Supplier BulletinMay 08, 2024
Fusing Past and Present at the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch ShowSponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show
EditorsJan 18, 2018
Marla and the Machine
Our editor-in-chief takes a (very short) road trip to the Brooklyn Museum to meet with jewelry designer Marla Aaron and see her much-talked-about vending machine.
Marla Aaron takes a seat in front of her vending machine in the Brooklyn Museum. Originally, Aaron planned to cap the price point of the merchandise in the machine at $500 but bumped it up to $1,500 after noticing her average online sale creeping up.
If you had to guess, how long would you say vending machines have been around? Since the 1800s, or 1700s maybe?
According to a history of a vending and coffee service from NAMA, that is the National Automatic Merchandising Association, the ancient Egyptians had devices in their temples that dispensed holy water as early as 215 B.C.
In the United States, the government granted patents for coin-operated vending machines as early as 1886, and there were some dispensing gum on New York City subway platforms by 1888.
Fast-forward a few thousand years and vending machines are entering the conversation about the future of retail as they are being employed to dispense an ever-increasing variety of products.
Anyone who has passed through an airport in the past decade has seen the machines that sell electronics, like headphones and cell phone chargers, and cosmetics from brands like Benefit and Philosophy.
There are beach-side machines that sell flip-flops, and Japanese company Uniqlo started selling its clothes out of vending machines last year after plans to expand its physical footprint in the U.S. fell flat.
And now, inside a museum in what is inarguably New York’s hippest borough, a jewelry designer named Marla Aaron has a vending machine that dispenses her signature locks.
On a recent morning at the museum, I met with Aaron to see it and chat about why she sunk between $30,000 and $50,000 into a machine that dispenses jewelry with zero consultation.
Reason No. 1 will be very familiar to both designers and retailers today: She was looking for more innovative and cost-effective ways of reaching customers, outside of the traditional store and online channels.
“When you run a small business, you have to be open to a lot of new ideas. You can’t afford to do things the same old way,” Aaron told me as we stood in front of her machine, waiting for it to reboot.
“If I had done all the stuff I am supposed to do in this jewelry industry”--meaning spend thousands of dollars to exhibit at trade shows and pour money into making jewelry that gets sent out on memo--“this brand would not exist. We would not have had the economic tolerance for what that entails,” she said.
“I think that’s what leads you down this sort of path.”
According to a history of a vending and coffee service from NAMA, that is the National Automatic Merchandising Association, the ancient Egyptians had devices in their temples that dispensed holy water as early as 215 B.C.
In the United States, the government granted patents for coin-operated vending machines as early as 1886, and there were some dispensing gum on New York City subway platforms by 1888.
Fast-forward a few thousand years and vending machines are entering the conversation about the future of retail as they are being employed to dispense an ever-increasing variety of products.
Anyone who has passed through an airport in the past decade has seen the machines that sell electronics, like headphones and cell phone chargers, and cosmetics from brands like Benefit and Philosophy.
There are beach-side machines that sell flip-flops, and Japanese company Uniqlo started selling its clothes out of vending machines last year after plans to expand its physical footprint in the U.S. fell flat.
And now, inside a museum in what is inarguably New York’s hippest borough, a jewelry designer named Marla Aaron has a vending machine that dispenses her signature locks.
On a recent morning at the museum, I met with Aaron to see it and chat about why she sunk between $30,000 and $50,000 into a machine that dispenses jewelry with zero consultation.
Reason No. 1 will be very familiar to both designers and retailers today: She was looking for more innovative and cost-effective ways of reaching customers, outside of the traditional store and online channels.
“When you run a small business, you have to be open to a lot of new ideas. You can’t afford to do things the same old way,” Aaron told me as we stood in front of her machine, waiting for it to reboot.
“If I had done all the stuff I am supposed to do in this jewelry industry”--meaning spend thousands of dollars to exhibit at trade shows and pour money into making jewelry that gets sent out on memo--“this brand would not exist. We would not have had the economic tolerance for what that entails,” she said.
“I think that’s what leads you down this sort of path.”
