Vending Equipment

Small Business Saturday 2024

Small Business Saturday 2024 940 788 GAD Vending

As a small business, we relish our chance to work with all types of great customers across the US.

We service independent vending route sales people. The teams work hard filling vending machines. They stock ATM and coin changers. They service and repair all types of games including pinball and darts. Not only do they buy new equipment from us, they all are regulars to our parts departments. GAD wants to thank all our hard working routes sales people.

GAD sells to a variety of commercial businesses. These customers own breakrooms and office game rooms that they just need a machines here and there. These customers especially appreciate our newest fresh coffee vending machines – it saves them time, waste and money. We appreciate these customers and look forward to working with them to complete their needs.

GAD has a long tradition of selling direct to consumers that are seeking their favorite games for a lifetime of play. We look forward to continuing this tradition as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year.

If you are not a GAD customer, we’d like to talk to you! If you are a GAD customer, we’d like to be here to help with whatever you need next. Give us a call. We’d love to buy you a cup of coffee from our newest vending machine.

November – National Our Favorite Coffee Drink Month

November – National Our Favorite Coffee Drink Month 940 788 GAD Vending

With two of our favorite coffee drinks having national days this month, we are officially declaring November “Our Favorite Coffee Drink Month”. November 8 is National Cappuccino Day and November 23 is National Espresso Day just to make sure we celebrate appropriately.

To join in the celebration, just contact the closest GAD office (800.798.2812) in either Omaha, Des Moines or Kansas City. Let us know the office size breakroom you are in charge of – and we’ll not only commiserate with what a pain coffee clean up can really be and we’ll bring you a cup of coffee from one of our Crane Vending machines.

We also work with lots of vending route companies that can do the upkeep for you. They are experts at servicing coffee vending machines as well as your snack and soda equipment.

Crane Vending machines features are numerous, so we’ll go over a few:

  • Fresh grounding of the beans
  • Easy maintenance
  • Lots of choices for users
  • Can be set to free or paid
  • Users can save their favorites on their phone and order in an app
  • The vending machine can notify you when it needs restocking
  • GAD stocks parts to keep your machine in working order

Vending: Empowering Students and Schools with Creative Solutions

Vending: Empowering Students and Schools with Creative Solutions 989 694 GAD Vending

Case Study: Meet Spirit Box

How One CPI Customer is Changing the End Location Game

Service is a pain point that affects the bottom line. This is especially true for operators performing independently. Tasked with overseeing every detail of their machine, from installation to filling to servicing, operators’ costs can be limiting to growth and business expansion. What if there was a way for operators to be hands-off? Enter Spirit Box, the company delivering a business model both beneficial to their company, and the end location.

Rethinking Machine Management

Empowering Students, Streamlining Operations

Spirit Box LLC supplies custom vending machines to high schools as alternatives to their traditional, brick-and-mortar spirit stores. What is unparalleled about Spirit Box is their school program that empowers students to supervise the vending machines, acting as onsite operations and business managers. Philip Baird, CPI customer and VP of Business Development at Spirit Box, explained the genesis and mission of their unique model.

Addressing Brick and Mortar Pains

Security Delivered by Custom Vending Solutions

The custom vending machines and programs were originally deployed in high schools to curtail the pressure and costs that arise in brick-and-mortar school stores. This includes lost and stolen inventory and labor requirements. Spirit Box solves this problem by working with schools to deploy custom equipment outfitted in school colors and graphics that vend school shirts, notebooks, and electronics. With this method, Spirit Box eliminates concerns of a physical school store. It also provides an opportunity to sell higher end merchandise—all within the 24/7, secure convenience of a vending machine.

The Next Generation of Operators

Delivering a Unique Curriculum

Since the start of the program, Spirit Box pairs machine deployments with a full curriculum offered to students as a class or an extracurricular activity. As a part of the curriculum, students are trained on the vending business model from product to inventory to servicing. Through this program, Spirit Box enables the end location (in this case, the students and faculty) allowing his team to be essentially hands-off once the machine is up and running.

Tools for Success

How Spirit Box Ensures Accountability

How does Spirit Box ensure compliance with the end location? By utilizing the CPI portfolio end-to-end with equipment, payment, and software, Spirit Box has the tools and oversight to ensure the success of their program, even without being on site.

