Illustrative image (Source: tuoitre.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi is installing vending machines inmore public spaces to better serve consumers, Acting Director of the municipal Department of Industry andTrade Tran Thi Phuong Lan said.
Expanding the network will help the capital city promote modern tradeand boost tourism, she said.
Seeing this as a green light, producers are designing newmachine models with extensive functions like touch screen, fall detection sensors, integrated billing and mobile payment via QRPay, Zalopay, Momo andothers.
As a daily exerciser around Hoan Kiem Lake, a highly traffickedarea where beverage vending machines are easy to spot, Nguyen Thi Thuan saidshe finds them very convenient.
Thuan, a senior citizen who lives in Hoan Kiem district indowntown Hanoi, said the vending machines come to the rescue whenever she feelsthirsty and needs refreshment.
Prices of the drinks are clearly listed, ranging just from5,000 VND to 10,000 VND (0.21 – 0.42 USD) per item, she said.
It is very hygienic, she noted, adding that the machines shouldbe installed in more places.
Echoing Thuan’s view, Pham Kim Dung, a resident living in HangTrong street, said it is very convenient to buy a drink whenever shewants. The products are well-arranged, she said.
However, she suggested these machines need regular maintenanceand repairs to prevent malfunctions, for example items or banknotes gettingstuck, giving consumers an unpleasant experience.
According to a source at VVM Investment and Trade JSC, one ofHanoi’s vending machine suppliers and operators, monthly revenue from themachines installed around Hoan Kiem Lake is quite high, ranging from 12 million– 15 million VND. A representative of Minh Lam Vending Machine Co., Ltd. saidturnover of those in the inner districts of Ba Dinh and Tay Ho stands at around5 million – 12 million VND.
Data from the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade shows there are 717 vending machines, selling beverages and snacks, across the capital city. Theyinclude 13 installed along pedestrians’ streets around Hoan Kiem Lake and thedistricts of Ba Dinh and Tay Ho, and four at Hanoi Book Street and Phung HungMural Street in the city centre.
The remainders are placed inside office buildings, apartmentbuildings, bus stations, shopping malls and others.
The department is making a list of public places, such as parks,gardens, monuments and relic sites, schools, hospitals, cinemas and shoppingcentres, potentially suitable for the installment of vending machines. Afterthe installation is done, the network of these machines will be publicised inthe city’s shopping map website at bandomuasam.hanoi.gov.vn as well as its tourist map.
In addition to beverages and snacks, the machines will probablyoffer fresh fruits, handicrafts, fine art products and souvenirs.
Developing the vending machine network will step by step changeconsumers’ shopping habits, accelerate non-cash payments and create anew channel for distribution of quality products with clear origin to buyers,Lan said.
In April, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee NguyenManh Quyen approved a plan for the installation of vending machines at publicplaces in the capital city from now until 2025 in a bid to gradually replacestreet vendors and hawking practices that have become ubiquitous throughout thecity and Vietnam.
The plan also aims to modernise retail models, increasetransparency of the products offered to consumers, and gear transactionstowards cashless payments.
According to the plan, each machine will occupy a space of2-3sq.m and be placed about 500-1,000m from each other. A single area couldhave up to four machines next to each other depending on practical demands./.
