Vending people and company news, week ending Nov. 5, 2026

by Richard Slawsky — Editor, Connect Media

Gary Crompton, president and CEO of Aramark's Workplace Experience Group, has received the Jay B. Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for…

Sheehan Brothers Vending marks 70 years in unattended retail

November 4, 2026

Sheehan Brothers Vending, a third-generation, family-owned vending and unattended retail operator based in Springfield, Ohio, is celebrating 70 years in…

Agibot puts six robots through 24-hour convenience store test

November 3, 2026

Shanghai-based robotics company Agibot is testing six G2 robots in a 24-hour convenience store demonstration, assigning them tasks ranging from stocking…

TNS adds smart routing to payment orchestration platform

October 30, 2026

Transaction Network Services has added smart routing capabilities to its Payment Orchestration platform to help businesses increase payment approvals and…

The Fresh Revolution in Unattended Retail

Autonomous merchandising allows the opportunity for fresh meals, snacks and beverages can be offered around the clock without adding staff or building another…

Presented by Structural Concepts

VenHub plans autonomous store at Las Vegas apartment community

October 29, 2026

VenHub Global Inc. plans to install an autonomous Smart Store at a multifamily residential complex on North Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, according to a…

Toshiba VP shares insight on the retail tech deployment strategy

In this episode of the CX Innovators Podcast the topic is retail innovation. Naresh Keswani, VP of software and AI at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, shares…

Presented by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Inc.

Michigan college expands food options with unattended coolers

October 28, 2026

Henry Ford College has installed two refrigerated PicoCoolers on its main campus in Dearborn, Michigan, giving students access to food after the Skylight Café…

Automated retail finds a home in apartment communities

by Richard Slawsky — Editor, Connect Media

Automated retail is finding a home in apartment communities as micro markets, smart coolers and autonomous stores offer residents convenient access to everyday…

Inside the 2026 NACS Show: Self-checkout, smart vending, and the rise of the autonomous convenience hub

by Ben Wheeler — Dir. of Business Dev. - Automated Retail, T-ROC

The 2026 NACS Show highlighted the growing convergence of convenience retail, vending and self-service technology. From AI-powered checkout and smart coolers…

Connecticut law allows cameras in employee breakrooms to monitor micro markets

October 19, 2026

A Connecticut law allowing surveillance cameras to monitor self-service kiosks and merchandise in employee breakrooms took effect Oct. 1, removing a regulatory…

Intelligent vending machine market projected to reach $28.7B by 2033

October 16, 2026

The global intelligent vending machine market is projected to grow from $11.7 billion in 2026 to $28.7 billion by 2033, according to a Persistence Market…

The kiosk shift: Why Android and ARM are gaining ground in automated retail

by Ben Wheeler — Dir. of Business Dev. - Automated Retail, T-ROC

As Android and ARM-based hardware gain ground in automated retail, Windows faces growing competition. T-ROC's Ben Wheeler examines how licensing, energy…

Swyft rebrands as Mercury, expands automated retail platform for airports and hotels

October 15, 2026

Swyft has rebranded as Mercury Automated Retail Solutions, introducing an expanded platform designed to provide around-the-clock retail services at airports…

From LTE to 5G RedCap, Fully Managed, Modernizing Connectivity for Kiosks, Vending, and more

Discover how Digi Ventus simplifies the transition from LTE to 5G RedCap for kiosks, vending and self-service retail with fully managed connectivity…

365 Retail Markets, ColdSnap partner to expand frozen treats in micro markets

October 14, 2026

365 Retail Markets has signed a multiyear agreement with ColdSnap to bring frozen desserts and beverages to micro markets nationwide, according to a press…

Youth thefts surge in South Korea as unmanned stores face security challenges

October 13, 2026

Juvenile theft cases in South Korea increased 76.3% between 2021 and 2025, with authorities identifying the proliferation of unmanned retail stores as a…

Digi EX60 as a Managed Service: Branch Wireless WAN, Delivered by Subscription

Discover how Digi EX60 as a managed service simplifies branch connectivity. Digi Ventus combines 5G hardware, connectivity, Genesis monitoring and 24x7x36…

Urban Value expands autonomous apartment retail network to 5 locations

October 12, 2026

Urban Value Corner Store has expanded its residential retail network to 14 locations, including five autonomous stores and nine staffed locations. Founder and…

ARKI keynote explores how brands, locations can win with automated retail

October 9, 2026

Automated retail is expanding beyond traditional vending, giving brands new ways to reach customers and venues new ways to make use of available space.