Owning your own vending machine route business creates many decisions during your day. One of the most critical, ongoing is what to fill your vending machines with.
Here’s what you need to consider:
- Taste – know your demographics of vending customer! Family vs. single; male vs. female; work vs. play are all contributing factors to your product mix. Experiment. Have sampling events. Watch your reports for orders, time of day, day of week.
- Healthy vs. Snack – don’t prejudge! There is an overall trend for healthier foods but that doesn’t mean your vending customer will only choose healthy. Mix it up – and follow any guidelines set by the owner of the location. Schools and hospitals may have wellness programs you need to adhere to.
- Value – be competitive in price. Using name brands means you need to be aware of the prevailing market price – by price and product size. Watch your margins and use unique brands where you can.
- Brand Recognition – vending customers tend to stick with brands they know. Keep them coming back by continuing to stock a mix.
- Novelties – customers can get bored. Offer them a surprise by occasionally offering an old time brand or something of unique interest.
GAD Vending can help you configure your vending machines to accommodate many different types of products. Be creative. Vending machines can be located outdoors. In a vending machine bank. As a single vending machine configured to accommodate both snacks and drinks.
