Vending machine system

Abstract

To provide an automatic vending machine system and an automatic vending machine which can promote the sale of a commodity whose salable due date has drawn near, without having to lower the selling price of the commodity.SOLUTION: In an automatic vending machine system 100, a management server 2 performs stock management and commodity presentation management that includes the salable due date of a commodity to be sold by an automatic vending machine 1, sets a prescribed period till the salable due date is reached to a sales promotion period, and indicates to the automatic vending machine 1 a commodity presentation output change that is a combination of one or more of a commodity display output change for promoting the sale of the commodity in the sales promotion period, a commodity arrangement layout change of a display screen, and a sound output change. The automatic vending machine 1 performs processing of presentation output change in accordance with the indication of the commodity presentation output change from the management server 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vending machine system that can promote the sale of products whose sell-by date is approaching without reducing the selling price of the products. to the mu It relates to.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, vending machines are connected to a management server or the like via a network. The management server can manage the connected vending machines. Patent Document 1 describes a product inventory management system for vending machines in which a center device corresponding to the management server calculates an appropriate inventory number based on data such as the number of products in stock transmitted from the vending machine and transmits it to the vending machine. Patent Document 2 describes a system in which a center and a plurality of vending machines are connected to a network, and data is loaded from the center to the plurality of vending machines online.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, for products sold by vending machines, a sell-by date such as a expiration date is defined. Products whose sell-by date has passed are marked as out of stock and sales are stopped, and the products in stock are dispensed by a service technician. Therefore, if products that are not sold by the sell-by date remain, sales will decrease.

[0005] For this reason, it may be considered to lower the selling price of products whose sell-by date is approaching and sell them out. In this case, however, since the selling price decreases, the sales will decrease.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a vending machine system capable of promoting the sale of products whose sell-by date is approaching without lowering the selling price of the products. the mu

Means for Solving the Problems

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention is a vending machine system in which a management server and a plurality of vending machines are communicatively connected. The management server performs inventory management and product presentation output management including the sell-by date of products sold in the vending machines, sets a predetermined period until the sell-by date as a sales promotion period, and changes the display output of the product, changes the product layout on the display screen, or outputs a sound. The vending machine is instructed to change the product presentation output by combining one or more of the above changes in order to promote the sale of the product during the sales promotion period, and the vending machine performs the process of changing the product presentation output in accordance with the instruction of changing the product presentation output from the management server.

[0008] Further, in the present invention, in the above invention, when the number of products sold from inventory during the divided sales promotion period obtained by dividing the sales promotion period is equal to or less than a predetermined number, the management server instructs the vending machine to make a new product presentation output change.

[0009] Further, in the present invention, in the above invention, the management server manages, for each vending machine, the order of instructions for changing the product presentation output based on the relationship between the content of changing the product presentation output and the number of products sold from inventory during the sales promotion period, and instructs the vending machine to change the product presentation output in accordance with the order of instructions.

[0010] Further, in the present invention, the sales promotion period is increased or decreased according to the inventory status in the previous sales promotion period.

[0011] Further, in the present invention, the management server transmits the content data of the product presentation output change to the vending machine, and the vending machine changes to the content data of the product presentation output change transmitted from the management server.

[0012] Further, in the present invention, the display output change of the product includes an increase in the product image during the sales promotion period, making the saturation or brightness of the product image during the sales promotion period greater than that of other product images, making the product image during the sales promotion period larger than other product images, including animation of rotation or scaling of the product in the product image during the sales promotion period, and including advertisement display including a video of the product during the sales promotion period in the advertisement area.

[0013] Further, in the present invention, the sales promotion period is set for each product column in which the product is stored.

[0014] Further, the present invention is a vending machine of a vending machine system in which a management server and a plurality of vending machines are communicatively connected. The vending machine receives an instruction for changing the product presentation output, which is a combination of one or more of a change in the display output of the product, a change in the product arrangement layout on the display screen, or a change in the sound output, during a sales promotion period that is a predetermined period until the expiration date of the product sale, and performs processing of the product presentation output change according to the instruction for the product presentation output change.

