Vending machines make duty-free shopping easier for Japan traveler

11-02-23

Japan has long led the way in making shopping easier with vending machines but one company is now extending that convenience to foreign visitors purchasing duty-free goods, which can often be a time-consuming process.

Travelers can preorder items online and pick them up at automated retail machines at airports or other transport hubs in major cities including Tokyo, removing the hassle of filling in duty-free documents, waiting in line at stores to get refunds, or carrying around purchases during stays.

WAmazing Inc., an online platform for foreign tourists, offers 6,900 items, including popular sweets and snacks, Japanese-brand cosmetics, baby food and baby formula, shampoos, conditioners and detergents.

The website is offered in Chinese and English, with the products mainly targeting young female visitors from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as the age of visitors from those countries drops due to the effects of the pandemic, WAmazing said.