Dalls/Fort Worth Int'l Offers Nontraditional Vending Items

Travelers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport can now pick up the latest iPod Nano by stopping at a vending machine.

The airport recently installed 13 Zoom Automated Retail Systems that sell nontraditional vending machine items such as Neutrogena cosmetics, Proactiv skin-care products, phone accessories from Motorola, Sony portable PSP game systems and Apple iPods and accessories. Prices range from $5.99 to $299.

San Francisco-based Zoom Systems began deploying vending units around the country in March 2005 and has nearly 250 in airports, hotels, college campuses, Macy's department stores, malls and grocery stores.

If something goes wrong, customers can make returns by mail, similar to purchases made online. Apple products can be returned to any Apple store.

Zoom says its prices will match the ones outside the airport, and the machines take credit cards.

Mark Mullins, Zoom's executive vice president, says the machines fuel impulse buys from passers-by who haven't found time to get to a store. The systems are networked, "so if iPod drops its price, we can update all our machines in five minutes," he said.

Suzanne Marta

News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.