Vending Machine for New Way of Bra Shopping
Japan has become famous for its vending machines that dispense almost everything, from drinks and beverages, handkerchiefs, eggs, snacks, to freshly cut apples, and many more items. The latest product that has been made available through a vending machine is the farthest from what you expect: bras.
Surprised? It is true, and it is a reality – in Tokyo, Japan. Putting up a bra dispensing machine is the idea of Wacoal, a popular Japanese bra brand. The machine is stationed at the Wacoal’s Une Nana Cool specialty shop in Sibuya. It is very obvious that the machine is part of Wacoal’s publicity stunt, and it seems that it is doing well. The company’s goal for this year is to sell 45,000 Fun Fun Week lines of undergarments at the Wacoal stores.
To get your bra from the vending machine, you only have to look at the size chart that is displayed alongside the machine. You choose your size, the bra style and color. Then you insert your payment (just like when you are getting a snack from a machine). The bras are priced at US $30, or JPY 2,940. At the push of a button, you can see the machine dispensing the purchased bra. Cool, isn’t it? You need not tell the sales staff your bra size (and you don’t even need to talk to them, unless your money gets captured by the machine).
Of course, as in every new product or system that is introduced to the market, there will always be opposing comments. Some say it’s rather strange to buy bras from a vending machine, because you don’t get to try them on. Others say this idea originated from an old man. However, women may find it easier to get their bras from a machine, compared to visiting one lingerie shop after another. The machine is also ideal when you need a bra in a hurry (for whatever reason), and you’re just a short walk away from the Une Nana shop.
If you’re traveling to Tokyo and intentionally left your bras behind, because you don’t have any plan of wearing one while you’re there, the vending machine can be a great help when you need a bra. This is applicable for instances like when you need to go to an unexpected event, where going braless is taboo.
Most women do not like bra shopping. They don’t like talking to strangers about their breast sizes. They hate it when they need to go to the fitting room, take off their clothes and try on a bra, then put on the clothes again to get another style, and back to the fitting room. It seems like a big hassle for them. The bra vending machine is great, if you know your exact size. However, it is working only in Japan. How would you wish to see machines such as these positioned in malls around the world?