Vending machines for warehouses and distribution centres
Smart Market installs free, fully managed smart fridges at Melbourne warehouses, depots and distribution centres, stocked with real meals, drinks and snacks and available 24 hours.
The problem in a warehouse
Warehouses and DCs are usually built where land is cheap, which means industrial estates with nothing walkable. Sites run long hours or around the clock. Breaks are short and often staggered. The nearest food is a drive, and a driver on a break is not going to make it there and back.
Most of these sites already have a coil machine, which handles snacks and drinks but not much else. Product can get stuck, coins do not always come back, and because it cannot refrigerate, the range stops at whatever survives at room temperature.
What changes with a smart fridge
Nothing gets stuck, because product comes off a shelf rather than off a spiral. It is fully cashless. There is very little to go wrong mechanically, and machine health is monitored remotely so faults are picked up rather than reported. And because the whole cabinet is refrigerated, the range can include meals.
What works in this setting
- Ready meals and noodle meals. Filling, fast, and the thing that is actually missing.
- Energy drinks and iced coffee. A real category on a warehouse floor.
- Water and sparkling water. Hydration matters here, particularly over summer in a shed.
- Substantial snacks. Chips, protein bars, chocolate.
- Yoghurt and better options for the crew who want them.
Where to put it
The strongest placements are the break room entrance, the exit from a cafeteria and the route people take at shift change. Not the middle of a busy aisle where nobody stops, and never anywhere that narrows a safety route or blocks an exit. Placement is worked out on the site visit with your WHS requirements front and centre.
“My company recently had a Smart Market installed and are loving the new variety of products, as well as the tech of this new machine.”
Tahli Murray, Dutt Transport
Is your site a fit? Around 70 or more people on site on a typical day, whether that's staff, members or visitors, and nothing convenient to eat or drink close by. Machines come in a range of sizes and formats, so get in touch and we'll work out the right one for your space.
Frequently asked questions
Can a vending machine handle 24 hour operation?
Yes. It runs continuously, takes card and phone payments at any hour, and is monitored remotely for stock, temperature and machine health.
What do warehouse staff actually buy?
Energy drinks, iced coffee, filling snacks and ready meals dominate. Water sells hard through summer. The mix at every site is reviewed after around sixty days against actual sales.
Will it block a safety route?
Placement is agreed on the site visit with your WHS requirements, and it will not be installed anywhere that narrows an exit or a designated route.
Can you replace our existing machine?
Yes. Most of our installs replace an existing coil machine, and we handle the swap and removal.
Do you service sites in the industrial corridors?
Yes. Metro Melbourne including the western, northern and south-eastern industrial corridors.