Effect of the Invention

[0015] Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to promote the sale of products whose expiration date is approaching without lowering the selling price of the products.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

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Figure 16

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] [Configuration of Vending Machine] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a vending machine 1 that constitutes a vending machine system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the vending machine 1 is an example of a device, and is, for example, a vending machine that sells products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and bottled drinks. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the outer door 1b of the vending machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is opened. As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine 1 sells products such as canned beverages and bottled drinks in a cooled or warmed state, and as shown in FIG. 2, includes a main body cabinet 1a and an outer door 1b. The main body cabinet 1a is configured by combining a plurality of steel plates, and is configured in a box shape with a heat-insulating structure having an open front surface. The outer door 1b is for closing the front opening of the main body cabinet 1a, and is supported on one side edge (left side edge) of the main body cabinet 1a in a manner that enables opening and closing.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine 1 is provided with a pop-up handle 111 in the middle of the right side of the front surface of the outer door 1b. The pop-up handle 111 is for locking the outer door 1b in a closed state. The vending machine 1 is locked by pushing in the pop-up handle 111 with the outer door 1b closed, and when an unlocking operation is performed, the pop-up handle 111 pops up (protrudes), enabling the outer door 1b to be opened.

[0020] In addition, a digital display unit 3 is provided in the upper front area of the outer door 1b. The digital display unit 3 digitally displays a product image 4 of a product sold by the vending machine 1, and also displays a product selection button 5, a price 6, and a cold / warm temperature 7 in association with each product image 4. The digital display unit 3 is a touch panel type large screen digital display unit. The product selection button 5 is for selecting a product and is a GUI component capable of touch operation. In the case of cashless settlement, the product selection button 5 is lit up in conjunction with the pressing of the product selection button 5. Note that the digital display unit 3 may be capable of digitally displaying only the product image 4. In this case, the product selection button 5 may be a hardware configuration of a button, and the display of the price 6 and the cold / warm temperature 7 may be an LED display. Also, when the product is out of stock, the product selection button 5 indicates the out-of-stock status of the product and does not accept product selection.

[0021] In addition, a coin insertion slot 21, a bill insertion slot 22, a display unit 37, a return lever 28, an electronic money reader / writer 36, and an advertisement display unit 38 are provided in the middle of the outer door 1b below the digital display unit 3.

[0022] The coin insertion slot 21 is an opening for accepting coins. Coins inserted through the coin insertion slot 21 are accommodated in a coin mechanism (coin processing device) 33 mounted inside the outer door 1b. The coin mechanism 33 sorts the number of inserted coins of various denominations and transmits them to the main control unit 10 of the vending machine, which will be described later. On the other hand, according to a command from the main control unit 10 of this vending machine, the coin mechanism 33 pays out various coins. Note that the coin mechanism 33 has a money identification function for identifying the authenticity and denomination of coins.

[0023] The bill insertion slot 22 is an opening for accepting bills. Bills inserted through the bill insertion slot 22 are accommodated in a bill validator (bill processing device) 34 mounted inside the outer door 1b. The bill validator 34 sorts the number of inserted bills and transmits them to the main control unit 10 of the vending machine. On the other hand, according to a command from the main control unit 10 of this vending machine, the bill validator 34 pays out bills. Note that the bill validator 34 has a money identification function for identifying the authenticity and denomination of bills.

[0024] The electronic money reader / writer 36 reads the electronic money charged on the electronic money card and performs the process of writing the electronic money after settlement. In addition, the electronic money reader / writer 36 performs a writing process of charging the change amount of electronic money to the electronic money card. The electronic money reader / writer 36 has an electronic money identification function of detecting the electronic money card and identifying the validity and type of the electronic money card.

[0025] The display unit 37 is for displaying various information such as the amount of money inserted, information at the time of various settings, etc., in addition to being on sale, out of change, in preparation, and bill stop.

[0026] The return lever 28 is for instructing the interruption of the transaction. When the return lever 28 is operated, the transaction is interrupted, and change, etc. is discharged from the coin mechanism 33 to the coin return port 41, and the bill is returned from the bill validator 34 to the bill insertion port 22.

