Banana growing business Mackays, which installed the first vending machine exclusively for bananas in a Brisbane food court in July this year, has launched two additional new units.
Still in Brisbane’s central business district, the new banana vending machines are located at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and the Roma Street Transit Centre.
The bold venture aims to increase market penetration for bananas by providing a healthy, convenient option at densely populated locations where consumers would be looking to make an on-the-go snack purchase.
The vending machines are stocked exclusively with Mackays bananas, which are delivered daily after being packed on their Queensland-based farms, and are available to consumers 24 hours a day
‘Tens of thousands of Australians work or visit public locations where fresh healthy fruit is not always convenient or accessible,” says the company’s Daniel Mackay. “We wanted to make it easy for these consumers to enjoy nature’s perfect snack, bananas, any time of the day and always in perfect ripeness.’
The Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital has approximately 7,500 staff, with more than 1,000 patients and hundreds of visitors daily, making it an ideal location to target a wide market of health-conscious consumers. The Roma Street Transit Centre is also an extremely busy point where convenience is key.
The produce has been well-received by local consumers given their nutritional appeal and competitive price. Packs of three or five bananas sell at A$2 and A$3 respectively.
MacKays Bananas is a fourth generation banana farming family which established operations in Tully, North Queensland in 1945. The company is now a leading fully integrated banana business.
