Which Products Should I Buy for My Vending Machine?

Vending is all about convenience. Vending makes it easy for your customers to get what they want. Your customers will be attracted to your machine because what they want has found them! The vital role for you as a vendor is to figure out what it is the public wants in your machine. Like any business you will need to determine what products are in the highest demand from your target market. The following information in this article is from an Independent Vendors Association published booklet titled Vending the Right Way.

An important first step in determining which items to sell in your vending machine is to consider your location’s demographic. What time of the day they will be around your machine? What is the age, gender, ethnicity and culture of the people that will be near your machine the most? Will they be there early in the morning? Will people be needing lunch or dinner there? There are no hardline rules for which gender or age will buy a specific item, but there are some general principles that can be helpful when stocking your vending machine. More women prefer diet drinks, candy, pastries, as well as low calorie/health conscious snacks. Men can gravitate toward salty snacks, snack cakes, chips, crackers and spicy flavors. In general, more younger people tend to prefer more non-chocolate candy items, “extreme” flavors like jalapeño, energy drinks and Mountain Dew.

Leaving a refreshment survey at your locations once in a while is a helpful way to engage your market to better understand what the product demand is. Preparation and research is helpful, but trial and error is also often times necessary when purchasing items to sell in your vending machine. Carefully keep track of what is selling and not selling from your machines so you can adjust accordingly. eVending is always here to help you with all your vending endeavors. If you have any questions or need assistance please do not hesitate to call us at 1-888-568-4896.

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$0 Down, with 0% Interest for 12 months (WAC)

March 6th, 2019 | Posted by Matthew Shattuck in Vending machine business | Vending machines | Vending machines for sale - (Comments Off)

eVending is hoping to help increase your cash flow this spring by offering a special $0 down, with 0% interest for 12 months (WAC) promotion. Jumping on board with eVending this month is a very cost effective strategy to add extra cash to your business. Maybe you’ve thought about vending and when to start, now is a great time. Interest rates steadily climbed in 2018 and this year they will likely rise as well, so now is a great time to use our $0 down, with 0% interest for 12 months (WAC) promotion.

In the beginning of 2019 Bankrate noted regarding interest rates, “Uncertainty looms ahead as we transition into 2019. But this remains clear: Borrowing costs – at least for now – are still going up.” After four interest rate hikes in 2018 there’s likely to be at least 2 in 2019 according to the article. At the end of January, Kiplinger stated that the Federal Reserve will hold off on raising interest rates until June, but to still expect an increase later in 2019. As we moved through February the timeline for an interest rate increase was not decided. The Wall Street Journal quoted Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell February 26th, speaking to lawmakers in the Senate Banking Committee, “With our policy rate in the range of neutral, with muted inflation pressures and with some of the downside risks we’ve talked about, this is a good time to be patient and watch and wait and see how the situation evolves.” Most experts seem to think that interest rates will increase this year but are uncertain exactly when and how much.

What you can count on this year are quality vending machines and the best customer service from eVending. Our March financing special is just the icing on the cake to our product. We’ve been in the vending industry for over 80 years and continually trusted for our American made vending machines. Take advantage of our March financing promotion today and pay 0% interest on your machine for 12 months while you collect cash from your vending customers. For more information on our $0 down, with 0% interest for 12 months (WAC) special call us today at 1-888-568-4896.

down payment, financing, interest, Vending Machine

Why Consider a Combo Vending Machine?

February 5th, 2019 | Posted by Matthew Shattuck in Combo vending machines | Vending machine | Vending machine sales | Vending machines - (Comments Off)

Why settle for one when you can have two? eVending’s combo vending machines are specially designed to to sell not just one type of product but can sell ambient snacks and drinks, or drinks and frozen food or cold food and ice cream. Adjustable temperature zones makes it easy for you to sell whatever product you want in our machines. Combo vending machines help operators provide what their customers want in a cost effective way, thus increasing their profit and ROI.