[0027] The advertisement display unit 38 is a digital display unit that performs various advertisements under the control of the vending machine main control unit 10. The various advertisements may be videos or still images.

[0028] Also, an outlet 42 is provided at a position below the outer door 1b. The outlet 42 is an opening for taking out the product carried out from the product storage rack.

[0029] Also, a remote control 35 is disposed inside the outer door 1b. The remote control 35 is for performing various setting operations and confirmation operations of various sales data by a service technician or the like. In addition to operation keys such as a write key and an end key, it is equipped with a liquid crystal display on which various setting data and confirmation data are displayed. The setting data input from the remote control 35 is transmitted to the vending machine main control unit 10. And the remote control 35 receives the confirmation data transmitted from this vending machine main control unit 10.

[0030] Note that the interior of the main cabinet 1a is partitioned into a machine room 103 and a product storage room 104. The product storage room 104 is further partitioned by a heat insulation partition board into three product storage compartments 104a, 104b, and 104c. Among these three product storage compartments 104a, 104b, and 104c, the product storage compartment on the left side facing the front (hereinafter referred to as the "left compartment") 104a and the central product storage compartment (hereinafter referred to as the "middle compartment") 104b can switch between cold and warm temperatures. When the product storage compartment 104a (104b) is set to cooling, the interior of the product storage compartment 104a (104b) is cooled, and the products stored in the product storage compartment 104a (104b) are cooled. On the other hand, when the product storage compartment 104a (104b) is set to heating, the interior of the product storage compartment 104a (104b) is heated, and the products stored in the product storage compartment 104a (104b) are heated. Also, the product storage compartment on the right side facing the front (hereinafter referred to as the "right compartment") 104c is a dedicated cooling compartment, which cools the interior of the product storage compartment 104c and the products stored in the product storage compartment 104c.

[0031] Product storage racks 105 are installed in the product storage compartments 104a, 104b, and 104c respectively. The vending machine 1 has two rows of product storage racks 105 installed in the width direction of the left compartment 104a and the right compartment 104c, and one row of product storage racks 105 installed in the width direction of the middle compartment 104b. Also, five passages (hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, this passage is referred to as the "rack") are provided in the depth direction of the product storage compartments 104a, 104b, and 104c in the product storage rack 105, and products can be stored in each passage. Note that the vending machine main control unit 10 manages products for each product column 106, which is the product storage opening of the product storage rack 105.

[0032] <Vending Machine System> Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the control system of the vending machine system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vending machine system 100 has a plurality of vending machines 1, and the management server 2 is communicatively connected to each vending machine 1 via the network N. Note that in FIG. 1, one of the plurality of vending machines 1 is shown.

[0033] <Control System of Vending Machine> As shown in FIG. 3, the vending machine 1 has a vending machine main control unit 10, and connected to the vending machine main control unit 10 are a communication terminal unit 20, a main body control unit 30, a cooling and heating device 31, a delivery device 32, a coin mechanism 33, a building validator 34, a remote control 35, an electronic money reader / writer 36, a display unit 37, an advertisement display unit 38, a sound output unit 39, and a digital display unit 3.

[0034] The communication terminal unit 20 is a communication interface that makes a communication connection with the management server 2 via the network N by a communication method such as LTE (registered trademark), and also makes a communication connection with the vending machine main control unit 10. In addition, the communication terminal unit 20 also has a function of performing short-range wireless communication with a portable terminal or the like and performing communication connection processing with the portable terminal. Examples of short-range wireless communication include WiFi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark), especially BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication, is used from the viewpoint of power consumption.

[0035] Connected to the main body control unit 30 are the cooling and heating device 31 and the delivery device 32. The main body control unit 30 controls the cooling and heating device 31 and the delivery device 32 under the control of the vending machine main control unit 10.

[0036] The cooling and heating device 31 is for managing the product storage in the main body cabinet 1a in a set state. The cooling and heating device 31 cools the inside of the product storage with cooling settings while heating the inside of the product storage with heating settings.

