New York, NY (Top40 Charts) USA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: USAT) ("USAT"), a payment technology provider of cashless and mobile transactions in self-serve retail, today announced that French-Rock band, Phoenix, has selected USA Technologies' cashless payment technology for its unattended pop-up merchandise experience on the U.S. leg of their world tour.
Phoenix has been making headlines for its decision to bring a vending machine, aptly named, Super Mercato, on the band's world tour to sell merchandise and promote their recently released album, Ti Amo. The Super Mercato pop-up shop makes it easy for fans to pick up merchandise using credit cards or mobile wallet payments like Apple or Android Pay, a perfect solution for their (primarily post Millennial) fan base.
"The idea to work with a vending machine was initially something that came from the band directly. They wanted to create a fun experience for fans and one that would echo the themes of their new album, Ti Amo. Working closely with USA Technologies, our team customized the machine down to the smallest detail, giving it a lot of character and aligning it with the aesthetic and fantasy behind the band's new record," said Matt Sadie, artist manager at United Management. "This is something that fans have really reacted to, especially after including the machine in social media videos and music videos. The machine really took on a life of its own. On a commercial level, it also had practical advantages too, giving us the ability to expand the range of goods beyond those sold at the traditional merchandise table. We even had the machine resident at Amoeba Records in Hollywood following the band's performance at the Hollywood Bowl in June. Over the next year, the machine will travel with the band around the world, taking up residency from time to time along the way. We've seen a huge reaction with the press as well as from fans online including filming their experience at the machine, to showing the vast lines of people lining up to buy a souvenir. Financially, it has been very consistent and a great addition to the merchandise revenue of the band."
Traveling merchandise pop-ups make it possible for artists to increase the number of items that they can sell at a venue, festival or fan events and at a variety of price points. Using a vending machine makes it super easy for fans to make a purchase - just select, swipe, dispense and go.
"Phoenix is a pioneer in the world of fan merchandising. Unattended merchandise machines unlock new opportunities for the band to connect and market to its fans," said Amelia Powell, senior director of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships, USA Technologies. "The band is able to better understand what is selling most, what their payment preference may be and how those items may be contributing to the bottom line. By gaining access to merchandise data remotely, the band is able to better plan for future shows and focus their attention on what matters most, the music!"
USA Technologies caught up with the crew during their stop in Philadelphia to talk about the "Super Mercato" machine and the idea behind it. To learn more, watch the video. To catch Super Mercato on tour, visit: https://wearephoenix.com/live/.
