What Happened at the Hangover Soup Vending Machine in Front of the Golf Course...

Many Golfers Buy Equipment After Meals... Popularity Rises with Automation Trend

A consumer is purchasing golf equipment from the golf equipment vending machine 'Cubing'.
[Photo by Experon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] #On a weekend morning, Lee Hyung-soo (55, pseudonym), who had just finished breakfast at a haejangguk (hangover soup) restaurant near a golf course in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, recalled borrowing golf balls from acquaintances during the last hole of his previous round. He urgently needed to buy golf balls, but the golf shop inside the course was not open at that time. While feeling troubled, Lee noticed a golf equipment vending machine at the entrance of the haejangguk restaurant. The prices were cheaper compared to the golf shop. Lee purchased golf balls and golf gloves from the vending machine and headed to the golf course.

The golf equipment vending machine installed near golf courses in the metropolitan area is gaining attention. The vending machine where Lee bought golf balls is the AI unmanned platform "Qving," installed by the golf brand Xperon. Qving is a vending machine equipped with Xperon's proprietary unmanned management system and remote advertising system. With Internet of Things (IoT) functionality, it allows real-time monitoring of how many products remain and how many have been sold across all machines nationwide by both the headquarters and the locations where Qving is installed.

Xperon is a company that sells golf products such as its self-produced golf balls "Vivid" and leather gloves. The vending machines have been installed in about 1,000 locations nationwide, including screen golf centers, large supermarkets, movie theaters, and restaurants near golf courses, generating approximately 1.8 billion KRW in annual sales.

An interesting fact is that the vending machines installed near restaurants by golf courses have the highest sales. While vending machines inside large screen golf centers generate about 500,000 KRW in monthly sales on average, those at haejangguk restaurants near golf courses achieve monthly sales of 600,000 to 700,000 KRW per machine.

Park Jin-hong, Planning Director at Xperon, said, "Vending machines installed near famous restaurants around metropolitan area golf courses have quite high sales, mainly because golfers who start their rounds early buy balls or gloves after their meals." Park added, "Our goal is to expand the number of vending machines from 30 famous restaurants near metropolitan golf courses nationwide and for Qving to replace golf shops inside golf courses." The company is developing a cryptocurrency payment system for Qving vending machines, which is expected to be available around next year.

There is also a vending machine that allows customers to order ramen according to their personal preferences. At Auto Bunsik, an unmanned store operating in Hosan-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, customers can select the type of ramen?Shin Ramyun, Jin Ramyun, Ansungtangmyun?along with the amount of water and the degree of doneness via a kiosk. Customers can choose from three taste options: mild, regular, or salty, and three noodle textures: soft, regular, or chewy. Auto Bunsik has six ramen cookers installed, completing cooking, serving, and cleaning within five minutes.

A ramen vending machine that allows you to adjust the taste and noodle texture according to personal preference has also appeared.
[Photo by Otobunsik]

Recently, riding the wave of automation, innovative vending machines like Qving are increasing. According to the Korea Vending Machine Industry Association, there are currently about 100,000 beverage vending machines, 60,000 coffee vending machines, and 25,000 smart multi-function vending machines installed and operating domestically. While beverage and coffee vending machines are declining, multi-function vending machines are steadily increasing.

Kim Ji-wan, Director of the Korea Vending Machine Industry Association, said, "With the normalization of non-face-to-face trends, the value and necessity of vending machines have grown." He added, "Although coffee and beverage vending machines are hitting bottom, non-face-to-face and unmanned stores are emerging as the most efficient and suitable business items, so the installation of multi-function vending machines centered around unmanned stores will continue to increase."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.