Smart vending machines have entered a new era of "precision retail".

Currently, the automatic vending machine industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by technology, moving from traditional single-function devices to an intelligent, networked, and scenario-based "precision retail" stage.

Technology integration is the core engine. The deep application of Internet of Things, artificial intelligence visual recognition (such as the "taken and go" system), and big data has formed the foundation of the new generation of intelligent terminals. These technologies not only provide a second-to-second shopping experience of "scanning to open the door and taking the goods immediately", but also enable the devices to have intelligent temperature control, real-time inventory monitoring, and demand forecasting capabilities. Dynamic product selection based on consumption data and personalized recommendations are transforming traditional passive sales into precise active services.

Contactless consumption becomes常态化， driving in-depth scenario exploration and category breakthroughs. In the post-pandemic era， the demand for safety and convenience has prompted devices to accelerate their penetration from office buildings and factories to community corridors， hospitals， transportation hubs， and other diversified capillary networks. Among them， "instant quality type" terminals that support freshly ground coffee and short-term preservation food have performed particularly well， with single-point sales in high-end office areas reaching several times that of traditional retail outlets， fully verifying consumers' demand for immediate access to high-quality products and their willingness to pay.

The operation model is fully restructured based on the data platform， and green sustainability has become a new benchmark. Operators， by aggregating terminal data， achieve intelligent decision-making for product selection， pricing， and replenishment， with average sales in some pilot areas increasing by over 20%. At the same time， the industry actively practices ESG principles， with energy-saving models using natural refrigerants and auxiliary power supply from photovoltaic systems， as well as equipment with integrated packaging recycling functions， becoming increasingly popular. A "purchase - recycling" closed loop is established， responding to the trend of low-carbon consumption.

Looking to the future， automatic vending machines are evolving from a simple sales terminal into a smart node integrating retail， convenient services， and offline data touchpoints. With the maturity of 5G and edge computing， the industry will build a more precise， flexible， and sustainable distributed micro-retail ecosystem on the dual tracks of intelligentization and scenario-focused cultivation.