The unprecedented scale and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way businesses operate across all kinds of industries. And we’ve seen that some business models and services are hit hard, while others persevere. “Unattended retail” businesses, as they’re sometimes called, are in high demand right now because they have a unique ability to survive a pandemic and the resulting economic downturn.

Set It and Forget It

“Unattended retail” is just what it sounds like – a business that’s able to function in an unattended way, without the need for a human running things on the front end. The ability to “set it and forget it” is a great business model for a situation like a pandemic, in which people aren’t conducting business transactions the way they used to. Customers can simply interact with the technology (whether it’s through a mobile service, or a touch screen ordering system, for instance) and receive their goods or services, all without having a human facilitating the transaction on the other end.

Contactless Service

As sanitation and cleanliness reign supreme as the pandemic wears on, the need for contactless service has also arisen. Contactless service means, of course, not having a human being handle goods while passing them off to the customer so as to prevent the spread of germs. This is especially important in the food industry – businesses are trying to limit human contact when passing plates, bags of food, groceries, etc. from an employee to a customer. We’ve seen many restaurants and grocery stores, as well as businesses outside of the food industry, modify their service models to accommodate this need.

Essential Service

Speaking of the food industry, we must remember that it is, in many ways, an essential service. And that’s why it’s so important for there to be unattended retail options in the food realm – customers, many times essential workers themselves who are serving in hospitals or on the front lines, need to eat, after all!

 

The Healthy Vending Industry is the Answer

The healthy vending industry meets all of these requirements, making it the perfect business opportunity for a post-COVID life. Vending machines were unattended retail, contactless businesses long before the pandemic struck! And they provide an essential service that will still be needed long after the pandemic is over.

 

Are you interested in the healthy vending field? It’s the perfect business opportunity to help you thrive in these unprecedented times. Contact Naturals2Go to learn more.