CANTON, Mass. -- All Seasons Services Inc., a provider of dining, vending and office refreshment services, unveiled its first Shop24 automated convenience store unit in the United States at a ceremony held last week on the campus of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Morrisville.
Shop24 offers 24-hour access to as many as 200 items, including milk, a six-pack of soda, batteries, iPod download cards and health and beauty aids, in a freestanding, self-service, outdoor unit. Shop24's product portfolio includes fresh and chilled products as well [image-nocss] as other prepackaged grocery and convenience products, all displayed behind safety glass.
To date, Shop24 has seen its popularity grow outside of the United States with more than 60 million consumer transactions recorded in 160 locations in seven countries in Europe.
Consumers are able to create a "Shopping List" and purchase products either with cash, ATM or credit and debit cards by entering the product code on an interactive screen. A robotic arm collects the product and delivers it to the take-out gate all within 20 seconds.
"Convenience retailing is one of the world's fastest-growing industries as consumers are seeking ease and convenience in all aspects of their lives," said Mark Bruno, president of All Seasons Services, Canton, Mass. "Shop24 provides the SUNY at Morrisville college population with a service-driven and exciting 'self retail' solution where you can take a quick walk on this beautiful campus and purchase leading brands, 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week."
Bruno added that the unit was built in Syracuse, N.Y., and will be serviced by All Seasons' branch in Canastota, N.Y. The supervisor will be able to monitor machine activity in real-time from a remote location using proprietary technology.
SUNY at Morrisville is the only test college in the country for the Shop24 unit and will be surveyed on item preferences. "The feedback from students of our Shop24 has already been extremely positive," said Glenn Gaslin, general manager of the Morrisville Auxiliary Corp., a not-for-profit company chartered by the State of New York to provide nonacademic services to the campus. "They really like having a wide variety of items that they can access themselves right on campus 24/7."
In December 2004, Aukland, New Zealand-based VTL Group Ltd., developers of the Shop24 technology, acquired a substantial long-term interest in All Seasons Holdings Inc. and in so doing entered into a partnership with All Seasons Services to bring Shop24 to the United States.
All Seasons is a private company that provides its services to more than 10,000 accounts in 16 states. Business markets served include professional offices, health care, education, manufacturing, retail and corrections, as well as the governmental and public sectors.
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