ATLANTA – Co a-Cola is introducing Internet of Things (IoT)-connected vending machines to c-stores and retail outlets in Chicago and Dallas. These “smart” machines will accept cashless payments, track product inventory and monitor efficiency—all hopefully leading to increased sales.

“We’re essentially doing two things: using sensors in our coolers to collect data, and then using that data to help our bottlers and customers make better decisions,” said Pete Rohwer, director of equipment commercialization at Coca-Cola North America. “Some beacons are hardwired, some are battery-powered and some have cameras. We’re adding them to our cold drink equipment, connecting them via Bluetooth and sending the information to the cloud.”

Coca-Cola bottlers can track fleet locations to monitor temperature, lighting, energy use and overall performance. Some machines with cameras can provide real-time inventory information to identify service needs in real-time. Data will also provide insight on shopper patterns to enhance the strategic location and size of coolers.

The company’s digital vending strategy consists of three elements: a smart connected fleet, empowering digital path to purchase and seamless payment and loyalty. It’s a strategy that correlates to a bigger shift where retailers can experience business transformation once they start using business intelligence and analytics solutions alongside Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, Bluetooth technology and RFID tags. Coca-Cola’s sales team is also using augmented reality to show customers how new equipment works.