ATLAS Vending jumps on fully-automated retail concept ahead of Raya festivities

ATLAS Vending has launched Minit Mart, a fully-automated self-service retail store concept. To mark the kickoff, Minit Mart outlets have rolled out at Caltex stations on the KESAS Highway and in Bandar Utama as well as at the Salak Tinggi station on the KLIA Transit line. In the introductory phase, the Minit Mart outlets will feature a range of food and drink products and other handy supplies for travellers, from brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Wonda Coffee, 7 Days and many more.

The launch is in line with the upcoming festive season "balik kampung" exodus, highlighting Minit Mart's convenience in offering quick purchases via automated cashless transactions round the clock. Travellers will be able to avoid packed R&R stops and long queues at cashier counters during peak travel periods when they want to buy refreshments. 

Following the launch of the Minit Mart concept, ATLAS Vending aims to expand the stores to more locations with high foot traffic round the clock, such as commercial and office complexes, hospitals, and 24-hour clinics, residences, malls, education institutions as well as other transportation hubs. By 2023, the company targets to set up Minit Mart facilities at 50 locations across Malaysia.

While the company was unable to disclose the monetary investment behind Minit Mart, its spokesperson told A+M that the concept came about from its realisation of the significance of time as one of the most important currencies consumers have.

"We realised that the world was in need of speedier transactions that allowed people to keep up with the ever-growing demands of their hectic lifestyles. We started working on Minit Mart since last year when we foresaw that Malaysia would be opening up soon with the endemic phase, and there would be a need for on-the-go convenience as we eased back to our normal lives," the spokesperson added.

Minit Mart targets those who are frequently on the go and the company is receiving good responses from the media so far. On top of that, it wil also promote the launch of Minit Mart on digital content platforms and spread the word via the KOLs it engages with.

Amy Gan (pictured), head of marketing and ancillary business at ATLAS Vending, said that introducing Minit Mart ahead of the Hari Raya festive season can generate word of mouth exposure for the new automated retail concept and improve acceptance. This will in turn help generate interest among businesses to adopt Minit Mart as a sales channel, she said. 

In accordance with ATLAS Vending’s commitment to improving sustainability, all Minit Mart structures will be made from fully-recyclable steel, polycarbonate and alucubond, and be fitted with energy-saving features, whereby 40% of energy used for cooling is reduced by cutting off the use of the compressor and maintaining cooling through the insulation system during off-peak hours, and reducing 50% of energy used for lighting by switching off the light box from 7am to 7pm daily using a timer. Meanwhile, all paper cups used in Minit Mart outlets are made of responsibly-sourced FSC-certified paper. 

Gan told A+M in a previous interview that the F&B industry requires automated sampling because consumers are very concerned about the handling of samples by promoters, especially during the pandemic. One of the advantages of automated sampling is that the machine is able to run 24/7, and the system can help capture personal data for retargeting.

She explained that vending machines are traditionally seen to be very manual and typically perceived to be only selling beverages and snacks, a misconception that ATLAS wants to change. "In fact, we would like to move away from the term ‘vending machine’ and transition to automated retailing, as that defines what we do better," Gan said.

In fact, the ATLAS TryBot launched by ATLAS Vending late last year leverages on automated sampling to enhance the traditional retail experience. The company hopes the TryBot will potentially contribute 10% of its revenue stream.

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