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The MTA Is Saying Goodbye to Some Subway Newsstands, Hello to Vending Machines

Repurposing vacant retail spaces to generate revenue

mta-newsstand-content-2019 — The pandemic has been tough on New York City's newsstands.Getty Images

In what it says is a response to a “changing market,” the New York City Subway is repurposing vacant retail spaces, including newsstands, within its 472 stations as demand for print publications and unhealthy items like cigarettes and candy declines.

One possibility for these empty spaces, which reports say amount to about 130 locations, is installing high-end, airport-style vending machines, which will appear on mezzanines this summer with products “driven by the market,” according to one source.

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