Medbox Featured in WSJ Article:
Causes Stock to Soar.
Medbox has reported that their stock has soared since appearing in an article in the Wall Street Journal that suggested investing in the company.
Read the full story here.
AVT Develops Biometric Secure Medicine Storage and Retrieval System for Medbox RX
AVT has developed a new line of self-service medicine storage and retrieval systems for deployment in pharmacies nationwide. The systems have been developed for Medbox RX, a leader in storage and dispensing solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
The Medbox RX Medication Storage and Retrieval System, called the "Lockbox Rx,” is a patented system that stores medicines in secure lockers, controls employee access based on customizable parameters, and allow patients to pick up their prescriptions in an automated, self-service manner.
The Lockbox Rx provides pharmacists with an innovative and cost-effective method of improving efficiencies, and allows customers to “skip the lines” and pick up their prescriptions quickly and at their convenience. The system is designed so that a pharmacist can, upon request, place a patient’s prescription refill in the storage lockbox for later retrieval. This unburdens the pharmacy staff and gives the consumer added flexibility in when and how they will pick up their medicine. To retrieve their medicine, the consumer places their finger on the system’s scanner and a biometric recognition scan will verify their identity and open their lockbox. The system also keeps track of all transactions, including when prescriptions are placed into the lockbox, and when they are retrieved. “This system is good for the pharmacist and good for the consumer,” stated Shannon Illingworth, Founder and Chairman of AVT, Inc. “In today’s competitive environment, those pharmacies that can reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction will see improvements in margins and customer loyalty.”
Medbox Announces Plans for 2013
Medbox has announced a major new division and product line for 2013. Within the next few weeks, the company will spin off a new division called Medbox RX™, to focus on the pharmaceutical sector. Medbox RX will offer their medication storage and retrieval systems, and automated medicine dispensing units to pharmacies, assisted living facilities, prisons, hospitals, urgent-care centers, doctors’ offices, and large retail chains. Read the full story here
Snack Bar Growth Continues
The U.S. snack bar market has grown at twice the rate of other snack foods and nearly three times the rate of the overall packaged food sector over the past 10 years, according to a new report from Rabobank. In the report titled "Never Eat More Than You Can Lift," Rabobank's Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory group cites that neither of the past two recessions has had much impact on snack bar category sales. The bank, a global leader in food and agribusiness financing, forecasts strong continued growth in the category in the years ahead, powered by favorable consumption trends and expanded distribution channels.
Chicago Gets Healthier Vending
Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to see healthier fare in vending machines in city buildings and hopes to have new regulations in place by January. The mayor's proposed ordinance detailing guidelines on fat, sugar and calorie content was set to be introduced to the city council this week. The guidelines would mandate that only 25% of cold beverages and all hot drinks cannot contain more than 25 calories per 8 fl.oz. All vended drinks would be limited to 12 fl.oz. At least 75% of snacks could contain no more than 250 calories, and at least five items in each vending machine would contain no more than 250mg. of sodium per serving. Gluten- and nut-free options would also have to be available. "Healthy" foods couldn't cost more than other items in the machine under the proposal. If approved, the ordinance would go into effect in January.
AVT Wins Award
AVT has won the prestigious Best Automated Retailing System - for their ingenious self-service rental kiosk they developed for Rug Doctor.
The kiosks are now in over 3000 Walmart locations throughout the nation, and customers report far greater ease in obtaining and returning equipment, and store managers state that they have received nothing but positive feedback.
State of the Industry Report
Suggests Automated Retailing Systems Outperform Traditional Manned Counters
From ink cartridges and board games, cell phones and ipads, sunglasses and swimsuits - a self-service automated retailing system allows retailers and brand owners to increase brand awareness and distribution, and cost-effectively sell products in a compelling and dynamic format.
And the rewards are enormous, according to a new report.
These automated stores can generate $3,000-$25,000 per square foot, compared to the industry average of $300 per square foot annually in a typical shopping mall.
That’s why Automated Stores are now the fastest growing sector of the retailing industry.
A self-service solution will also reduce overhead and increase the number of products sold. According to the study, cosmetics were found to sell better at an automated store than at a typical cosmetics counter.
When salaries were factored in, the automated store outperformed the employee-based model and provided a higher ROI by a factor of over 100-to-1.
There are already hundreds of automated stores nationwide in high-traffic locations such as Macy's department stores, shopping malls, supermarkets, and airports, selling high revenue-generating items including such as Apple iPods™; Sony™ headphones; Canon™ digital cameras; fragrances, cosmetics, and video games.
Say Goodbye to Twinkies
Hostess Brands said it has suspended production at all of its plants and is seeking permission from a federal bankruptcy court to permanently close its operations. It's blaming a weeklong strike by its bakers who are protesting a new contract imposed by the bankruptcy court.
The maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder bread said it will lay off 18,500 workers at its 33 bakeries and 565 distribution centers nationwide and move to sell its iconic snack cake and bread brands. The company said it would continue to deliver products, and its stores would remain open for several days to sell already-baked products
"We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike," said chief executive Gregory Rayburn.