A combo vending machine provides great profit potential. For every 10 drinks you sell as a vendor you can expect to sell an additional 6 snacks. In the vending industry 63% of products sold are beverages and 37% of products sold are snacks and food. A combo vending machine allows you to provide desired products to a larger percentage of customers.As a vending machine operator you want be efficient and make the most of your resources. eVending’s most popular combo vending machine is the Futura Combo Vending Machine. The Futura Combo Vending Machine caters to a snack craving customer as much as someone looking to enjoy a refreshing cold beverage. The Futura is lean and compact, not taking up a large amount of space but still big enough to carry a wide selection.

eVending’s combo vending machines are manufactured in the USA with two temperature zones. Drinks will remain ice cold for maximum refreshment, snacks will remain at normal temperature for best taste and frozen items will not melt. Combo vending machines are a great investment and help operators efficiently and effectively serve a large percentage of customers.

eVending’s Futura Combo Vending Machine

We Make it Easy to Start Vending

January 2nd, 2019 | Posted by Matthew Shattuck in Buy vending machines | Vending machine | Vending machine sales | Vending machines for sale - (Comments Off)

At eVending.com it is our aim to make it simple, stress free and cost effective for people get started in the vending business. We strongly believe in the vending industry and are working hard to make it accessible for as many people as possible. Whether it is those who want to jump in for the first time or for those who want to grow their already successful business helping vendors is our main focus. One of the ways we work to do this is by offering refurbished machines. These are factory inspected and remanufactured machines that are literally just as good as new, except they don’t carry the same price as unused ones.

If you want a machine for a new location, you don’t have to buy one brand new at full price. Our factory certified used machines could help jumpstart your vending career or be the key to adding to your projected profit for 2019. You are probably thinking, ‘How reliable are these refurbished machines?’ Good question! Here’s ourguarantee: Refurbished snack machines have been thoroughly inspected by our highly trained team of service technicians in Des Moines, Iowa. eVending’s used vending machines are fully remanufactured by our service technicians meaning that replacement parts and upgrades have been installed as necessary and all of the vending machine’s electronics are double and triple checked to ensure reliability. All of eVending’s Factory Certified Remanufactured vending machines come with a one year factory parts warranty and lifetime toll-free vending machine technical support.

We stand by our customers and our products over the long haul. eVending has been reliable since 1931 and we don’t intend on stopping now. Delivering a wonderful customer experience is always our top priority because we believe it has been a huge reason why we have been so successful for over 80 years. Call us today (1-888-568- 4896) to learn more about our currently available inventory of Factory Certified Remanufactured combo vending machines.

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American Manufacturing

eVending takes great pride in manufacturing vending equipment right here in the United States. Des Moines, Iowa is home to our manufacturing plant employing some of the hardest working Americans we know. There are important benefits to manufacturing in the United States.

Providing jobs by manufacturing in the U.S. is an important benefit that should not be overlooked. According to the National Association of Manufacturers there are nearly 12.5 million manufacturing workers in the United States, accounting for 8.5% of the workforce. The Alliance for American Manufacturing notes that between June 2017 and June 2018, 285,000 manufacturing jobs were created. Manufacturing jobs are very important for our economy as a whole, and on a individual level, certain demographics rely heavily on jobs within the manufacturing sector and this sector provides millions of Americans with stable employment.

When businesses manufacture in America it is much easier and cost efficient to transport their products to retailers and consumers. Plus, it takes a significantly shorter amount of time verses waiting for container shipments from overseas. Popular Mechanics talked with different American manufacturers and found that it is often more cost effective to ship their products from the U.S than accept cheaper labor overseas. They also found that manufacturing in the U.S. helps them keep a closer eye on the market and better connect with the consumer. An employee from Stihl said “Manufacturing here gives us the ability to quickly and easily adapt to changing supply and demand and respond to the customer with new innovations.”

eVending believes strongly in the American labor force and is dedicated to making products in the U.S. Manufacturing in the U.S. helps eVending have a closer pulse on the market in order to adapt when necessary and eliminate costs associated with shipping products overseas. Take a tour of the eVending plant and get to know the company better.

Connecting with the Next Generation

November 2nd, 2018 | Posted by Matthew Shattuck in Vending machine | Vending machine business | Vending machine sales - (Comments Off)

Gen Z?

Millennials are no longer the most recent next up and coming generation that the retail and food service industry needs to adjust too. ‘Generation Z’ was born after 1994 and according to Engagement Labs, Gen Z “is expected to account for 40% of all consumers by 2020.” An NPD report says the Gen Z is a “snack oriented” generation that enjoy ready to eat food. It’s obviously imperative to know Gen Z’s consumer habits and values when planning for a successful future in vending.