  • Customization is Key. The customization of CPI vending machines makes the space a very interactive experience for the students and faculty. The custom graphics and large, interactive touchscreens attract and engage students, while also giving Spirit Box a foot in the door when it comes to making the sale to school administrators.
  • Remote Management Made Easy. Spirit Box utilizes Simplifi, CPI’s device management platform, to track the vending machines’ inventory, payment processing, and service needs. Furthermore, Simplifi gives students opportunities to maintain the machines properly, be it through inventory management or measuring sales.
  • Teach a Tech to Service. Baird knew the right service team was essential to keeping machine maintenance hassle-free and allowing his team to cut down on on-site visits. One of the reasons Baird preferred CPI machines was the “ease of serviceability and response rate” of the Crane Field Service Engineer team. He explained that a good service team aids the ease of dealing with machine issues, with many concerns resolved by a Crane technician walking students through the problem over the phone. Over time, this hands-off approach enables the students to the point where they’re able to resolve issues without any outside support.

What About Profitability?

Results That Speak for Themselves

But what about profitability? With the concern that a hands-off machine experience may lead to theft or lower profits, Baird’s program has proven that autonomy can be beneficial. By empowering the students to manage the machines themselves, they take a personal stake in the success of the machine as they build business skills that can be used in the future. In one case this past year, a school saw a yearly profit of about $35,000 from the student-run vending machines.

The Opportunity for Operators

Reduced Service, Reduced Costs

Spirit Box’s model of empowering the end location to monitor vending machines can be applied to other locations. Machines in apartment buildings, for example, can be serviced by any number of people within the complex, from maintenance and operations staff to administrators. Creating this opportunity for the end location to be responsible for machine maintenance provides end locations with more uptime and customer satisfaction, while, in turn, reducing service costs for operators and machine owners.

Vending machines provide an array of business opportunities for operators, distributors, and end locations. While Spirit Box sets a great example of operations for schools, other locations (including residential and retail settings) can provide opportunities for operators looking to expand their reach. Operators should look for ways to position their machines. Not just solutions for product distribution, but positioned for operational efficiency, cost savings, and even a targeted answer to labor shortages.

Enabling the end location to share responsibilities can reduce unnecessary costs, including transportation, service technician fees, and even regular route fill visits. Vending isn’t just for vending anymore. Instead, it is an answer to the growing demands of retail and consumer expectations.

Call GAD Vending to learn more about these and other innovative solutions.

#DYK: GAD has 3 Locations with Lots of Space

#DYK: GAD has 3 Locations with Lots of Space 940 788 GAD Vending

GAD is proud to be celebrating our 40th year in the business of equipment sales and service.

We stock and sell a wide variety of the best equipment in their respected categories.

At GAD’s three locations (Omaha, Kansas City and Des Moines), we stock both equipment and parts to support our various lines. We sell to the vending route trade, commercial business owners and to residential customers. All three of our showrooms are also open to the public.

Call us to find out how GAD can help solve your needs!

Unattended Payment Accepted

Unattended Payment Accepted 367 302 GAD Vending

GAD Knows Unattended Payment Acceptance

GAD has extensive experience with unattended solutions. We’ve grown our business selling and supporting payment acceptance, and coin changers for decades.

Now with Alio™ Pro, CPI presents an All-In-One cashless hardware solution for unattended payment. With a large touchscreen and customizable user interface, operators can create an engaging user experience. Plus, Alio™ Pro’s rugged outer-casing and protective Gorilla Glass protects hardware against vandalism and daily wear-and-tear. Alio™ Pro is supported by CPI’s cashless solution, including payment processing services and our cloud-based device management platform.

With a 4.3″ display, Alio™ Pro provides a fully interactive, large-format display, plus PIN-on-glass capability. Alio™ Pro is suited for use in multiple unattended payment applications, including:

  • Off-Street Parking
  • Retail Kiosk
  • Laundry
  • Carwash
  • Metro and Train Fare Collection
  • Vending
  • Electric Vehicle Charging

Dimensions (mm)

  • H: 134mm W: 98mm D: 40mm Screen: 3.4″

EV Charging Anxiety: What Manufacturers and Operators Can Do for the End-User

EV Charging Anxiety: What Manufacturers and Operators Can Do for the End-User 2048 1366 GAD Vending

Choosing Payment Technology to Succeed in a Dynamic Market

There’s no doubt that the time for electric vehicle adoption is here. To date it is estimated that there are more than 16.5 million electric cars on the road. Furthermore, all major auto manufacturers are pushing forward updates to their leading models to integrate more EV options for consumers. Thus, sparking the opportunity for several new players to enter this space.

However, with an increase in electric vehicle adoption comes a need for drivers to have convenient locations to charge their batteries when they are on the road, providing another major opportunity for the parking industry.

