Customers to buy drinks from Marconi's "Dial-a-Coke" vending machines

Oil Can, The, Mar/Apr 2001

Atlanta - Marconi Online Systems and a primary European Coca-Cola bottler announced an important new pilot for `Dial-a-Coke' with a possible future deployment to over 6,000 machines.

Selected machines will be specially upgraded to become `Dial-a-Coke' outlets using Marconi's Intelligent Vending(TM) technology - an innovative 'future today' solution which allows a consumer to pay for their drink using a GSM cellular phone.

`Dial-a-Coke' means that people may no longer worry about having the right change in their pockets to make a purchase. The system is designed to be quick and very easy to use, and because it will work alongside existing coin systems, customers will always be able to buy what they want.

This pilot potentially transforms the way consumers will buy drinks from vending machines. The machines will use Marconi's world leading Intelligent Vending solutions to deliver `Online Vending." The system allows vending machines to call in overnight, making sure that the very latest sales and operational reports arrive at the bottler's depot every morning.

Marconi Commerce Systems is the global leader in offering end-to-end technology solutions that provide retailers with ways to offer more convenience and value to their customers.

Clark Opens New On The Go(R) Concept Store

Oak Brook, IL - Clark Retail Enterprises, Inc., announced today the official opening of its first store featuring the company's new On The Go(R) brand convenience store prototype, co-branded with Clark gasoline. The 1,675 square-foot store, located at 307 W Main St. in St. Charles, Illinois, features an increased fresh food offering and sports a new logo and highenergy image package.

Gino's East Pizza anchors the store's fresh food offering, which also includes soup, sandwiches, Four Corners gourmet coffee, an expanded fountain offering and Lighthouse Tobacco products. Vibrant colors, unique fixtures and attractive materials combine to create a comfortable, relaxed retail experience in an open, well-lit atmosphere.

The new mid-sized concept store was designed with adaptations from Clark's larger formats, such as Oh! Zone. The floor plan of the On The Go concept is tailored to span Clark's different unit layouts from kiosk to large-scale. The new concept gives units of any size the ability to offer products that meet the needs of today's consumer.

Clark Retail Enterprises, Inc., based in Oak Brook, Illinois, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clark Retail Group, Inc.