Retail

Backpack retailer installs safety vending machine, will expand product offerings

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October 7, 2020

Chrome Industries, which provides backpacks and messenger bags, has installed a vending machine in Portland, Oregon, stocked with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer to which it plans to add small bags, t-shirts and other products, according to a bikeportland.org report.

Steve McCallion, Chrome Industries president, said the machine is an attempt to maintain a connection to the community as COVID-19 has crimped its operations.

With retail moved online, he said he views vending as a way to connect the brand to the "urban fabric."

Currently stocked with safety products, Chrome Industries plans to expand vending machine offerings to include small bags, shirts, and other products in the future.

For an update on how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the kiosk industry, click here.