Wallet-friendly payment solutions to reduce EV charge anxiety 

One obvious difference between a traditional ICE and an electric vehicle is “refueling” time. For an EV, the experience is much longer in comparison to ICE vehicles, even with fast charging technology. Therefore, charge anxiety has, to an extent, replaced range anxiety in the minds of EV drivers. Battery performance has been a major focus in recent years and ranges of more than 350 miles are being quoted on specifications of new models.2

Additionally, a need that EV drivers are facing is paying for the power to get back on the road again. Therefore, a simple, convenient, and “wallet friendly” EV charger must be a consideration since ease and flexibility in a complex world is a win. Nothing more certain to increase anxiety than not being able to charge up and go!

As a result, minimizing charge anxiety and delivering a charging experience that is consistent, reliable, and simple is your task regardless of your role – as an EV charging manufacturer or parking operator.

Easing charge anxiety with reliability and consistency  

Fortunately, the Alio Pro is here to help you meet those needs, ensuring that you’re better prepared to support your end users. With the Alio Pro, you’ll be able to:

  • Accept everything in your customer’s wallet:
    •  – We may all love an app but it’s often not feasible to expect customers to have an app already downloaded. So, Alio Pro accepts:

logos

  • Offer your customer a reward or incentive to park at your property again:
    •  – Simply add a QR code that creates a voucher or tie in a pre-existing loyalty or bonus program
EV Charging QR - reduced
  • Ensure reliability:
    • – CPI handles 4 billion transactions weekly and is trusted by many of the world’s largest financial institutions and retailers.

So, where better to charge your vehicle than where it must be stationary! Park your car, plug in, and go about your other activities – shop, eat, work – with the assurance that your EV is ready to go when you are. Multi-tasking at its finest!

Making Self-Checkout Work for Everyone

Making Self-Checkout Work for Everyone 750 520 GAD Vending

Leave No Customer Behind: Why Cash Options Still Matter

(CPI) At a convenience store in Pennsylvania, a self-checkout system stood near the front of the store. Brand new, with a big, bright sign announcing its presence, the equipment was ready to help customers swiftly complete their transactions and get on their way. There was only one problem – no one was using it. At 7 am, business was booming, and the cashiers were visibly becoming aware of the growing line of customers waiting to pay for a single cup of coffee – their trucks idling out front.

What went wrong? Consumer preference for self-service checkout has been proven time and time again, and yet in this case, they chose to wait in line. The store’s investment seemed to be going to waste because of an oversight. Most of these transactions were being made with cash, and the new self-checkout system didn’t accept it.

Although consumers now have an abundance of payment methods at their fingertips, they expect flexibility and convenience when it comes to their day-to-day transactions and don’t want to be limited by emerging technologies. By providing payment inclusivity, retailers can attract and retain a larger, more diverse, and more loyal customer base.

One of the most important yet commonly overlooked ways to provide flexibility and drive store revenue is by offering cash options at self-checkout. Cash acceptance ensures that self-checkout solutions fulfill the single most essential need in any retail environment – converting visitors to paying customers. Without it, retailers risk frustrated customers, cart abandonment, and worse – losing loyal patrons to the next nearest store that offers a faster, easier shopping experience.

Is Cash a Thing of the Past?

The short answer is no. Recent reports indicate that consumers use cash for 42% of all transactions valued at less than $25 , and cash is either the most used or second most used payment instrument across a wide array of spending categories.

While self-checkout becomes increasingly popular as retailers reap the benefits of reduced need for additional labor, improved customer experience and a higher bottom line, some retailers are considering shifting systems to entirely cashless or not adding cash acceptance to their self-checkout systems. The issue with this approach is that a substantial number of consumers still use (and prefer using) cash.

Cash usage isn’t just limited to older demographics either. Young consumers, who tend to opt for self-checkout over cashiers , are finding cash to be one of their preferred payment methods. According to a 2023 Credit Karma survey, “Nearly 70% of Gen Zers use cash more than they did 12 months ago. That share was higher than any other group, including Gen X, which was 47%, and Boomers at 37%.”

Limiting access to easy cash payments makes stores susceptible to alienating a significant portion of their customers. Now more than ever, consumers expect a level of convenience that they’re accustomed to in their day-to-day purchases. Not providing the quick and easy payment options that these consumers require will worsen a store’s customer experience, leaving customers to find other stores where they can easily spend their cash. This will inevitably impact a store’s revenue and ability to grow their customer base in the long run.

Having a cash automation solution ensures that retailers are retaining customers and enhancing the customer experience by allowing them the flexibility of cash options at self-checkout.

