Vending

Unilever teams with UK supermarket on ice cream vending machine

Logo provided.

May 7, 2021

Unilever has teamed with Co-op, a U.K. supermarket chain, to launch what the companies claim to be Europe's first consumer-facing smart ice cream vending machine at Co-op's Battersea Bridge Road store in London, according to a report in The Grocer.

The customer taps their phone on a near-field communication tag or scans a QR code on the door to confirm their choice of payment method, unlocking the door.

Cameras and sensors inside the freezer track which products have been removed. The customer is charged after they close the freezer door.

Co-op plans to install more than 20 machines in the coming months.

Products offered in the machine include Ben & Jerry's Peace Pop, Magnum Vegan Stick, Solero Exotic Lolly, Calippo Orange and Co-op's Fairtrade Choc Stick.