Utique Aims to Make it Easy for Shoppers
Mara Segal doesn’t like the “K” word, which in her line of work refers to kiosks. What about a vending machine? Retail on demand? Auto shops? “I’m not sure. The nomenclature hasn’t been determined yet,” says Segal, CEO and founder of San Francisco-based Utique. “But what I do know is that the need for convenience is propelling the growth of these kinds of sales. All we need is an electrical outlet and foot traffic, and we can open a store.” While it seems that most startups these days focus on some kind of mobile app, Utique has created technology that it hopes will change the face of retail. Utique has patented the technology behind the machine seen above, which in this example sells beauty products, such as mascara and lip balm, and even mink eyelashes (for $160).