What Cash Automation Can Do for Retailers

On top of the added flexibility for consumers, providing cash acceptance at self-checkout also has a host of benefits that have a direct impact on store’s ROI and day-to-day operations. Any upfront costs associated with equipping self-checkout with cash acceptance are heavily outweighed by the potential for revenue growth by avoiding unnecessary merchant fees and decreasing cart abandonment rates.

The average value of basket items for people using self-checkout is typically lower than the those going to a cashier. Since cash remains a predominant payment method for smaller purchases, retailers will likely see more cash-using customers gravitating towards self-checkout. When these customers realize they can’t use self-checkout and instead must wait in a longer line for a cashier, stores are risking higher levels of cart abandonment along with a worsened customer experience. Utilizing cash automation solutions will enhance customer experience and ensure a steady stream of returning customers.

Another cost to consider is increased credit card merchant fees that derive from limited cash options. When retailers only provide card payments at self-checkout, credit card usage will inevitably increase, leading to a rise in merchant fees. These fees can add up over time, affecting the bottom line and ability to effectively increase revenue and growth. Using a cash automation solution heavily reduces this expenditure and nets a positive ROI for retailers.

Amidst labor shortages, it’s also important to consider the impact on employee productivity when cash payments are only accepted at the cashier. When employers automate cash acceptance, employees are freed up to do other tasks around the store like helping out customers instead of manually handling cash. This helps deliver a better customer experience and optimize daily operations while avoiding any unnecessary labor hours that are required to manually handle cash.

Paypod: Making Cash Payments Work for Everyone

As consumer needs and preferences evolve, ensuring that retailers are equipped to handle their preferred payment methods is paramount in order to drive growth and increase revenue. The cash automation solution, PaypodTM, by Crane Payment Innovations offers consumers a convenient way to pay with cash by creating an efficient and secure cash acceptance process at self-checkout. Flexibility is key in the retail environment, and with designs that fit into most retail counters and seamless integration into existing POS systems, Paypod makes cash payments more flexible and easier than ever for retailers and consumers alike.

i 2019 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice – Cash (frbsf.org)
ii The Federal Reserve; Understanding Consumer Cash Use: Preliminary Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice; January 2, 2018; https://www.frbservices.org/news/fed360/issues/010218/010218-cash-2016-diary-consumer-payment-choice.html

Self Check Out for Every Store

Self Check Out for Every Store 493 470 GAD Vending

If you think that waiting in line is an unavoidable part of the shopping experience, think again. Your customers disagree, and they aren’t waiting around for you to catch up. According to Fidelity Payment Services, 81% of customers actively avoid stores where they perceive the lines to be too long, and they aren’t afraid to abandon their loyalties and jump ship.

Add an after pandemic climate of staff shortages to an increasingly-impatient consumer base and the message is clear: it’s time to automate. According to Bloomberg, 87% of consumers prefer shopping in stores with touchless or robust self-checkout options.

Now, stores of any size can benefit from flexible and cost effective self-checkout solutions available from GAD with through our authorized relationship with Crane/CPI.

Crane/CPI provide a complete turnkey service for self-checkout. We tailor everything to your store and customers’ needs. Our turnkey options include a unit module, scanning options, weighing functionality, all payment devices including notes and coins, integration with your POS system and full installation, testing, and service contracts to ensure all your needs are fulfilled.

Benefits

Design a custom solution with leading technology partners: CPI leverages our extensive network of retail partners to design the perfect solution for your store

Expand your customer service portfolio: Redeploy your staff to other activities such as buy-online-pick-up-in-store, or other value-add services to earn customer loyalty

Eliminate lines to retain customers: 40% of customers will abandon a purchase due to long lines. Protect your revenue by accepting all forms of payment in your self-checkout solution

Save time and labor costs: The average retailer spends four hours a day on manual cash reconciliation. Reduce the hours spent counting with automation technology

Call GAD to start the automation process.

Use Your Vending Machine as a Dynamic Advertising Vehicle

Use Your Vending Machine as a Dynamic Advertising Vehicle 2048 1365 GAD Vending

MediaNet by Crane Vending (CPI) is the latest technology in POS digital advertising.

Only 1 in 5 consumers know what they want before they approach a vending machine, this makes MediaNet invaluable in driving more sales, sales of your most profitable items and increasing your profitability. MediaNet is proven to increase sales by helping your customers make their choice via a simple and more engaging experience.

Additionally, CPI provide the opportunity for operators to participate in existing promotional campaigns, via our elite brand partner network.

MediaNet is compatible with your VMS platform, and everything can be managed remotely by you and your team. Talk to GAD today about how MediaNet can enhance your route operations.