Marla Aaron’s jewelry vending machine was installed at the Brooklyn Museum on Dec. 8, during the holiday season. It measures 72 inches high, 42 inches deep and 30 inches wide, with a footprint of 10 square feet.
Aaron said she began the process of having the machine built two years ago. At first, she wasn’t sure where it should go. A hotel? An airport? No, she decided in both cases, she wanted it to be more “for New York.”
She had a “yes” from several jewelers who were interested in housing it, but didn’t want to put her first vending machine in a traditional store.
She started down the on-a-street path but found that New York City real estate brokers don’t know, or claim not to know, how to charge for a 10-square-foot plot of land (surprising in a city so skilled at renting extremely small spaces, no?). They kept pushing her to just open a store.
Eventually, Aaron ran the idea by her friend and customer Olivia Song, an interior designer who is co-chair of the Brooklyn Museum’s board of advisors, “And it clicked,” she said.
The vending machine would go in the Brooklyn Museum, right outside the door to the gift shop.
Unlike many of the snack and soda variety, Aaron’s machine is opaque, not glass front.
A touch screen, which starts with a video of the designer talking about her jewelry, shows shoppers a picture and gives the price and description for each of the seven styles held within, which range in price from $100 to $1,472.
They tap on the style they want, swipe their credit card, and retrieve their piece from a little door located below and to the right of the touch screen. Receipts, if requested, are emailed.
The machine is part experimental retail and part branding vessel and, like any venture, it has its challenges.
“There is not one moment you can’t be thinking about how your customer feels about your brand.” -- Marla Aaron
The morning that I was there, Aaron and I were trying to run through a purchase so I could see exactly how the machine works, but it kept rejecting credit cards, both hers and mine.
While she messaged with her team to try to work it out (turns out, the machine just hadn’t reconnected to Wi-Fi after being turned off overnight), we took a seat and chatted a bit about something I’m sure a lot of people have wondered: what do you do when something goes wrong with a machine like this, when a credit card doesn’t work or a purchase gets stuck (which hasn’t happened so far, she said)?
“It’s not without its problems,” Aaron allows.
But, she said, she prides her company on being a “very accessible brand.”
She has, in the past, Skyped with customers who are having trouble opening her silver baby locks.
Customers also can find her on Instagram, where she’ll answer direct messages.
She has email addresses on her website as well as phone numbers that ring through to live human beings who also can help. (Aaron said initially, she proposed putting her personal cell phone number on the vending machine, but her team vetoed that.)
In addition, each vending machine purchase comes with a small card that reads in part, “If you would like to return or exchange one of our pieces, please email us at info@marlaaaron.com,” and then goes on to list the details of the company’s return policy.
“There is not one moment you can’t be thinking about how your customer feels about your brand,” she said.
Aaron’s vending machine made its museum debut on Dec. 8 and will be departing in a couple of weeks for destinations unknown, or unknown to us anyway. The designer said she has its next location picked out but isn’t making that information public right now.
Wherever it goes, the machine will be getting a bit of a facelift. Aaron plans to change up the video, which is currently very Brooklyn-centric, and she can also change out the exterior wrap and the product selection within.
The Brooklyn Museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway and is accessible by the 2/3 train; it sits on top of the Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stop on that line.
Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. You can view the various ticket prices here.
Editor’s note: This article was updated post-publication to correct the date the vending machine arrived at the Brooklyn Museum--it was Dec. 8, not 19--and to remove an incorrect detail about the video that displays on the machine’s touchscreen.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Editors
The Latest
IndependentsMay 07, 2024
112-Year-Old New Orleans Business Popping Up in Aspen M.S. Rau is set to open a seasonal gallery in the high-end resort town early next month.
MajorsMay 07, 2024
Richemont Acquires Italian Jeweler VhernierThe branded jewelry market is thriving, said Richemont Chairman Johann Rupert.
Brought to you by
From Registration to Return: 10 Tips to Protect You Before, During and After a TradeshowTradeshow risks are real. Get tips to protect yourself before, during and after and gain safety and security awareness for your business.
CollectionsMay 07, 2024
These ‘Luminaries’ Are Set to Light Up CoutureThe six designers, all participants in the show’s Diversity Action Council mentorship program, will exhibit in Salon 634.
