iPod Vending Stations Are A Great Success

The iPod is not exactly the cheapest MP3 player out there, nor is it a necessity of any kind, which makes them the sort of product you actually think a while before buying. Despite this, Zoom Systems seems to be enjoying the success of their iPod Vending Stations.

While the Shuffle might have some similarities to a candy bar, the iPod is definitely not an impulse buy. Still, the vending stations in airports in Atlanta and San Francisco are doing well, as are the ones in six other cities.

The vending machines themselves are more akin to an automated kiosk, but sell iPods, cell phones and other electronic items, accepting credit cards for payment.

Unlike traditional vending machines that are pretty much self contained and operated, these high-tech ones have phones built in, to allow for human contact if needed, and Zoom reportedly monitors them, knowing instantly if an item is out of stock, and updating the price if need be.

Zoom launched the machines in March, and although they have not been out that long, they are already doing so well that the company hopes to have ten thousand of them in operation by the end of 2007.