The largest trade fair for tobacco and smoking accessories, InterTabac, took place in Dortmund, Germany, from 19 to 21 September, with more exhibitors than ever before. It set new records with five exhibition halls and 11,000 visitors, 40% of whom came from countries other than Germany.
In this edition, there was a special section for cigarette vending machines, where Azkoyen showed two solutions: the new Step Media and an automatic retail system which caught the attention of the hundreds of visitors to its stand.
The new Step Media has been designed especially for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where cigarette advertising is permitted on vending machines under tobacco advertising laws. The new model features a 10″ screen for multimedia content that completes the In-Touch touchscreen series of up to 22″, well-established in these markets.
In the event in Germany, Azkoyen also presented its automatic retail system, which may be relevant in countries in which the sale of tobacco products is legal in supermarkets or hypermarkets but not in small retailers due to age restrictions and thefts. The automatic retail system from Azkoyen gives customers the chance to select products in the kiosk, pay for them at the checkout and collect them from the dispenser on their way out. The system can be caused to sell age-restricted products like alcohol or cigarettes, and expensive items as well, preventing them from being stolen.
The trade show in Germany became an interesting showcase for Azkoyen, hoping to strengthen leadership in Germany with cigarette vending machines and to start operating in new sectors, like the retail or the electronic cigarette markets.