Weekly QuizMay 02, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these seven questions.
AuctionsMay 07, 2024
Sotheby’s to Auction Sylvester Stallone’s WatchesThe highlight of his collection is the coveted Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, which could sell for up to $5 million.
CollectionsMay 07, 2024
Phillip Gavriel Pays Tribute to Venice With New CollectionThe “Venetian Link” series modernizes the classic Veneziana box chain in its bracelets and necklaces.
Brought to you by
Rio’s Reimagined Podcast: For the Love of JewelersMeet Ben Claus—grand prize winner of For the Love of Jewelers 2023 Fall Design Challenge.
Events & AwardsMay 07, 2024
JA Now Accepting Applications for New Bench Jeweler ScholarshipThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship will provide tuition assistance to two low-income students.
Policies & IssuesMay 06, 2024
Rolex Files Objection to Hallmark’s New Trademark ApplicationThe Swiss watchmaker said the company’s plans to use a new version of the Hallmark crown on jewelry would confuse consumers.
EditorsMay 06, 2024
Q&A: 8 Questions With Anglo American’s Benny Oeyen The executive talked about the importance of self-purchasers and how fuel cell electric vehicles are going to fuel demand for platinum.
MajorsMay 06, 2024
Malabar Gold & Diamonds Opens 4th U.S. ShowroomThe Indian jeweler’s new store in Naperville, Illinois marks its 350th location, part of its ongoing global expansion plans.
Events & AwardsMay 06, 2024
Ben Bridge Jeweler Accepting Applications for Lonia Tate ScholarshipIt will award a graduating high school student with about $10,000 toward a GIA diploma and an internship with the Seattle-based jeweler.
CrimeMay 03, 2024
Second Suspect Arrested in Murder of Colorado JewelerWheat Ridge, Colorado police took a 50-year-old man into custody Wednesday following a two-month search.
CollectionsMay 03, 2024
A Sneak Peek Into PGI’s Couture Platinum Spotlight ProgramPGI partnered with four new and seven returning designers for its annual platinum capsule collection.
MajorsMay 03, 2024
Kristie Nicolosi Joins WJA Board AgainNicolosi, president and CEO of The Kingswood Company, previously sat on WJA’s board from 2011 to 2018.
CollectionsMay 03, 2024
Piece of the Week: A “Bit of LUV” for the DerbyKarina Brez’s race-ready piece is a sophisticated nod to the horse-rider relationship.
CrimeMay 02, 2024
4 Indicted in Burglary Ring Targeting Indian, South Asian FamiliesThe men are allegedly responsible for stealing millions in jewelry and other valuables in 43 burglaries in 25 towns across Massachusetts.
CollectionsMay 02, 2024
Foundrae Launches ‘Horizon’ Collection“Horizon” invites individuals to explore the limitless possibilities that lie ahead, said the brand.
FinancialsMay 02, 2024
Pandora Raises Guidance After Strong Q1The jeweler credits its recent “Be Love” campaign and ongoing brand revamp for its 17 percent jump in sales.
IndependentsMay 02, 2024
Oklahoma Jeweler Glenn Lewis Dies at 68The co-founder of Lewis Jewelers was also the longtime mayor of the city of Moore.
AuctionsMay 02, 2024
Vintage Baume & Mercier With Ties to Elvis Sells for $7K Elvis Presley gifted this circa 1967 gold and diamond watch to Dodie Marshall, his co-star in “Easy Come, Easy Go.”
SurveysMay 01, 2024
Consumer Confidence Falls in AprilConcerns about rising prices, politics, and global conflicts continue to dampen consumer outlook.
TrendsMay 01, 2024
Amanda’s Style File: All Eyes on EmeraldsMay’s birthstone is beloved for its rich green hue and its versatility.
SourcingMay 01, 2024
Opsydia Names New Sales and Marketing Director Jacqui Larsson joins Opsydia with nearly two decades of experience in the industry.
CrimeMay 01, 2024
Grand Jury to Hear Case Against Jeweler Charged in Fatal Shove Following IJO ShowLast month in Dallas, David Walton pushed another jeweler, David Ettinger, who later died.
