New approach to gym and sport facility vending

Recently established venture Meccamino has introduced a new generation of vending machines, backed by mobile technology, that offer industry leading gym and sport products backed by cashless payments, innovative promotions and rapid stock level monitoring.

Although cashless payments are nothing new to vending machines, Meccamino accepts Visa and Mastercard without any additional surcharges.

Meccamino was established in 2015 after two health and fitness enthusiasts noticed the difficulty in getting healthy and nutritional foods at times that were convenient to them. The pair noticed that sugary, salty and nutrition-less treats were always accessable, but the products they wanted to enhance their fitness activities were generally confined to health-food stores.

Pioted at five locations across Melbourne, the vending machines have already received great feedback from the gyms and CrossFit studios that have been using the service.

The vending machine is backed by the Meccamino app (for iPhone and Android) that users can download and then use for purchases.

A Meccamino statement explains “your local gym vending machine usually has a bad reputation. It’s faulty, it’s clumsy, and it always seems to be half empty.

“It’s a frustration that we share when we forget our must have pre-, instra- or post-workout supplement.”

Behind the scenes, Meccamino’s vending machines can be managed by the same smartphone technology that monitors stock levels while also sending Push notifications to App users advising of discounts and promotions.

The Meccamino app also displays a full catalogue of regularly updated promotions that can be activated by the manager.

Mindful of frustrations with vending machines, Meccamino extensively tests each product before adding it to the machine to avoid jams and errors, but in the off-chance that it does jam, the App allows users to reclaim their money. Meccamino claims that in most cases, refunds are issued into customer’s bank accounts within 24 hours.

Meccamino Technology and Promotions Director Mo Assafiri explains “trust has been a big issue with our perception of vending machines.

“By giving users a means of communication in their pocket, it makes the interaction more personable, more seamless”.

Eventually, when Mastercard and Visa comes to Apple Pay and Google Wallet, Meccamino expects their reader to allow payments direct from smartphone.

Meccamino vending machines are available for purchase or profit share installation, at no cost to the user.

Click here to contact Meccamino via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

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