[0037] The delivery device 32 is for managing the vend solenoid and the out-of-stock switch provided for each product storage rack. The main body control unit 30 delivers products from the product storage rack according to the delivery command transmitted from the vending machine main control unit 10. In addition, when all the products stored in the product storage rack have been delivered, the delivery device 32 outputs an out-of-stock signal to the main body control unit 30.

[0038] The electronic money reader / writer 36 reads the electronic money charged on the electronic money card and performs a process of writing the electronic money after settlement. Further, the electronic money reader / writer 36 performs a writing process of charging the change amount of electronic money to the electronic money card.

[0039] The sound output unit 39 is a speaker that outputs sound under the control of the vending machine main control unit 10. Note that one or more speakers are provided so that the sound is output from the front surface of the outer door 1b.

[0040] The vending machine main control unit 10 includes a sales control unit 11, a presentation output change control unit 12, a sales management unit 13, and a storage unit 14. The sales control unit 11 performs the dispensing of the product selected by the product selection button 5, the settlement process, and the like. The presentation output change control unit 12 performs a process of changing the presentation output in accordance with an instruction for changing the product presentation output from the management server 2. The sales management unit 13 notifies the management server 2 of the sales data D2 of the vending machine 1 as POS data for each sold product. The storage unit 14 has the currently set presentation output information D1 and the sales data D2. The sales data D2 is the sales information of the sold product, such as the number of sales and the sales amount for each product code.

[0041] The product presentation output change is such that a predetermined period until the expiration date of the product's saleable period is set as the sales promotion period, and in order to promote the sale of the product during the sales promotion period, one or a combination of two or more of the display output change of the product, the change of the product layout on the display screen, or the sound output change is performed. The display output change of the product includes an increase in the product image during the sales promotion period, making the saturation or brightness of the product image during the sales promotion period larger than that of other product images, making the product image during the sales promotion period larger than other product images, animating the product image during the sales promotion period including rotation or scaling of the product, and advertising display including a video of the product during the sales promotion period in the advertising area. The sound output change is to output a sound that promotes the sale of the product of the product image from the sound output unit near the product image, or to output a sound that promotes the sale of the product of the product image from the sound output unit near the advertising display unit 38.

[0042] <Management Server> The management server 2 includes a presentation output change management unit 2a and an inventory management unit 2b. Based on the result of inventory management including the sell-by date of the products sold in the vending machine 1 by the inventory management unit 2b, the presentation output change management unit 2a sets a predetermined period until the sell-by date as a sales promotion period, and instructs the vending machine to change the presentation output of the product, such as changing the display output of the product, changing the product layout on the display screen, or combining one or more of the sound output changes, or a combination of two or more of these, in order to promote the sales of the product during the sales promotion period.

[0043] In addition, when the number of products sold from inventory during the divided sales promotion period obtained by dividing the sales promotion period is equal to or less than a predetermined number, the presentation output change management unit 2a instructs the vending machine 1 to make a new product presentation output change.

[0044] In addition, for each vending machine 1, the presentation output change management unit 2a manages the instruction order of the product presentation output change content based on the relationship between the product presentation output change content and the number of products sold from inventory during the sales promotion period, and instructs the vending machine 1 to change the product presentation output according to the instruction order. Note that the presentation output change management unit 2a may set the product presentation output change content with a high sales promotion effect during the sales promotion period as the product presentation output change content with a high priority, and use this priority as the instruction order.

[0045] In addition, the presentation output change management unit 2a increases or decreases the sales promotion period according to the inventory status during the previous sales promotion period. For example, when inventory occurs during the sales promotion period, the presentation output change management unit 2a sets a longer sales promotion period.

