Global weighing technology firm Shekel Brainweigh Limited (ASX: SBW) is preparing to expand its market strategy for the recently-launched second generation smart micro market cooler.
The hubz is a smart, controlled-access micro market cooler which enables customers to easily browse and select multiple products out of a large and rich variety including fresh, healthy foods such as salads and sandwiches. The cooler can only be opened once a payment method has been presented, and easily detects exactly which products any customer selects, charging them as they close the hubz door. It can also meet increasing demand for any product at any time at any suitable location. This means the average revenue per sale increases, improving the ROI of the operator or retailer.
Chairman and CEO, Arik Schor, said Hubz meets the crossing of two major markets trends – vending market shifting from traditional vending machines to smarter, connected, intelligent point of sale units; and micro markets shifting from open, trust-based operations to closed micro markets, mainly in order to decrease shrinkage, and requirements to improve sanitary and hygienic conditions since the pandemic.
Where previously we assembled and brought the first generation of our smart coolers to the market, now our partners, Parlevel Systems and Imbera cooling are expected to drive the sales and marketing of our new-generation cooler in the United States, leveraging their distribution capacity,” Mr Schor said.
“We are aiming to expand the model and drive sales and the marketing of hubz in European markets as well at later stage” he added.
A Research and market report published amid the pandemic found that the global market for smart vending machines estimated at US$6.5 billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$17.1 billion by 2027. The Intelligent Vending Machines market in the US is estimated at US$1.9 Billion in the year 2020.
Tnuva, the biggest food manufacturer in Israel, is one of the largest users of the company’s first- generation micro market cooler solution ” Innovendi”.
Earlier in January 2021, Shekel Brainweigh’s Innovendi was chosen by IoT Breakthrough as the IoT Connected Retail Innovation of the Year for 2021.
The success of this product is what has prompted Shekel Brainweigh to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Parlevel Systems and Imbera for “hubz”, its second generation cooler .
Both Innovendi and hubz have been awarded “MRS – Market Ready Solution” recognition by Intel, making Shekel Brainweigh a member of Intel’s IoT Solutions Alliance, enjoying joint marketing and sales efforts with Intel.
