Automatic Merchandiser - 10

VendingMarketWatch Top News Stories
NAMA Show 2019 Delivers
Largest Show Floor To Date

T

he NAMA Show returned
to Las Vegas April 24 to 26,
bringing the convenience
services industry together for
innovative features, products
and services, education and
networking experiences.
* Expanded for 2019, the Better for You Pavilion featured
healthier snacks and beverages, including plant- and
NAMA Show 2019 attendees peruse the New Product Zone.
fruit-based snacks, jerky,
protein bars and drinks, tea and more.
* Sponsored by PepsiCo, the General Session featured futurist and author Mike
Walsh. NAMA President and CEO Carla Balakgie spoke on how the industry can
"do well by doing good" as it formulates a public health commitment, and Chair
Jeff Smith expounded on the importance of company culture, agility and embracing change.

FDA Hears from
Stakeholders
Regarding CBD
▶	 Norman "Ned"

Sharpless, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug
Administration, led the
agency's first public hearing
on CBD products May 31
and raised many questions
regarding the safety of the
ingredients, according to The
Washington Post.
More than 100 stakeholders testified at the hearing, and while they differed
in what they believed the
regulations should be, they
stressed that regulation decisions were urgent, as CBD
use has become common.

Record exhibitor count
"Attendees and exhibitors alike deemed Las Vegas a 'fantastic show,' with booth sales
for 2020 kicking into high gear right on the show floor," said Lindsey Nelson, VP of
Programs and Services at NAMA. "The industry showed up in full force, with more
than 4,600 attendees and 367 exhibiting companies. This year we hosted our highest
exhibitor count and largest show floor to date, including 132 first-time exhibitors."

Generation NEXT
Announces Exclusive
Contract For Columbia
▶	 Generation NEXT

Three Square Market
Opens Another Self Pay
Convenience Store In
Western Pennsylvania

seventh self pay retail store,
this location is built out with
what 32M and James are
looking as their prototype
for over 100 additional 32M
self pay stores set to open
in 2019. The grand opening
was April 4, 2019.

▶	 Three Square Market

(32M), the leading innovator
in self pay kiosks, partnered
with James Vending, Inc.
and JV Marketplace out
of Pittsburgh, PA, to open
another self pay convenience
store at the Galleria Mall
in Johnstown, PA. Their

10

Automatic Merchandiser

Five Star Announces
Series Of Four
Acquisitions
▶	 Five Star Food Service,

VendingMarketWatch.com

headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, announced in
April the completion of four
recent acquisitions spanning
service lines of micro markets, vending, pantry, office
coffee, water and catering.
The company announced
the acquisition of Southern
Refreshment Services in
Atlanta, Knoxville, TN-based
Star Vending, Jonesboro,
GA-based Tara Vending, and
the bottled water service
business Nature's Big Spring
Water in Knoxville, TN, from
Calhoun, GA-based J&J
Water, Inc.

June/July 2019

Franchise Brands, Inc.,
announced May 28 that its
flagship subsidiary, Reis &
Irvy's, signed an exclusive
franchise agreement for
the robot-staffed frozen
yogurt and ice cream chain
in Columbia, SC. The $2
million, exclusive territory
contract includes the upfront
purchase of 20 kiosks, with
contract commitments to
purchase an additional 24
kiosks over the next five
years.
Reis & Irvy's is the world's
first fully-automated robotic
frozen dessert vending kiosk
designed to disrupt brickand-mortar competitors.
http://www.VendingMarketWatch.com
Automatic Merchandiser

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