[0046] <Product Presentation Output Change Process> FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for changing product presentation output by the management server 2. First, the presentation output change management unit 2a determines whether there is inventory during the sales promotion period for each product column of each vending machine 1 (step S110). If there is inventory during the sales promotion period (step S110: Yes), it is determined whether an instruction to change the product presentation output for this product has been given (step S120). If an instruction to change the product presentation output has not been given (step S120: No), a predetermined instruction to change the product presentation output is notified to the vending machine 1 (step S130), and this process ends. On the other hand, if there is no inventory during the sales promotion period (step S110: No), or if an instruction to change the product presentation output has been given (step S120: Yes), this process ends as it is.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation output change management table for the product column "4" of the vending machine 1 by the presentation output change management unit 2a. As shown in FIG. 5, when the presentation output change management unit 2a manages the sell-by date as "5 / 25", the sales promotion period as "10 days", and the inventory quantity as "3" for the sold product "C" in the product column "4", the relationship between the sell-by date t2 and the sales promotion period Δt is as shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, even if the inventory quantity is "3" and there is inventory, since "5 / 14" at time t01 is not within the sales promotion period Δt, an instruction to change the product presentation output is not given to the vending machine 1. On the other hand, when the inventory quantity is "3" at "5 / 15" at time t1, since it is within the sales promotion period Δt, an instruction to change the product presentation output is notified to the vending machine 1. Then, the vending machine 1 that has received the instruction to change the product presentation output performs the instructed product presentation output change process for the sold product "C" in the product column "4".

[0048] <Specific Example of Product Presentation Output Change Process> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a product presentation output change process for increasing product images. In FIG. 7, as a change in the product presentation output for product "C", the number of product images 4 for product "C" is increased from one to three. In this case, the product selection button 5, price 6, and temperature 7 are also increased corresponding to the increased product images. Thereby, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales of product "C" can be promoted.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a product presentation output change process for increasing the saturation and brightness of a product image. In FIG. 8, as a change in the product presentation output for product "C", the saturation and brightness of the product image 4 for product "C" are increased. Thereby, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales of product "C" can be promoted. Note that instead of increasing the saturation and brightness of product "C", the saturation and brightness of other products may be decreased to relatively increase the saturation and brightness of product "C".

[0050] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a product presentation output change process for enlarging a product image. In FIG. 9, as a change in the product presentation output for product "C", the product image 4 for product "C" is enlarged. Thereby, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales of product "C" can be promoted. Note that instead of enlarging the product image of product "C", the product images of other products may be reduced to relatively enlarge the product image of product "C".

[0051] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a product presentation output change process for adding movement to a product image. In FIG. 10, as a change in the product presentation output for product "C", movement is added to the product image 4 for product "C". Specifically, an animated image of product "C" rotating is displayed. Thereby, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales of product "C" can be promoted. Note that it is only necessary to add movement to product "C", and in addition to rotating product "C", the movement of the scaling change of product "C" may be displayed as an animated image.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a product presentation output change process for adding a sales promotion message to a product image. In FIG. 11, as a change in the product presentation output for product "C", a sales promotion message D10 such as "Recommended" is added near the product image 4 for product "C", for example, at the top. By adding this message D10, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales of product "C" can be promoted.

[0053] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a product presentation output change process for displaying a product image or message for sales promotion on the advertisement display section 38. In FIG. 12, as a change in the product presentation output for product "C", the product image of product "C" and the sales promotion message "It is recommended" are displayed on the advertisement display section 38. Thereby, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales of product "C" can be promoted. Note that the image of product "C" displayed on the advertisement display section 38 can further enhance the sales promotion effect by making it move with a moving image. Also, along with the display of product "C" by this advertisement display section 38, sound output for promoting the sales of product "C" may be performed. Note that the product presentation output changes shown in FIGS. 6 to 11 may also be added with sound output. In this case, the sound output is preferably output from near the product image of product "C".

[0054] Note that the sound output is preferably a presentation sound adapted to the set environment, such as the chirping of birds or the melody on a station platform. Also, the sound output of this presentation sound may be made to increase in output speed as the saleable deadline approaches. Also, the sound output of the presentation sound may be made to shorten the on / off period of the sound output as the saleable deadline approaches. Furthermore, the sound output of the presentation sound may be made to increase in volume as the saleable deadline approaches.