“Connect, communicate, customize and cashless” are the new 4 C’s the vending industry must note when reaching Generation Z according to Vending Times’ Paul Schlossberg. Compared to other generations Generation Z pays extra attention to food. Schlossberg writes, “We should be paying attention to the upward trend line of Gen Z conversations about convenience stores and chain drug stores.” Gen Z is using social media to share opinions of about food early and often. Using social media to share your brand and products is vital to connecting with Gen Z consumers. It doesn’t take a large empire to find success using social media, giving smaller business the opportunity to connect with Gen Z. Spreading the word about your business and removing any hurdles from Gen Z connecting with your brand is a great step in reaching the next generation that wants to connect and communicate with you..

Cashless payment is no doubt important to a generation where their phone is basically another part of the body and is the epicenter of their waking hours. Receiving cashless payments to your vending machine is a must for reaching Gen Z. There are some great options available for vendors looking to use cashless payments. PayRange, for example is the world’s leading payment network for coin-operated machines. Customers download the PayRange App and use their phone to pay instead of having to carry the correct amount of coins in their pocket. PayRange is efficient and secure for the customer and adding money to the Pay Range wallet is very simple. See if PayRange is what you need for your machines.

Are you making the right moves to welcome the next generation of consumers to your machines? Don’t be shy to share on social media what your brand is doing to help others and how your product is making a difference. Are you equipped with PayRange so your customers and tap their phones and buy your products? Some important things to think about as 2018 comes to a close.

gen z, Millennials, payrange, Vending

Increasing machine sales with cashless Payment Options

August 21st, 2018 | Posted by Ajax Union in Vending machine sales - (Comments Off)

As technology progresses, fewer and fewer consumers are carrying cash and coins. Instead, financial transactions via credit and mobile devices are becoming more common. What’s more, card swiping devices, mobile payment, and other digital vending machine payment options are predicted to overtake ‘traditional’ payment methods in the near future, making it a must have in today’s vending market.

Research reveals that 49% of consumers, and 56% of Millennials, are already using / interested in using mobile payment technology and 18% of consumers say that they would use mobile payments if more locations accepted it.

Many consumers today, Millennials in particular, rarely carry cash and prefer cashless options such as credit / debit cards or other options such as Apple Pay which will likely be a revenue driver for vending machines. In fact, a recent study that began in March of 2016 found that vending machines advertising Apple Pay increased overall revenue by 22% while contactless purchases from those same vending machines rose 89%.

With all of that said, the market for cash and coin vending is still viable so don’t scrap your traditional payment acceptors just yet. The best way to increase your profit would be to provide customers with the best of both worlds by installing both cashless vending machine payment options and coin and cash acceptors on your machines.

All of eVending’s machines are equipped with the latest electronic coin changer and bill acceptor and have a standard peripheral opening for additional payment options such as Greenlite, a cashless system that accepts debit / credit cards and mobile payments including Apple Pay. With Greenlite, you are able to remotely monitor your vending machine’s transactions from your web-based account.

Contact eVending today if you are interested purchasing a new vending machine with a cashless system or would like to add Greenlite’s mobile / wireless payment option to an existing vending machine.

Trends in Healthy Vending

August 21st, 2018 | Posted by Ajax Union in Vending machine | Vending machine business | Vending machine sales - (Comments Off)

The American diet has been through many transformations over the years, its most recent shift driven by growing health concerns.

Over the past few years the beverage industry has seen some shifts in consumer preference trends. Although there are healthy vending machine snacks available, within the past year healthy beverages have taken the spotlight. Many of these beverages are focused not only on low calories but also health benefits such as low sugar and sodium.

As you can imagine, the increase in health conscious individuals has introduced greater demand for less sugary drinks and sodas. Consumers are now showing patterns that indicate a higher demand for water and other low calorie and nutritious options. While soft drinks still hold a large chunk of the refreshment category, data shows that their hold may be slipping as their volume and market share go down. Vending Times reports that the “volume slipped by 1.5% from 12.8 billion gallons in 2014 to 12.6 billion gallon sin 2015, which lowered CSD market share to less than 40%.”

One of the biggest threats to carbonated soft drinks is bottled water. According to Vending Times, bottled water is projected to take over as America’s largest beverage category by volume by 2017 if not by the end of this year. They also note that bottled water sales increased by 8.9% in 2015 and now total $14.2 billion (wholesale).

