Special to 1808Delaware
PopCom has launched the PopShop vending machine in cities across the country, offering local products and services to shoppers in a revolutionary way.
One of those machines will soon arrive at Polaris Fashion Place Mall.
The PopShop is a contactless, smart vending machine that allows companies to launch new products while driving brand awareness for local businesses. The machine uses facial recognition to help retailers capture demographic information, machine learning to help deliver targeted content, and the blockchain technology that will allow for identity verification and the sale of regulated products.
“At PopShop, retailers can sell anything from food to jewelry to t-shirts to alcohol,” Dickson-Akpoghene said.
A new middle ground between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores, the PopShop will drive brand discovery in local markets. It allows small business owners to determine if a location is a good fit for their brand, while understanding in real-time who the right customer is.
The PopShops will be utilized at unused spaces in hotels, convention centers, airports, and malls. It will also serve as an advertising platform for all things local, and act as a resource for local information and announcements. The machine also has the ability to sell tickets to local attractions.
In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, PopCom Founder Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene spoke about the new vending machines, the idea’s ten-year gestation, and now its manifestation as a dynamic and diverse retail force.
“Now, anybody can sell anything in these machines,” Dickson-Akpoghene said. “We have 20 customers selling anything from food to jewelry to t-shirts to alcohol.”
Brew and Feed recently launched at Concord Mills in the Charlotte suburb of Concord, North Carolina. Among the products being sold at the PopShop location will be the company’s creative tea flavors like lemon creme, cotton candy, lavender lemongrass and mango passion fruit. Brew and Feed will also sell spice blends at the location, which will be marketed seasonally to customers. “We are excited about the energy and innovation that PopCom has in their go to market strategy as well as the potential for further innovation their software can bring with integration with other platforms,” said Brew and Feed’s Robert Moreland.
Next, Teas with Meaning will begin its PopShop at The Metreon in San Francisco, California. Each month, the company will offer a new tea box to customers, which highlights new products from the brand and other minority owned businesses. Each box will feature two small loose leaf teas, biodegradable brew bags and a wooden teaspoon. “With this PopShop I hope to accomplish increased brand awareness and sales for Teas With Meaning, additional insight for our market research, and to see Popcom continue to blossom for small businesses,” said Kamilah Mitchell of Teas with Meaning.
In addition, PopShop Local Columbus will launch at the Polaris Mall with The Brow Dr. and Flat Out Heels, both of which have Ohio based founders. Another PopShop Local Columbus was unveiled at the Fairfield Inn Hotel, containing Ohio-based brands Black Owned and Red Velvet. Lastly, Flat Out Heels has launched at a PopShop location in Hawaii.