[0055] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of product presentation output change processing for changing the layout of the entire digital display unit 3 instead of individual product images. In FIG. 13, as a product presentation output change for product "C", the layout of the digital display unit 3 is changed. Specifically, the layout data DL2 is obtained by swapping the product images of product "C" and product "A" in the current layout data DL1. This layout change arranges the product image of product "C" at the position where product selection is most likely to occur, that is, at the position corresponding to the height of the line of sight of the product purchaser. As a result, product "C" can be differentiated in product selection from other products, and the sales promotion of product "C" can be achieved. Note that the layout change is preferably made based on the sales effect of past layout changes.

[0056] Note that since the layout changes are diverse, it is preferable to send the layout to be changed from the management server 2. Also, it is preferable to store in advance in the vending machine 1 the product presentation output change details for a single product image and the product presentation output change details by the advertisement display unit 38, and for the product posting output change processing to be performed by the presentation output change control unit 12 under the instruction of the management server 2. Note that any of the above product posting output change details may be stored on the management server 2 side or on the vending machine 1 side.

[0057] <Modification Example 1> FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the product presentation output change processing procedure of the management server 2 according to Modification Example 1. In this Modification Example 1, a plurality of different product presentation output changes are enabled during the sales promotion period. In FIG. 14, first, the presentation output change management unit 2a determines whether there is inventory during the sales promotion period (step S210). If there is inventory during the sales promotion period (step S210: Yes), it further determines whether an instruction for product presentation output change has been given (step S220). If an instruction for product presentation output change has not been given (step S220), an instruction for a predetermined product presentation output change is given to the vending machine 1 (step S230), and this process ends.

[0058] On the one hand, if an instruction for changing the product presentation output has been given (step S220), it is determined whether the split sales promotion period has elapsed since the previous instruction (step S240). If the split sales promotion period has elapsed since the previous instruction (step S240: Yes), it is further determined whether the inventory quantity has decreased within the split sales promotion period (step S250).

[0059] If the inventory quantity has decreased within the split sales promotion period (step S250: Yes), the current product presentation output change is maintained (step S260), and this process ends. On the other hand, if the inventory quantity has not decreased within the split sales promotion period (step S250: No), an instruction for the next product presentation output change is given (step S270), and this process ends.

[0060] If there is no inventory during the sales promotion period (step S210: No), or if the split sales promotion period has not elapsed since the previous instruction (step S240: No), this process ends as it is.

[0061] Note that the management server 2 manages the instruction order of a plurality of product presentation output change contents for each vending machine 1 based on the relationship between the product presentation output change content and the inventory sales quantity during the sales promotion period, and gives an instruction for changing the product presentation output to the vending machine 1 according to the instruction order. For example, as the instruction order, first rotate the product image, then enlarge the product image, then rotate the product image while keeping it enlarged, and then display the product image on the advertisement display unit 38.

[0062] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the split sales promotion period. As shown in FIG. 15, the sales promotion period Δt is divided into a plurality of split sales promotion periods Δtt. In FIG. 15, the sales promotion period Δt is 10 days, but this period is set as the split sales promotion period Δtt divided into 2-day intervals.

[0063] In the first modification example, since multiple product presentation output changes can be attempted during the sales promotion period and the content of the product presentation output change that has a sales promotion effect can be determined, the sales promotion can be further improved. Also, the sales promotion effects of these multiple product presentation output changes can be used to collect data on the optimal product presentation output change by attempting further different product presentation output changes. Note that the sales promotion effects of these product presentation output changes also vary depending on the installation location of the vending machine 1, the season, and so on.

[0064] <Modification Example 2> FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the update processing procedure of the sales promotion period of the management server 2 according to the second modification example. In this second modification example, the preset sales promotion period is changed in response to the sales effect due to the product presentation output change, so as to supplement the sales promotion. In FIG. 16, first, the presentation output change management unit 2a determines whether there was inventory for which the sell-by date had passed last time (step S310). If there was inventory for which the sell-by date had passed last time (step S310: Yes), an update process is performed to extend the sales promotion period, for example, to extend the sales promotion period by one day (step S320), and this process ends. On the other hand, if there was no inventory for which the sell-by date had passed last time (step S310: No), this process ends as it is. That is, this process ends while maintaining the current sales promotion period. Note that if there was no inventory for which the sell-by date had passed last time, the sales promotion period may be shortened.