Other drinks that are making splash in the market are sports drinks, many companies are taking not and have begum developing new healthy beverages to satisfy the evolving demands of consumers. Pepsi has even announced its launch of products like organic Gatorade, according to Business Insider. Additionally, niche categories including selections like energy drinks and ready-to-drink coffee are outperforming most traditional mass-market categories such as carbonated soft drinks and fruit beverages. Other changes being made to beverages include downsizing cans and bottles to offer consumers a more moderate serving size. Lucky for you, eVending machines are equipped to handle many shapes and sizes of products keeping you equipped and ready to handle the ever evolving beverage industry.

State of Vending Machine Operators Industry in the United States

August 21st, 2018 | Posted by Ajax Union in Buy vending machines | Vending machine business | Vending machine sales | Vending machines for sale - (Comments Off)

A long trend of declining revenue has made for a slow decade for the Vending Machine Operator industry in the United States. Within the past five (5) years revenue has declined each year except for 2012. According to IBISWorld Inc. revenue has decreased at an annualized rate of 0.8% to about $7.3 billion within the past five years, and a 1.1% decrease so far in 2016. The status of the industry has been a result of changes in the eating index, new nutritional restrictions, and the rise of micro markets and convenience and grocery stores among other things.

Although the outlook may be somewhat discouraging, with downward revenue trends being expected to continue, there is a silver lining as these decreases are expected to occur at a slower rate. Over the next five year period, industry revenue is expected to decrease at a rate of 0.6% to an estimated $7.1 billion, according to IBISWorld. In the coming years, key external drivers will both positively and negatively affect the industry’s profit margin; these include an increase in per capita disposable income, a rising healthy eating index, and rising prices for corn and sugar.

Changing laws pose a big threat to industry operators. Since its implementation in 2014, the USDA’s Smart Snacks in School has introduced new challenges for operators who have machines in primary and secondary schools. The nutritional restrictions have created a limited selection that operators can supply, and unfortunately the approved items are not popular among the students. These restrictions have caused many operators with school locations to experience a 30-40% decrease in revenue. If more laws similar to these continue to be passed some vending operators will be forced to find healthy selections that will be profitable, or exit this industry segment.

In response to the decreasing sales from snack, food, and beverage machines the industry has turned some of its attention to using technology to generate sales, as well as continuing to pursue non-traditional machine markets. As it stands in 2016, of the $7.9bn in the industry, movies and games has 29.8%, food has 29.6%, beverage has 29.9%, and other products have 10.7% according to IBISWorld.

Technology such as touch screens, cashless / mobile payment, and remote monitoring systems will help companies are the future and will create a more enticing customer experience which will hopefully drive sales. Recent advances in technology will help to improve operators’ profit margins, as they will be able to monitor machines more closely and make decisions to eliminate underperforming machines.

Competition / Major Players
IBISWorld determined the market share concentration in the industry to be medium with the top four industry operators being estimated to represent 47.1% of total industry revenue, the remaining 52.9% being held by small to medium sized companies. Major players with the largest market share are Outerwall Inc. (21.2%), Compass Group PLC (12.5%), and Aramark Corporation (9.0%).

Over the five years leading up to 2016, market share concentration has been on the rise as costs continue to increase while revenue declines. IBISWorld determined the most important key success factors for businesses in the industry are:
• Having an exclusive sales contract
• Ability to pass on cost increases
• Economies of scale and scope
• Proximity to key markets
• Easy access for clients
Internal competition in the industry is high and the trend is steady, according to IBISWorld. More and more companies are beginning to diversify the products they offer, as well as changing the machines to cater to the rising healthy eating index. IBISWorld says that sleek, well-branded machines with easy customer interfaces and technology will help spur revenue growth for operators.
Overall, the industry outlook has been looking up as the continual decline in industry revenue is expected to slow. Improvements in technology will give operators tools to remain profitable. Industry companies need to continue to focus on meeting the demand of healthy vending and embracing technology to drive efficiencies and increased sales.

Beverage Consumption Trends

August 21st, 2018 | Posted by Ajax Union in Buy vending machines | Vending machine | Vending machine business - (Comments Off)

Beverage industry consumer preference trends

Over the past few years the beverage industry has seen some shifts in consumer preference trends. Within the past year healthy beverages have taken the spotlight, many of which are focused not only on low calories but also health benefits such as low sugar and sodium.