Those from my generation likely remember the great fun we had trying to get our moms to give us a nickel or dime at the grocery store so we could get a handful of M&Ms or Hot Tamales from the coin-eating candy machines. While I was seldom successful (my Mom was a health food nut), I thought there was nothing cooler.
However, as the saying goes, “Hold my beer.” Automated vending machines at several stores in Alabama and Oklahoma are dispensing something even better than Hot Tamales—specifically, ammunition.
According to a report at al.com, a company called American Rounds makes and markets an automated ammunition dispensing machine that uses AI technology and facial recognition technology to verify a buyer’s identification and age via card scanning and facial recognition software. According to the report, a buyer inserts his or her photo ID, and the machine conducts a 360-degree scan of the purchaser’s face to match it to the ID card.
American Rounds CEO Grant Magers said Fresh Value stores in Tuscaloosa and Pell City approached his company about installing the first machines.
“The store is a real inspiration for it,” Magers said in a promotional video. “They knew their customer base and came to us and thought this would be a really good opportunity for their customer base. This is a hunting community here in Pell City, and they thought their customers would love the opportunity to buy ammunition here at the store.”
Terry Stanley, COO of Fresh Value, said he’s really excited to offer what he believes is the first ammo kiosk.
“We’re always looking for ways to give our customer another reason to come visit our stores—anything that we can do to help them and make their shopping trips easier,” Stanley said in the video. “Based on the feedback that we’ve gotten just from customers today, they are so excited about us having the ammo kiosk.”
American Rounds’ Magers said one of the ways his company is changing the landscape of ammunition sales is making it more available and more secure.
“Being able to move it into a place like a grocery store or supermarket makes it a lot more available to the public,” he said. “But we’re taking a different approach to it. Traditionally, ammunition is sold at outdoor-type stores and sporting goods stores and it just sits on the shelf. It’s very accessible, and because of that there’s a high rate of theft. But with our machines, we have a very secure automated retail machine. We’re able to age verify… So the machines really provide an opportunity for safe, affordable and available ammunition sales.”
Magers said along with Alabama, his company has machines slated to go into Louisiana and Texas in the coming year.
“So, over the next year, we’re looking forward to seeing these roll out throughout the South and Southeast,” he said.
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