Southeastern Grocers Banners Get Bitcoin-Enabled Kiosks
Coinme, the largest cryptocurrency cash exchange in the United States, has entered Florida with the launch of more than 300 bitcoin-enabled Coinstar kiosks at select Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más, Harveys, and other grocery stores across the state in such cities as Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa.
“Our team has been working with state regulators in an effort to launch Coinme on Coinstar kiosks throughout the state, and we are thrilled to secure a license to offer a cash on-ramp to purchasing bitcoin to the residents of Florida,” said Neil Bergquist, co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based Coinme. “Through our partnership, we’re able to continue to expand into new areas to meet the ever-growing demand of accessible avenues to purchasing digital currencies.”
According to a recent Coinstar-sponsored survey, 23% of people likely to purchase cryptocurrencies would do so from a bitcoin ATM or kiosk. Further, nearly one in five respondents said that they’d prefer to buy cryptocurrency with cash, and more than half said that they’d purchase it as an investment.
“The current mainstream demand for bitcoin has attracted many first-time investors who need straightforward and secure access to cash avenues to purchase it,” said Jim Gaherity, CEO of Bellevue, Washington-based Coinstar. “We’ve been eager to bring Coinme to our kiosks in Florida, and now our customers there can easily attain it through a number of Coinme-enabled Coinstar locations near them.”
Coinstar kiosks via Coinme provide a simple, safe and convenient experience. Purchases of bitcoin are instantly available in the Coinme Wallet, eliminating the need to input separate wallet information that can be as long as 35 characters; transactions are backed by the company’s high security standards and a commitment to regulatory compliance; and there are nearly 6,000 Coinme-enabled Coinstar kiosks in supermarkets across 45 states.
Other Florida retailers to get the kiosks are Hitchcock's, K-Mart, Milams Market, National Supermarket, Price Choice, Super K and Top Value, a Coinme spokeswoman told Progressive Grocer.
Users can find a step-by-step online demo of how to buy bitcoin at a Coinstar kiosk.
Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the United States, with grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serving communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Its banners are Bi-Lo, Fresco y Más, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie. The company is No. 34 on The PG 100, PG’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
