Today, let’s talk about the business idea of self-service vending machines in shopping malls.

Self-service vending machines have the highest adoption rate in Japan, with a wide variety of products available. When you’re out shopping at the mall, you probably come across all sorts of self-service vending machines: blind box dispensers, lipstick machines, and claw machines. However, in our area, self-service vending machines are still in their “infancy” stage.
As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Recently, I had a chat with a friend from Jiangsu who specializes in phone cases, and inadvertently discovered this untapped market for DIY phone case printing.

01 Why phone cases?

In today’s world, from the elderly to young people, almost everyone owns a smartphone, making the phone case market extremely vibrant.
With nearly 2 billion smartphones in circulation domestically, coupled with the rapid adoption of 5G and the frequent release of new smartphone models, the update cycle for both phones and phone cases has significantly shortened. Especially among young people, who value freedom and enjoy expressing their individuality, phone cases are naturally replaced more frequently.
Some might ask, “On platforms like Taobao and Pinduoduo, phone cases cost only a few dollars. What advantages do DIY phone case printing kiosks in malls offer?”
First, DIY phone case printing kiosks require minimal space, occupying just 1.3 square meters. They are stable, have low maintenance costs, and can even provide smart alerts and remote after-sales support. Kiosks also don’t require staff—just timely restocking—significantly reducing labor costs.
Additionally, the DIY nature of the machines greatly satisfies customers’ personalized needs, aligning with user expectations. Furthermore, self-service machines placed in shopping malls also meet the conditions for scenario-based consumption: generally, families, couples, and friends are more likely to shop together, so seeing the DIY phone case machines, it is natural for them to create matching phone cases for families, friends, or couples.
Why emphasize that this is a blue ocean project? Currently in China, DIY phone case self-service machines are just being introduced. Compared to lipstick machines and blind box machines, which have seen extremely rapid adoption and intense competition, phone case self-service machines have not yet achieved widespread adoption. This is the optimal time to enter the market proactively.

02 What about costs and profits?

Taking a certain brand’s fully automatic phone case vending machine as an example, the monthly rental cost for a mall location is around 1,000 yuan. The selling price of phone cases is set at 19.9 yuan, and the materials for DIY phone cases cost approximately 3 yuan. Therefore, the profit margin per phone case is around 17 yuan. The self-service machine can sell around 20 phone cases per day. After deducting location fees and material costs, the monthly net profit is approximately 10,000 yuan.
A machine costs between 10,000 and 30,000 yuan on the 1688 official website, and the investment can be recouped in less than four months.
During holidays, increased foot traffic can significantly boost order volume, with monthly revenue reaching 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Due to the strong user loyalty of DIY phone cases, the product has a very high repurchase rate, leading to significant increases in sales in the long term.

03 How to start this business?

To deploy vending machines, you need to apply for an individual business license and a business license.

Individual businesses can apply for a business license at the local district market supervision bureau, while enterprises and institutions must apply at the business license window of the district or county administrative service center;
simultaneously, they should also follow the standard procedures for obtaining individual business licenses and enterprise business licenses.

04 How to operate?

The operation of self-service machines is very simple. Users only need to scan a QR code with WeChat and can complete the self-service order in just one minute. For operators, only a smartphone is needed to manage the machine, perform remote control, and view revenue anytime, anywhere.
The deployment of self-service machines is suitable for various offline scenarios and can be operated through multiple channels.
Generally, locations should be chosen in areas with high foot traffic and high population mobility, such as shopping malls, supermarkets, pedestrian streets, schools, tourist attractions, restaurants, subways, high-speed rail stations, train stations, bus stations, waiting rooms, theme parks, and family-friendly venues.
In the early stages, venues can be sought through commercial district tenders or by actively seeking business opportunities.
Most commercial districts have their own bidding plans; we simply need to obtain the contact information of the responsible party to discuss cooperation. If a location does not have a bidding plan, you can directly contact the relevant responsible department or rely on connections to facilitate business negotiations. After confirming both parties’ needs, proceed with further cooperation.
In any industry, relying solely on individual efforts or a single store cannot maximize profits. As long as the return on investment is viable, scaling up is necessary. This is why so many supermarkets prefer to open chain stores, and sports brands establish national chains—a single store has limited reach, while multiple stores can achieve city-wide or even national coverage.