Mechanical vendors dish up a little of that human touch

By BILLY ADAMS Herald correspondent

TOKYO - Beauty consultants have a new rival for women's affections in the all-important task of choosing lipsticks and eye-shadow: the humble vending machine.

Buying makeup from a hunk of grey metal on the street might seem bizarre, but this one adds a personal touch.

First, it takes a photograph of the prospective buyer and, depending on her complexion, suggests the product which suits her best.

And the customer doesn't have to take the machine's word for it - it has a digital display and pen which allows her to see how any of the cosmetics on offer would actually look on her face.

The simulation is likely to be launched next year in Japan. Japanese women reportedly spend more on cosmetics than anywhere else, and more than 50 per cent are thought to have used a beauty consultant.

One survey said women nominated "walking the dog in the morning" as an appropriate occasion to wear makeup.

The simulator is just one example of manufacturers taking vending machines into areas recently viewed as fantasy.

Advances in technology mean that in parts of Japan people can download new albums onto their mini-disk players from street corner machines called "music pods".

Fast forward another few years and full-length movies will be available to download.

It's a far cry from the common perception of a vending machine in many countries - often out of order, short of change, poorly stocked, vandalised and dirty.

But in Japan they are a national obsession, as ubiquitous as sushi and green tea.

In a country with a population of 126 million, there is one vending machine for every 23 people. They are on just about every street corner, on remote mountain tracks, at the entrances of ancient temples. Around the country there are 100 "self-serve" convenience stores consisting solely of vending machines.

Beverages account for the majority of the 7112 billion stuffed into machines each year.

But the range of products on offer is mind-boggling. From raw fish to noodles, popcorn to candyfloss, instant cameras to bird seed, you can buy just about anything.

For manufacturers, the new technology means improved efficiency. By connecting their machines to the net, small electronic chips provide instant sales data and advance warning of stocks running low.

Some firms have acted to ease concerns about minors buying cigarettes and alcohol by developing machines which can read birth dates on driving licences, and detect fakes.

For the public, a bewildering array of new machines beckons.

The firm behind the makeup simulator, Fuji Denki Reiki, is due to release a second machine that will recommend soft drinks or coffees. After analysing the customer's previous purchases on a pre-paid card, it suggests the best few on offer from up to 40 available.

Fuji says its new products will provide customers with a more "cosy and homey" vending experience.

But Japan's largest cosmetics maker, Shiseido, believes the cosmetics machine is unlikely to provide an immediate threat to the livelihoods of beauty consultants.

"Most of our products are sold through department stores, perfumeries and cosmetic shops," said spokesman Toshiaki Igeta.

"This idea is interesting because it's new. The customer can put the money in, press the button and get the merchandise with a lot of information from the equipment. But for the brand, I don't think it's appropriate. Counselling is necessary to explain a product to the customer. And for that you need the human touch."

Ironically, as vending machines go high-tech, people are likely to continue to pay for purchases in the old-fashioned way. In Japan, where many wage packets still come in the form of envelopes stuffed with 10,000 notes, cash is king.

Efforts to increase electronic payments are not expected to make a significant dent in the popularity of coin-operated machines.

"Credit cards were introduced here 20 or 30 years ago but not many people use them," says Takashi Kurosaki.

"People here simply prefer to use paper money or coins."