Delivering 24/7 convenient access to fresh, local produce helping consumers to make sustainable choices
Global technology company Glory, has today announced the launch of a new Internet-of-Things enabled vending solution with Germany’s largest railway operator Deutsche Bahn.
Passengers at two busy stations in the Munich area will now be able to select fresh, locally sourced produce, either in advance via a web app accessible through their smartphone or directly at the machine.
The first of its kind at any railway station in Germany and branded “Zugvogel” by Deutsche Bahn, the Glory solution combines IoT-enabled hardware with cloud-based software. The connected nature of the solution allows not just convenient consumer ordering through the app, but remote monitoring of the temperature within the refrigerated unit and sell-by dates of the individual items to ensure freshness, together with detailed stock levels to maximise availability of popular products while avoiding waste.
With increased consumer interest in understanding more about their food choices, details of ingredients. allergens and the source of the items available are displayed both through the app and via a large screen on the machine. As part of heightened focus on sustainability and environmental impact, food traceability is becoming more important for many consumers and every product purchased through the Zugvogel machines can be tracked backed to the original, local producer.
When talking about the solution Dominik Cipa, Director of Innovation at Glory Global Solutions said “We are delighted to be working with such a globally recognised company as Deutsche Bahn on this project. Our combined cloud-based software and internet of things hardware delivers a complete solution responding to the increasing consumer desire for convenient access, 24 hours a day seven days a week, to fresh locally sourced food choices.”
“With the ‘Zugvogel’ products, travellers and residents can eat healthily, support local producers and thus contribute to a sustainable lifestyle. This particularly benefits commuters who can provide themselves with a healthy meal ‘to go’ on their way to work or on their way home. With this service, we want to make the stations more attractive for our guests and thus win more people for the environmentally friendly railway,” said Deutsche Bahn’s Mareike Schoppe, station manager for the stations in Munich and the surrounding area.
Following the initial two installations, Deutsche Bahn is planning to deploy further units at stations in Munich City and potentially across Germany.
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