Butcher shop installs vending machine for service 24/7

It’s no longer uncommon to see vending machines used to sell fragrances, bathing suits and shoes—or even farm produce and health foods. Not until recently, however, had we seen one installed at a butcher’s shop—and a 100-year-old shop, at that. With three stores in Northern Spain, Izarzugaza has been operating for four generations in more or less the traditional way. Not long ago the store began selling online, however, and delivering to customers as far-flung as Segovia and Madrid. Even more interesting, though, is that it has installed a vending machine outside its Mundaka shop that sells a variety of meats, sausages, sandwiches and other goods around the clock. Products sold within the machine vary with the season, so that summer offerings might include pasta salads while the emphasis is more on meatballs and sausages in the wintertime. Izarzugaza is also notable for the fact that it has installed in-shop technology that gives customers the option of ordering via touch-screen. The primary benefit? The technology recognizes multiple languages—a useful capability for vendors located in popular tourist destinations, the way Izarzugaza is—including Castilian, Euskara and English, with French and German coming soon, according to El Mundo. None of which, of course, is to say that technology is a panacea for any small, traditional business. Well-applied, however—particularly so as to introduce new convenience for consumers—it can set a company apart. Butcher shops and delicatessens around the world: how about you…? Spotted by: Leticia Pérez Prieto