The Sunshine Laundromat is Home to an Unusual Vending Machine
Katherine Pendrill — March 21, 2016 — Lifestyle
The Sunshine Laundromat in Brooklyn, New York, recently made headlines for its unusual vending machine. Instead of traditional offerings such as candy, chips and chocolate bars, this machine also includes items that are usually only found in pharmacies.
While waiting for their clothes to dry, customers at the Sunshine Laundromat can use the vending machine to purchase pregnancy tests, lube and even emergency contraceptives such as the PlanB pill. Although laundromat owner Peter Rose originally included the items for fun, the unusual selection has proved very popular with customers who are looking for easier access to items that are often considered taboo.
While the birth control-selling vending machine may seem like an unusual addition to a laundromat, the initiative actually represents a groundbreaking effort to normalize access to emergency contraceptives and other sexual health items.
While waiting for their clothes to dry, customers at the Sunshine Laundromat can use the vending machine to purchase pregnancy tests, lube and even emergency contraceptives such as the PlanB pill. Although laundromat owner Peter Rose originally included the items for fun, the unusual selection has proved very popular with customers who are looking for easier access to items that are often considered taboo.
While the birth control-selling vending machine may seem like an unusual addition to a laundromat, the initiative actually represents a groundbreaking effort to normalize access to emergency contraceptives and other sexual health items.
Trend Themes
1. Normalization of Access to Sexual Health Products - The birth control-selling vending machine represents a disruptive innovation opportunity to normalize access to emergency contraceptives and other sexual health items in nontraditional settings like laundromats.
2. Convenience-based Vending Machines - The popularity of the vending machine at Sunshine Laundromat indicates a disruptive innovation opportunity for convenience-based vending machines that offer non-traditional items.
3. Breaking Taboos in Retail Spaces - The inclusion of pregnancy tests and emergency contraceptives in a laundromat vending machine opens up a disruptive innovation opportunity for breaking taboos and expanding product offerings in nontraditional retail spaces.
Industry Implications
1. Pharmaceutical Industry - The inclusion of emergency contraceptives and other sexual health items in a vending machine highlights a disruptive innovation opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry to explore nontraditional distribution channels.
2. Retail Industry - The success of the vending machine at Sunshine Laundromat suggests a disruptive innovation opportunity for the retail industry to consider offering nontraditional products in unconventional settings.
3. Laundromat Industry - The birth control-selling vending machine presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the laundromat industry to expand their services and cater to a wider range of customer needs.
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