News

Village Vending brings back English village stores

April 9, 2014

Village Vending, a company based in the small historic town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, U.K., is providing self-service kiosks with the look and feel of traditional village stores.

Village stores, once the center of English rural life, have been on the run from superstores that have sprung up on the periphery of neighboring towns.

Village Vending has begun rolling out the "Speedy Shop" kiosks it designs and manufactures; it also installs, operates, stocks and maintains the kiosks. The company places its kiosks in village pubs, community centers and churches, with exterior cladding that is custom-designed to blend in with its surroundings.

So far, two Speedy Shops have been installed in the U.K. by Village Vending, making 80 basic items available during extended opening hours. Stocked items include tinned and bottled food, different types of milk, pet food, eggs and cleaning materials. The company says prices are kept as competitive as possible.

The Speedy Shop placed in Clifton, Derbyshire has proved hugely popular with residents of the village who lost their shop 10 years ago, according to the Daily Mirror.

Speedy Shop kiosks are designed by 50 year-old electrical engineer Peter Fox, reports the Belfast Telegraph. The machines have a number of security features as well as cameras allowing Fox to receive constant updates on stock levels. Stocked items are also streamed in real-time to Village Vending's website.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, Fox intends to roll out more kiosks in Derbyshire over the next few months.