But the potential of vending machines cannot be ignored. In 2016, 4.94 million vending machines in Japan generated sales revenue of about 293 billion yuan, equivalent to nearly 60,000 yuan per machine per year.
"You can buy the world from a vending machine in Japan." It sells not just drinks, but ramen noodles, salads, sandwiches, socks and even advertisements. Japanese lingerie brand Wargol has sold only seven bras in two months on the street, but it's getting enough eyeballs that it's much cheaper than a TV commercial. The Nikkei Chinese website once pointed out that according to the experience of Japan and Taiwan, when the per capita GDP exceeds $10,000, the simple low-price selling method will no longer be applicable, and consumers begin to value personalized goods and rich product lines.
In 2018, China's per capita GDP approached US $10,000. When rental costs and labor costs gradually become unbearable for the retail industry, and when mobile payment becomes a "cashless" city, the era of vending machines will begin.