Dictionary of Marketing Terms: automatic merchandising
automatic merchandising
vending machine sales; called automatic merchandising because it is impersonal retail merchandising, where the purchase is not influenced by sales personnel. Vending machines allow for round-the-clock sales in heavy traffic locations inside or outside retail stores, colleges, office buildings, factories, hospitals, and the like. Cigarettes and beverages account for 70% of all sales. Vending machines are very important sales channels in some product categories, particularly soft drinks.
