IQ Test: How Smart is Your Fridge Vending Machine?

In recent years, it seems like every company in the payment, refrigeration, or technology space has launched a “smart fridge vending machine.” While the name sounds trendy, many of these “smart fridges” are little more than a cooler with a credit card reader screwed onto the front.

It’s a bit like how many restaurants now claim to be “farm-to-table.” Some truly know their local farmers, while others just know the name of a farm.

So how can you tell the difference? Here’s the 5-part IQ test to identify whether a fridge is truly smart.

Identifying a Smart Fridge Vending Machine: The FoodSpot Five

The innovation is that a true smart fridge can safely sell high-quality fresh food 24/7.

1. Theft-Prevention

Many so-called “smart fridges” are based on the honor system: either the customer pays first and is expected to take only what they paid for, or they grab items first and are required to perform a self-checkout. These technologies may work in private environments, like a corporate breakroom, but profitability quickly breaks down in public environments, like a hospital, college campus, or gym.

True smart fridges only unlock with a valid payment method and charge automatically for what is taken. This smart inventory tracking is powered by one of three technologies: shelf scales, computer vision cameras, or radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors. In addition to a deadbolt lock and RFID inventory tracking, we designed our smart fridge to have a prominent security camera as an added layer of security. Our smart fridge is the only one with both a security camera and RFID tracking, ensuring your well-deserved revenue arrives in your account. We chose RFID as our inventory tracking method because it has the highest standard of food safety.

2. Food Safety

In a remote, unattended retail setting, you rely on your stocking staff to rotate products correctly to prevent your customers from purchasing expired food. RFID smart fridges give you an added layer of food safety because each product is tagged with an RFID sticker, which not only communicates inventory and price, but also the expiration date of that product (How do RFID smart fridges work?).

From your dashboard, you can see exactly what is in your microstore and the date it expires. This ensures your food is always good, bolstering the credibility of your smart fridge vending experience. Credibility is extremely important in unattended retail environments where your brand is communicated through the smart fridge equipment itself. This is why quality is paramount.

3. Quality

The quality and aesthetic of your smart fridge vending machine should reflect your brand. Some brands want a futuristic look, while others opt for a simple aesthetic. In either case, reliability is a must. At FoodSpot, we partner with the leading commercial refrigeration manufacturer in the U.S., Beverage-Air, to build your smart fridge, smart pantry, and smart freezer. The quality is manifest in a premium aesthetic, 15-year lifespan, and seven-year warranty.

When you have quality, food safety, and theft-prevention in place, profitability soars.

4. Profitability & Shelf Space

When you’re selling around the clock, volume and variety are crucial. You need to stock the parfait for the nurse at 4 am, as well as the frozen lasagna for the hospital guest at 10 pm. This is why shelf-space is so important. It’s great to be selling 24/7, but if your shelves are empty or you’re having to hire staff to stock multiple times a day, you’re losing profit.

When we designed our microstores at FoodSpot, we made sure to maximize shelf space while keeping the size of the unit small enough to roll through a standard doorway. The result is a smart fridge vending machine with triple the shelf space of the next competitor.

5. Support

All of these pieces can fall into place, but without the right training and support, your operation falls short. Choosing a smart fridge partner with a thorough onboarding program, robust repair network, and consultative character will help your smart fridge program reach its full potential.

When you purchase a FoodSpot fridge, you can expect the following:

An optional white-glove delivery service
A kick-off call with your dedicated smart fridge expert to coordinate efforts with each of your team’s stakeholders (finance, IT, marketing, culinary, legal)
A one-on-one marketing call to help you promote your program
Step-by-step instructions for every stage of launch (merchant account set up, hardware setup, and software setup)
A live training call for anyone operating the smart fridge vending machine for the life of your program
A robust ticketing and support system
A national repair network