Sock Spot CEO Ben Williams says he seeks ways to think outside the box when it comes to selling fun socks. "To me, this represents something in retail that hasn't been done: an evolution that allows a small online startup to expand the reach of our brand; deliver a unique, online-esque experience to brick-and-mortar; and use our wealth of digital knowledge to specialize the assortment," Williams said in a press release.

This Sock Spot automated retail unit has and will continue to distance itself from the spiral candy dispensers of yesterday, Williams asserts. "The machine is definitely a change from [the] vending machines that people know,” he said. “It is 100 percent touch-screen and 100 percent cashless — accepting mobile payment and credit cards. It has an add-to-cart feature so you can shop and purchase more than one pair at a time. As we proceed, the machine is going to keep evolving; adapting both its assortment and its interface to fit the people around it and offer a truly unique and interactive experience."

The Sock Spot worked with Digital Media Vending International to create the concept.

The Sock Spot has been selling online for about two years at this point. "As these machines get going, we hope to bridge the gap between them and our online store, into a single seamless experience," said Williams. "We are excited to see what the future holds for both the machines and our website as we do this."

The Sock Spot presence will only continue to grow and expand from here, Williams says. "We think this could be everywhere — there are fun socks for everything nowadays; it's just about making the match with the person," he said. "This machine can do that, and we are excited to expand and get more fun socks to more fun people."