[0065] In the above-described embodiments and modification examples, it is possible to promote the sales of products for which the sell-by date is approaching without reducing the selling price of the products. Also, when attempting to change the product presentation output during the sales promotion period, conventionally, an operator such as a serviceman had to perform the operation on-site, so it was not possible to perform a product presentation output change almost in real time during the sellable period. However, in the present embodiments and modification examples, since the management server instructs the product presentation output change, the product presentation output change process can be performed almost in real time and simply. And during the sales promotion period, multiple product presentation output changes can be attempted to perform an appropriate product presentation output change and promote sales.

[0066] Note that the product presentation output change including the layout change may be performed not only during the sales promotion period but also during the normal sales period to collect data on the effect of the sales promotion. Based on such data collection on the effect of the sales promotion, by making an appropriate product presentation output change, it is also possible to promote the sales of the entire vending machine 1.

[0067] In addition, each configuration illustrated in the above embodiments and modification examples is schematic in function, and it is not necessarily physically configured as illustrated. That is, the form of dispersion and integration of each device and component is not limited to that illustrated, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically dispersed and integrated in any unit according to various usage situations and the like.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0068] 1 Vending machine 1a Main body cabinet 1b Outer door 2 Management server 2a Presentation output change management unit 2b Inventory management unit 3 Digital display unit 4 Product image 5 Product selection button 6 Price 7 Cold temperature 10 Vending machine main control unit 11 Sales control unit 12 Presentation output change control unit 13 Sales management unit 14 Storage unit 20 Communication terminal unit 21 Coin insertion slot 22 Bill insertion slot 28 Return lever 30 Main body control unit 31 Cooling and heating device 32 Delivery device 33 Coin mechanism 34 Bill validator 35 Remote control 36 Electronic money reader / writer 37 Display unit 38 Advertisement display unit 39 Sound output unit 41 Coin return slot 42 Outlet 100 Vending machine system 103 Machine room 104 Product storage room 104a, 104b, 104c Product storage bins 105 Product storage rack 106 Product column 111 Pop-up handle D1 Prompt output information D2 Sales data D10 Message DL1, DL2 Layout data N Network t01, t1 Time points t2 Saleable deadline Δt Sales promotion period Δtt Divided sales promotion period

Claims

1. A vending machine system in which a management server and a plurality of vending machines are communicatively connected, The management server performs inventory management and product presentation output management including the sell-by date of products sold in the vending machine, sets a predetermined period until the sell-by date as a sales promotion period, and changes the display output of the product, changes the product layout on the display screen, or outputs a sound. The vending machine is instructed to change the product presentation output by combining one or more of the above changes in order to promote the sale of the product during the sales promotion period. The vending machine performs the process of changing the product presentation output according to an instruction to change the product presentation output from the management server. Further, the management server instructs the vending machine to make a new product presentation output change when the number of products sold from inventory during a divided sales promotion period obtained by dividing the sales promotion period is equal to or less than a predetermined number. A vending machine system characterized by the above.

2. The management server manages, for each vending machine, the order of instructions for changing the product presentation output based on the relationship between the content of the product presentation output change and the number of products sold from inventory during the sales promotion period, and instructs the vending machine to change the product presentation output according to the order of instructions. The vending machine system according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The sales promotion period is increased or decreased according to the inventory status during the previous sales promotion period. The vending machine system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The management server transmits the content data of the product presentation output change to the vending machine. The vending machine changes to the content data of the product presentation output change transmitted from the management server. The vending machine system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. The display output change of the product includes increasing the product image during the sales promotion period, making the saturation or brightness of the product image during the sales promotion period greater than that of other product images, making the product image during the sales promotion period larger than other product images, animating the rotation or scaling of the product in the product image during the sales promotion period, and including an advertisement display including a video of the product during the sales promotion period in the advertisement area. The vending machine system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

6. The sales promotion period is set for each product column in which the product is stored. The vending machine system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the above.

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