Merchbot enters Bombers' starting lineup
Manitoba-based Vidir Solutions Inc. launched its merchandise vending machine at the Bombers' 2025 CFL season home opener last month. Referred to by the company as 'merchbot,' the machine allows fans to purchase hats, hoodies and T-shirts with a few taps on a touchscreen.
Vidir is advertising the machine as the first of its kind to be found at a North American sporting event. It's designed to revolutionize how athletic programs manage merchandise sales.
'We wanted to create something that would cause some sizzle and some buzz,' said Mario Fontes, director of sales and marketing. 'We feel that the merchbot has some value for all kinds of sports organizations out there.'
A family-owned business, Vidir makes an assortment of specialized automated material handling units. The business is headquartered about 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg in Arborg, with an additional manufacturing facility in Teulon.
Vidir's vertical storage solutions are used by some of the biggest retailers in the world, including Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes.
According to the company, the merchandise vending machine product improves a sports team's operations by automating the merchandise sales process in a compact space, improving the speed of service while maximizing on-hand inventory quantities.
The challenge with the Bomber Store at Princess Auto Stadium, Fontes said, is it gets busy and the lines at the tills can get long. There's a potential for lost sales if people lose patience and leave the store before making their purchase.
'This (merchandise vending machine) allows teams to have multiple facilities in the building where people can pick up their hat or jersey away from the store,' Fontes said.
The Bombers' machine is 2.1 metres tall, 1.5 m wide and 1.5 m deep, but Fontes said the company can manufacture merchandise vending machines more than three times that size.
He added that Micro Center, a computer retail chain in the United States, is already using Vidir-created machines at six of its stores that are similar to the merchandise vending machine.
The Micro Center machines are 7.3 m tall, 4.8 m wide and 1.8 m deep, and are self-serve kiosks where people can purchase different colours and gauges of 3D printing filaments.
Vidir employees build the software that runs these machines. The software allows customers to track their inventory with ease.
'It's not just a hardware solution — it's a software solution as well,' Fontes said.
He calls the Bombers' machine a test unit and envisions Vidir building six- and 7.5-metre-tall versions for sports teams.
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'We're very happy about the product,' said Fontes, who declined to share how much such a machine might retail for.
The merchandise vending machine has worked out well for the Blue Bombers, said Wade Miller, team president and CEO.
'For them to create something that helps us save space in our stadium and allows for vertical storage … it's fantastic,' Miller said. 'It allows us to carry more product than we usually would in that area (of the stadium). As our fans get used to it, we look forward to growing it.'
Vidir Solutions was founded in 1986 by Willie Dueck, a farmer and entrepreneur. The company has more than 250 employees in Canada and around 20 in the U.S. It provides products to 45 countries.
aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca
Aaron EppReporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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