Key takeaways

• Vending machine market could surpass $19 billion by 2033

• Airport kiosks make electronics and fresh food available around the clock

• Contactless payments have made machines more aligned with consumer preferences

Vending machines have brought more buying variety to more spaces. E-commerce giant Amazon has added pharmacy kiosks to its growth strategy.

Getting a Chick-fil-A wrap at 2 a.m.? It’s a reality now (except on Sundays), thanks to the brand expanding into vending machines. The first Chick-fil-A vending machine premiered at a hospital in Augusta, Georgia in October, with a second arriving shortly after on the Georgia Tech college campus. Offering potato chips as well as chicken and veggie wraps, it’s a 24/6 operation that’s gone viral.¹

The market for vending machines in the U.S. is expected to hit $19.95 billion by 2033 (up from $15.02 billion in 2024), with consumer demand for contactless options pushing growth.² Machines that don’t take physical money had the highest revenue share last year,³ and their popularity follows Empower research findings, which show more than a third of Americans (35%) are mostly cashless.

People also have prioritized speed when making shopping decisions, as seen through the spread of store self-checkouts and at-home delivery. With Americans valuing an hour of their time at $240, they’re looking to make the most of every minute, and the on-demand nature of vending machines can help save time.

Read more: Time is Money

Convenience can also sometimes mean a tradeoff: The price of food from vending machines has climbed 6.3% year-over-year, based on Consumer Price Index data from September (the most recent available).⁴

Despite the rise in costs, innovation across the vending space illustrates how companies and consumers still see value in availability and variety.

Changing habits

Some vending machines have ventured beyond the candy-or-chips space, offering $1 art pieces or prepaid cellphones ready to make a call.^5,6

The 50 million passengers expected to fly during end-of-year holidays may encounter a variety of vending machines at airports. They also fill a gap when airport retail stores can be closed during overnight hours, as they’re available for food and goods around the clock.

Travelers in a bind can find iStore electronics vending machines to grab a pair of headphones for a flight or charger for their phone. The company’s “smart kiosks” of accessories are scattered across some of America’s busiest airports, including Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).⁷

A last-minute buy could become a more normal occurrence: At least one smartphone company has started to ship phones without a charging cable included, and Apple stopped providing USB cables with its latest models of AirPods earbuds.⁸ So unless consumers have stockpiled enough cords (and remember to pack them), some travelers may need to buy as needed.

Farmer’s Fridge machines have brought jarred salads and refrigerated meals to around 20 U.S. airports — along with hospitals, colleges, and event stadiums.⁹ With 1,600 total locations across the country, vending machines can match healthier eating habits in more places. People have been boosting their spending on produce, as fresh fruit and vegetable sales set an all-time high last year.

Pharmacy push

Filling a prescription is also getting a revamp. Beginning in December, Amazon will launch self-serve pharmacy kiosks within select One Medical locations around the Los Angeles area, with a wider rollout planned in the new year. The machines will stock products to meet common needs like antibiotics, blood pressure treatments, and allergy and flu medicines, which can be made available to patients right after a scheduled appointment.¹⁰

Spending on retail prescription drugs made up around 11% of all U.S. healthcare services costs in 2022, jumping from around 7% in the 1990s.¹¹ The market for career pharmacists has contributed to the growth of more contactless options like doorstep delivery of prescriptions. Pharmacy kiosks could be the next iteration of innovation, in which people get their prescriptions in hand without a commute and with much less of a wait.

Read more: Rx revamp: It’s easier than ever to get doorstep delivery of prescriptions

On-the-go rush

With vending machines mixing new products and locations, consumers may be able to find what they want at their fingertips, because speed is of the essence. Empower research found that more than half of people (53%) want to get items as fast as possible, no matter where they come from.