A New Way to Retail with Vending Commerce

We are living in a period of accelerated change. Since the pandemic, consumer behaviour, retail formats, and distribution models have evolved faster than ever. Flexibility has become a necessity rather than a preference. From remote working to contactless deliveries of everything from packaged goods to essentials, the modern consumer now expects convenience, speed, and minimal friction at every touchpoint.

As lifestyles adapted to reduced contact and digital-first interactions, several existing retail formats began evolving to meet these new expectations. One such format is vending.

Why Vending Is Re-emerging as a Retail Channel

Vending machines are no longer limited to basic snack or beverage dispensing. Today, they are emerging as an effective channel for cashless, point-of-need distribution, delivering products exactly where and when they are required. With the integration of IoT and digital payments, vending interactions are becoming smarter, data driven, and easier to scale.

While countries like Japan and the US have long embraced vending as a mainstream retail format, India is only now seeing rapid adoption. Growing comfort with digital payments, mobile-first experiences, and unattended retail is reshaping how brands think about last-mile distribution. Alongside kirana stores, malls, and e-commerce, unmanned retail through vending is becoming an increasingly important part of the retail ecosystem.

The Role of Technology in Accelerating Unmanned Retail

The rise of vending in India is closely tied to technology-led players who are simplifying and digitising the ecosystem. Vendekin Technologies is one such company enabling this shift through cashless and mobile-first vending solutions.

Today, Vendekin supports FMCG brands, existing vending operators, and new entrepreneurs with smart vending infrastructure, patented technology, and a full operational ecosystem across India and international markets.

Understanding Vending Commerce

For many entrepreneurs, the vending business can appear complex. From understanding hardware requirements and managing operations to negotiating product margins with large FMCG brands, the learning curve can be steep. High upfront investment perceptions and limited pricing control often discourage new entrants.

Vending commerce, or VCommerce, was introduced to address these challenges. The idea is simple, make vending and unmanned retail easier to operate, smarter to manage, and more viable as a business model.

Vendekin’s vending commerce approach combines hardware + software (vNetra), mobile-first operations, and supply chain access, enabling better margins and smoother execution for vending businesses.

In India’s rapidly digitizing retail landscape, vending commerce is evolving into a meaningful extension of a brand’s distribution, marketing, and retail strategy.

How Smart, Unmanned Retail Is Changing the Game

One example of vending commerce in action is the Pune-based snack brand Chitale Bandhu. By deploying Vendekin-powered vending machines at select locations, the brand enabled 24x7 access to its packaged products in areas without physical stores. Customers could browse products and cashless payments through a branded, large interface, extending retail presence without adding traditional storefronts.

This illustrates how vending commerce allows brands to test locations, expand reach, and stay accessible beyond conventional retail hours.

What Vendekin Offers as Part of Vending Commerce

Vendekin brings together everything required to set up and scale a vending business on a single platform. For an investment comparable to a small vehicle, entrepreneurs and new vending operators gain access to:

• A complete ecosystem to launch, manage, and grow a vending business

• Patented technology to convert machines into smart, connected retail points

• Supply chain access with pre-negotiated product pricing for improved margins

• A mobile-first platform to remotely manage machines, sales, and inventory

• Trained operational support for machine maintenance and refilling

• Sales and location support to identify high-footfall placements and drive growth

Market Outlook and Adoption

According to industry research, the Indian vending machine market is projected to grow at a strong CAGR over the coming years. Since 2016, Vendekin has already established vending commerce across multiple Indian cities and international markets. Leading brands including Campa Cola, Coca Cola, Amul, Godrej, Naturals, Nourishing Farms, SandenVendo, and others are currently powered by Vendekin’s smart vending solutions.

Conclusion

For retail businesses and entrepreneurs, vending commerce represents a new, flexible way to expand distribution, improve visibility, and serve customers without adding traditional retail complexity. As consumer behaviour continues to favour convenience and digital-first experiences, smart and unmanned retail is becoming less of an alternative and more of a strategic necessity.

For brands exploring modern retail formats, now is the right time to evaluate how vending commerce can fit into long-term distribution and growth strategies.