After the thousands of “bread machines” installed in small rural communities, other distributors continue to spread throughout the countryside and go beyond the limits of imagination.
In a context of increasing closures of businesses in rural areas, food vending machines have multiplied in recent years across France. These machines first appealed to bakers, allowing them to easily install tens of thousands of points of sale in the countryside. A real solution for residents of small towns far from traditional shops, with the same bread as in the store and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, while stocks last. Enough to also offer new outlets and additional turnover to bakeries in medium-sized towns.
Pizzas, milk, cheese and many other products quickly took over, with ever more sophisticated machines. The challenge this time: allowing producers or restaurateurs to offer refrigerated products or hot dishes, outside of service hours, at prices often cheaper than in restaurants or in stores. Several companies have even specialized in these machines, such as MaBaguette, ICI Baguettes, Le Distrib, or even Le Casier Français, which claims 1 million lockers open in France to distribute vegetables, fruits or other local products.
But now another profession is launching an attack on these machines: butchers with automatic meat dispensers! Bernard Copleux, a butcher from Ganges, in Hérault, is a precursor. It was recently followed by France Bleu. Noticing a need from customers outside of its opening hours, the craftsman innovated by installing distributors in the neighboring villages of Sauve and La Cadière-et-Camb, in Gard.
These distributors, which represent an investment of 50,000 euros (25,000 euros per distributor), offer a diverse range of vacuum-packed meats, ranging from beef ribs to skewers. The particularity of these refrigerated machines is their capacity to accommodate up to 24 different products, visible through a bay window, such as the chocolate bars available in station halls. Customers select their product and pay by credit card.
The butcher manages his machines with advanced technology, allowing remote control of stock and anticipated management of conservation limits. “I receive messages when my products arrive at the expiry date,” he explains to France Bleu, emphasizing that the machine automatically applies a 20% reduction on as this date approaches.
For the holidays, he even plans to expand his offering with mini-capons and house specialties like foie gras. Convinced that word of mouth will encourage the adoption of this system, Bernard Copleux is banking on the flexibility and modernity of this solution. And in the event of failure in a locality, he plans to move his machines, which only require a power outlet. This initiative, which is already attracting the interest of other municipalities, could well further transform the social experience of local commerce. For the best or for the worst.