Vending World Blog

Vending World Blog

Return Of The Coffee Machine – How About A Healthy Cup Of Java?

I can clearly remember my first cup of coffee as though it were just yesterday. I used to sit and watch my parents have their morning brew, and would breathe in those delicious java fumes. Then came that magical morning when my mom slid a cup of coffee across the table and asked me if I wanted to try it. A drop of cream and a few spoonful’s of sugar later and I was officially hooked. This all took place in the years before there was a coffee shop on every corner, and the only way to get a cup of coffee on the go was to either pack a thermos or buy one from a coffee vending machine.
Those coffee vending machines were something of a nightmare, albeit a necessary one for the coffee lover. They produced coffee that hotter than the surface of the sun, and they also seemed intent on spraying out a final jet of hot brown liquid just as you were reaching in to pick up the cup. As vending machines became more popular, and the variety of products on got larger, the coffee machine was somewhat forced into the background.
The real death knell for the coffee vending machine came when Starbucks and all the other coffee started to become so popular. It appeared that people would rather drop five dollars for a cup of coffee with some fancy sounding name, but there were still some folks that missed a standard old coffee that didn’t have whipped cream, caramel, or sprinkles on top. Slowly but surely coffee vending machines started making their way back into those 24 hour gas stations that sell everything, although they were a little more upscale than the ones from back in my day.
The newer machines not only had the regular coffee that the average Joe wanted, but they also had latte’s and cappuccino’s for those that enjoyed something a little more exotic, but didn’t want to have to mortgage their home for. The vending machine craze has now been alive and well for years, and it seems that every time you turn around there is a new machine selling products that you would never have believed in a million years would end up there. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise then that coffee is getting a little healthy upgrade, courtesy of a machine.

The latest line of coffee machines are being released by a company name Healthy Coffee, and the brews that are available in those machines will feature traditional beans that will also come with ingredients such as Ginseng, Reishi, and even mushroom. It appears that the machines are already a big hit, and while I don’t know if those additions are really something that would float my boat, my craving for java may someday lead me to fumble for change so that I can get my hands on a broccoli coffee.

Brighten Up Your machine With Colorful Flavor Strips

People are a very visual bunch, which is why a good advertising campaign can prompt them to buy without them really even realizing that they are being influenced by the imagery. You might imagine that a vending machine doesn’t really need any special advertising or fancy display to make it more profitable, but that is not necessarily the case. We don’t really think that we pay any attention to the pictures, or flavor strips at they are known, that show us which button goes with which product, but on a particularly hot day, that can really change.

Flavor strips for vending machines are a great way to showcase the product that is inside.This is particularly true for those machines that don’t have a clear display panel on front. If you can’t get a look at all the yummy products inside, then the next best thing is to have a flavor strip that will show your those products looking better than we could ever imagine. That is particularly true for soda machines, the vast majority of which are fully enclosed so that we can’t see what’s inside. Covering the buttons with flavor strips soda that show the sugary drink laying on a bed of ice, or with cold beads of water on the can or bottle is more than most of us can resist when we are thirsty.

Flavor strips are a little more important than simply as a tool to let you know which button to press, and by not updating them regularly, vending machine owners can actually hurt their business a little. The big soda companies are constantly updating the design of the bottles and labels, or adding new flavors like vanilla or cherry, and if the machine owner doesn’t have strips that show those changes then it might give potential consumers the idea that the products inside the machine are perhaps not as fresh as they should be.

That’s why it’s essential that flavor strips for vending machine business accurately show what is available on the inside. It shows customers that they are on top of their game, and that buying from that machine will mean that the soda they receive will be freshest, tastiest one they can receive outside of taking a trip to the bottling plant. It’s all perception of course, but if there are ads all over TV that go out of their way to show lovers of Coke or Pepsi that there is a new design out, then you will want to go out of your way to show that your vending machine business is keeping up with those changes.

Vending machine distributors understand that need perfectly, which is why they are usually on the ball when it comes to getting those new flavor strips out as quickly as possible. The good news for those that run a vending machine business is that the strips are really inexpensive, and in most cases you can simply buy them individually as you need them.

