trial-and-error to figure out the applicability and usability of the "grab and go" technology that will inevitably be in every grocery and convenience store in the future. Some of these companies will get bought-out or pivot if they can show their proof-of-concept actually working and scaling in real-life scenarios.
BreezyLimbo
Banned
entremet
Member
It seems a more irrational ire at VC backed companies specifically.
SV is not perfect, but theyre a huge economic engine.
newtypepilot
Member
the sad part is there will be people who won't see this as a scam.
Also leave the door open for other people to take what they want.
(it'd probably be spring loaded, right?)
It's just we're too smart and see past the smoke, mirrors, and bullshit.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
TheMan
Member
nope, there was a sign on the fridge that said there was a sensor that would automatically detect if something was taken
ZackieChan
Member
Interesting. Thanks.
Most of GAF seems to hate their jobs, hates employers, hates entrepreneurs or anyone suggesting entrepreneurship, etc. It's weird. I'm thinking maybe GAF as a whole just really enjoys hating things.
You've been in enough entrepreneur threads to know it goes beyond VCs. At least that's the impression I got. Remember the one about the dude who built a treehouse? Or Exploding Kittens?
UserNotFound
Member
Entrepreneurship doesn't mean you come up with stupid solutions to already solved problems.
These 2 are ex-google for a damn good reason. This idea is part of that.
Seriously GTFOH with that nonsense.
oneils
Member
Because there isn't one nearby.
The VC business model, in silicon valley at least, relies on big, surprise hits. 1 Uber level success will pay off a million Juicero investments, and so it's a good strategy to just invest in everything that comes your way and rely on one of them hitting it big. I'm sure there are investors who realize this is just rebranded vending machines, but plenty of big companies today would have seemed silly to initial investors. In fact, at least with these guys there is actually an existing business case behind them; even if they don't make it big it can still become a perfectly viable business unlike plenty of others which just crash and burn.
Whats the difference? You can buy Icecream 24/7 with a Suicacard or your smartphone.
The demand for emergency laundry soap is not the same.
Now that I think about it. Hotels and airports already sort have this. Machines that sell toiletries and electronics.
NinjaMouse
Member
There's a reason rural/suburbia doesn't have those corner stores, a lack of pedestrians. A corner store's business model is wholly dependent on a high volume of foot traffic to pop in, grab some stuff, and move along.
No way this will work.
llien
Member
Isn't that what online shopping did? Or what e-cards did? A number of businesses surely suffered in the process.
The only difference pointed out here is that shops that might got bust by this are mostly run by minorities, so this is targeted at them. Note that "run by minorities" isn't universally the case, at least outside US.
I think, as with online shopping, if this is a more convenient/effective way to handle things, it will get traction.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Are you asking me what the difference is between regular ass vending machines and a "bodega box"
jellies_two
Member
The difference is the "bodega box" is designed to attract VC money who are attracted because they think it may IPO.
The design is the ex google guys, who will know how to hint that with software their business model will have an insane growth story. Profits will be left as an exercise for the eventual post ipo stock holders.
Permanently A
Junior Member
My first thought.
Zoe
Member
The payment model and retrieval mechanism are completely different.
Yeah.
You can use credit or other pointcards with a lot of vending machines now including with phone apps.
The retrival system isnt interesting on this scale. Whats to stop someone from swapping an empty box with a new one?
How is this a scam?
You grab an item from the box and pay for it.
You can think it's an unnecessary solution or hate the name, but it's not a scam.
Poodlestrike
Banned
The scam is on the morons providing the venture capital to what's essentially a vending machine startup, I feel.
Al-ibn Kermit
Junior Member
They called it Bodega. They're not marketing it as a vending machine which is all it is.
The whole point is to make a vending machine that replaces a store. Which it falls well short of.
OG Shaka Zulu
Member
This is stupid as hell and will do poorly in NYC. I hope the venture fails miserably.
Thread title should be changed. This isn't about vending machines, this is a blatant attack on bodegas.
Thread title should be changed. This isn't about vending machines, this is a blatant attack on bodegas.
That's not a scam either.
The kind of idiot they want to be buying from them.
what idiot would buy single packet popcorn from this thing thrice instead of going to a goddamn store and getting a box of popcorn
Zoe
Member
With this one you just need a single check in instead of multiple taps or swipes to pay for things.
And the latter point is why this would work best in places where you have more to lose such as workplaces and private clubs.
ZackieChan
Member
Vending machine startups don't need capital?
And I'm pretty sure the people funding this have more experience and have put more time into vetting the business than you have.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
I dunno what the fuck Japan has to do with this anyway, but that comparison would only make sense if vending machines were now being marketed as replacements for the mom and pop shops that dot the block.
We have a Glico box in our office that someone comes and refills weekly, so the function these guys are proposing is nothing special, but it's also not posed as a replacement for neighborhood interaction or appropriating a longtime thing for cheap marketing to gullible people
CornBurrito
Member
The trendy startup thing is to take a concept (aka vending machines) and then modify them to better track people's spending habits for big data.
It's fucked up that we have all these plans to replace human workers with robots while having no plans for supporting or providing new work opportunities to the human workers they're replacing. Who's going to buy all this shit the robots are producing and serving if everybody's unemployed? Is anybody thinking about the end game for the working class or do they think the wealthy is just going to inherit the earth with no resistance while the poor die off quietly?
Who got the loosies?
eyeball_kid
Member
Not even the Automat, which had fresh-cooked food and did so in art moderne style. This is just stuff plucked from shelves of a 7-11 and put into a shoddy-looking shelving unit.
BreezyLimbo
Banned
Probably. Sell a Can of Soda for a dollar. Buy a box at Wal-Mart for 5 dollars. 7 dollar profit!
Realistically though, the college student will be smart enough to realize that they're on a budget and will shop smarter despite the convenience.
And the logistics of it...are insane.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
The logistics of it are insane. Their business is going to fail. Amazon is practically going to have to build a new business to make their version work
I mean... whhhhhhyyyyyy should you be surprised? ?_?
entremet
Member
Chopped Cheese lmao. This cat is from NYC for realz lol.
He right tho. First thing I thought was "this ain't gonna sell chopped cheese," and the second was "this ain't gonna sell baconeggandcheese." Shit is destined to fail.
Just_myles
Member
Now you know that ain't gonna happen. Every bodega on the corner is gonna have one these.
Note, they are now likely going to collect your purchase history, that they in turn are going to sell to whoever.... just an fyi.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Suica/Passmo is life