Benefits

  • Visual screen engagement that delivers dynamic point of sale advertising opportunities for your retail partners
  • Increase profitability with minimal investment
  • Customizable for operators to personalize for their customers

Summary of features:

  • Higher customer engagement at POS
  • Increase sales revenue and profits
  • Access to CPI brand network for partner campaigns
  • Fully integrated with your VMS

Replacing Break Rooms with Game Rooms

Replacing Break Rooms with Game Rooms 2560 1709 GAD Vending

Keep your company ahead of the competition by replacing a tradition break room with a game room

Modern businesses ask themselves whether employee game rooms suit their office space. Many people might dismiss the idea of employee break rooms as a frivolous perk. Still, a lounge space can be a critical part of an optimally performing office design while enhancing company culture. Employee game rooms are a staple of the world’s top companies because of their team-building effectiveness, value as recruitment tools, and serious scientific literature explaining their health benefits.

GAD can help you blend the vending machine needs with the gaming machines. Ask us how!

 

Employee Game Room

Who’s Ahead of the Curve?

Before we get into the benefits of employee game rooms, let’s look at some top companies that have already figured out that game rooms are great for business. Industry leaders like Google, Dropbox, Airbnb, Adobe, Intuit, Quicken Loans, and Boston Consulting Group have dedicated spaces where employees can get together in a fun environment to recharge while collaborating across departments.

It’s no coincidence that most companies above were also on the Top 100 Companies to Work For. These industry leaders understand that a business must offer the best working environment when competing for the best talent.

Game Rooms Build Strong Teams

Yes, employees who can have fun at work are more committed and have much higher levels of creativity, but companies with office games experience even more benefits. Game rooms can bring employees together who might not usually interact and improve employee morale. This interdepartmental socializing is the key to building a great corporate culture. A recent post on The Benefits Guide discusses employee engagement’s benefits. “Game rooms give your employees a place to escape the daily grind and decompress. Workplaces can be stressful. Between work stress and personal issues, your employee’s morale and productivity may suffer.”

Employees playing air hockey

 

The benefits of shared breaks where employees interact in a non-work context extend beyond morale. According to the Harvard Business Review, a team’s energy and engagement outside formal meetings were the most accurate predictors of productivity. This discovery was made in a series of studies across various industries, including post-op wards in hospitals, innovation teams, customer-facing teams in financial institutions, call center teams, and others.

The Harvard Business Review found good communication the most critical predictor of a team’s success. Specifically, they discovered that communication mattered more than all other factors, including personality, individual intelligence, and skill combined. They found nothing creates a stronger, more effective team than positive engagement outside formal meetings. That’s how employee game rooms can help you accomplish more than standard meeting rooms.

Benefits for Employee Health and Wellness

From a business perspective, employee game rooms are enormously beneficial, but many people might not realize they also have profound health benefits. Whether it’s a newly formed team of co-workers or a group that needs a productivity boost, it seems bringing games into work is the way to go.

Studies by Brigham Young University professors found that newly formed work teams experienced a 20% increase in task productivity after playing video games together for just 45 minutes.

Use the information you’ve gathered about your employees from wellness program or employee satisfaction surveys to learn what your employees want. Consider your employees’ most significant sources of workplace stress and how this room could help alleviate those pain points.

Employee Game Room

Get Up and Move

So, the science is precise: arcade machines have profound benefits for your employees’ mental sharpness, attention, and sense of well-being, but those aren’t the only upsides of game rooms. Games like ping pong, foosball, and billiards also get your employees up and moving, which doctors say is critical to their physical health.

According to the Mayo Clinic, extended sitting, like at a desk or in front of a computer, can be surprisingly harmful. Doctors analyzed 13 studies measuring sitting time and activity levels. They found that employees who sat for longer than eight hours a day without physical activity faced a risk of dying, similar to the dangers of death observed in patients who were obese or daily smokers.

What Games Does Your Game Room Need?

Although board games and puzzles are used at some companies, they can be a bit more time-consuming. Also, with pen and paper or tabletop games, your employees don’t get the mental benefits of video arcade machines or the physical benefits of interactive games. The most popular options tend to be physically and mentally engaging games that can be played in shorter bursts, like arcade games, pool tables, ping pong tables, and foosball tables. These games can all be played in 5 to 15 minutes and match the benefits observed in the scientific literature.

Between their recruitment value, massive impact on team-building and communication, mental health benefits, and physical health preservation, it’s clear that employee game rooms are a necessary part of any company built for the future.

And, GAD carries the best-in-class vending. With updated digital menus, phone payment systems, bold graphics and integrated food/beverage options – GAD can help you create a world class employee break area.