T & M Hardware and Rental’s sole Butler County location in Jackson Township has a new addition is in the works: a vending machine that, instead of pop and snacks, dispenses the store’s hardware products.

The goal is to address an accessibility problem, said co-owner Samantha Post.

“Nothing’s really open 24/7 anymore,” Post said. T & M closes at 7 p.m.

In case of overnight emergencies, like broken pipes or pinhole leaks, Post said their customers are often forced to take the next morning — sometimes, the whole day — off.

“Our family has always been very blessed because we have keys to the store, so we can just resolve those things in the moment,” Post said.

With something similar available to customers in need, they can resolve their issues quicker, and perhaps get a good night’s sleep as well, she said.

“Around the world, vending machines are becoming a little bit more prominent as a solution,” said Post. “So, we thought, ‘hey, why not put hardware in it?’”

The upcoming vending machine at T & M’s Jackson Township tool shop will be the company’s second. The first, which became operational in March, was set up at the family-owned company’s Pittsburgh location in Bellevue.

“We were pilot testing it at a location that has way more visibility because it's brand new, so we needed to get people comfortable with the idea of it,” Post said.

It took about a year to find the vending machine appropriate for hardware products, Post said.

“It's not like snacks where they're all roughly the same size,” Post said. “So, that was a bit of a challenge.”

Also difficult at first, Post said, was getting the word out. She noted that some customers — usually older shoppers — are more confused and think the vending machine is just a display.

But sales through the vending machine at the Bellevue shop have increased over time as customers have become accustomed to it, Post said.

“Feedback’s really good,” said Post. “It took a little while because it's such a new concept, and it requires a behavior change.”

Some have even started using the vending machine to shop during business hours.

“It acts like a self checkout,” said Post. “You know what you need and you only need one thing — you can easily bypass the store entirely.”

Post said many in the industry, and even some of her family members who co-own the company with her, did not immediately grasp the concept of the vending machine.

“The second that the machine landed, my parents were able to see what I could see,” said Post.

The planned vending machine at the Jackson Township store complements remodeling efforts there. While the revamp was a separate project, the timing worked out for T & M perfectly, said Post.

“We remodeled the interior, and we're getting ready to remodel the exterior,” said Post. “So (the store) will have a whole new look and feel.”

The vending machine is physically sitting on-site, but has not been installed yet since the store is undergoing construction work for the remodeling, Post said. There will be a foyer built as part of the improvements, and the vending machine will either being placed inside the foyer or outdoors for round-the-clock access.

It will be tentatively rolled out later this year, but the timeline is unclear.

“We’re hopeful within a month or so if the weather cooperates,” said Post.

Also part of why the launch has been slower than expected is that the configuration of this vending machine is different from the Bellevue machine, Post said.

“Our hope was that it was plug and play,” Post said. “The sizing is different between the machines — same with the trays that roll out.”

Similarly, the remodeling was expected to be complete by Aug. 1, but has been pushed back.

Starting in Ellwood City in 1991, T & M Hardware and Rental has grown to six locations including the one at 134 Perry Highway in Jackson Township.

The Bellevue location was the natural starting point for the vending machine project due to its higher visibility. Jackson Township was the natural next step due to the remodeling efforts, Post said.

Eventually, the ownership plans to bring the vending machines to their other four locations, situated in relatively rural areas: two in New Castle, one in Ellwood City and one in East Palestine, Ohio.

“I'm trying to explore small business grants to help us grow a little bit faster,” said Post. “Then there's obviously potentials above and beyond our stores.”