News

Complaints help give wine kiosks the boot

June 6, 2011

According to a story from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wegmans Food Markets is pulling out of Pennsylvania's much-criticized wine-kiosk program.

In a statement (last week), the supermarket chain said, "We had hoped that our customers would find the kiosks to be a valuable addition to their shopping experience, but that proved not to be the case." The Rochester, N.Y., chain said that if anything, the state's latest attempt at user-friendly wine sales had backfired. A letter from Wegmans to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board complained that the machines often malfunctioned, leading to a "significant volume" of customer complaints.

"The kiosks have not realized their potential, and in some ways have been detrimental to our stores," the letter stated.

PLCB first sought proposals for a provider for up to 100 kiosks in 2008. Specs called for refrigerated units that could hold up to 500 bottles of wine and include biometrics and other security measures. The first units were deployed in a pilot rollout in June 2010. By December, expansion plans were paused to address mechanical issues. The developer of the kiosk technology, Simple Brands LLC, was charged with inspecting each unit to ensure its soundness.

Wegmans deployed 10 of the 22 units active in Pennsylvania. PLCB hopes Walmart stores will take them.