After David Ashforth sold his vending business in the UK in 2008, he came to San Francisco, expecting to see high tech everything, including vending machines. He was shocked by what he saw. Vending machines in America were anything but high tech.    

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio talks with David Ashforth, who saw an opportunity, launched Digital Media Vending and began manufacturing vending machines. Digital Media Vending is not a traditional vending machine manufacturer. They specialize in helping operators and entrepreneurs utilize their custom equipment to sell a wide variety of products. Soda, energy drinks and snacks are not part of the equation, but Ashforth encourages mainstream operators to take a long look at what Digital Media Vending has to offer, simply because the revenue streams being enjoyed by his clients are quite impressive.

“Mainstream vending operators have the infrastructure in place to service any location,” said Ashforth. “It is a mistake for an operator to avoid the opportunity that exists in airports, shopping malls and other non-traditional locations that our machines are made for. The unique design of our machines opens the door to locations, like airports and malls, that are typically out of reach for most operators.”

After the NAMA Show in 2023, Ashforth suddenly finds himself in front of a trend, as selling niche products from attractive equipment was an exciting and popular concept. Mainstream operators are beginning to take notice of what Ashforth is selling.