The History of Coke Vending Machines

Coke is a trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States. Coke or Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink, a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water, sweeteners, and flavoring agents. Originally, the softdrink was famous for the name “Coca-Cola” before it became “Coke” in 1944. In March 12, 1894, Coca-Cola was first released in bottles in Cartersville, Georgia, the location of the first headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company.

The First Coke Vending Machines

Coca-Cola or Coke is now one of the most famous products in vending machines. The first Coca-Cola vending machine was invented in 1929 by the Glascock Brothers Manufacturing Co. of Muncie, Indiana. It was a 151-lb. ice box that held 72 6-ounce bottles sold for a 5 cents, payable to the clerk.

In the 1930s, Glascock continually improved the original coke vending machines, which are just merely ice boxes at first. The next ice boxes were called the Coca-Cola “Junior” and “Standard” coolers designed to fit on countertops as a wall mounts or in shops with minimal floor space, as well as, coffee shops and gas stations. It held 36 bottles in ice water and still it has to be attended by a clerk.

Coke Vending Machines during WWII

In 1937, outbreak of World War II, Vendo Company and Vendorlator Manufacturing Company in partnership with The Coca-Cola Co pledged to provide all U.S. military men free Cokes. So, the two companies came up with 5,000 machines for military bases and civilian factories. This product was called the Vendorlator 33. It did not need a coin to get Coke because they were for free so military men will just dispense Coke from the machine.

Postwar Coke vending machines were the first coin-operated machines. It was called the Vendo 83 Coke machine. Its operates by depositing a nickel, opening the door, and retrieving a Coke. It cannot dispense change, at first. But later on, the coke vending machines evolved to dispense nickel change for a dime.

In the 1960s, it was discovered that cans easily cooled and that it wouldn’t break when dispensed, manufacturers came up with the first Coke Vending Machines that dispensed canned Coke. This started the popularity of Coke Vending Machines, giving way to the rise of other soda and beverage vending machines.

The Perfect Choice for Soda Vending Machines

A 355 ml can of Coke contains 39 grams of carbohydrates, 50 mg of sodium, 0 grams fat, 0 grams potassium, and 140 calories. It has been criticized for its contents causing alleged adverse health effects. Though nutritionists advised that Coke can be harmful if consumed excessively, alleged toxic acidity levels has been found to be baseless. Therefore, we can safely say that this is one beverage that can be recommended for soda vending machines.

Despite the criticism, Coca-Cola or Coke has been the dominant brand of sofdrink since its introduction. In the latest quest for best global brand 2011 by Interbrand, Coke is the world’s most valuable brand, making it the more popular brand for soda in vending machines, eventually, making the Coke Vending Machines very popular almost everywhere in the world.

More Variety with Food Vending Machines

Food vending machines are the most flexible among all types of vending machines. Food is a necessity for people. This fact makes the whole business an advantage over other products.

Food vending machines provide a wide array of food products that one can easily dispense at the time of starving. Thus, it is very important that people are cautious when it comes to choosing the food that they get from food vending machines. When an employee is starving and he does not have enough time to go to a restaurant, order food, and wait for it to be serviced, the food vending machine at the pantry is always the best source of relief for hunger. This situation makes most of the money for food vending machines. Though the case presents an opportunity for businessmen, responsible vending is still a vendor’s responsibility to the public.

It is a mutual responsibility for both the supplier and the consumer to maintain the health effects of food vending machines. Food vending machines have become known to the world for providing employees and students easy access to instant snacks, beverage, and even full meals. However, along with the popularity of food vending machines is the increase in rate of obesity of the target market. This calls for a campaign for mutual responsibility shared between the food vending machine supplier and the consumer in patronage for items from food vending machines.

There are very enticingly delicious foods that are not healthy to habitually consume and there are foods that are healthy to consume in place of a full balanced meal. The food choices stocked in a particular location matters a lot to fulfilling the vendor’s social responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the supplier to determine the types of products that will be stocked in the food vending machine depending on the place where the supplier intends to place the machine. In offices and schools, where people need a healthy source of energy, it is advised that suppliers stock the foods that are healthy to consume more often. Food vending machines in offices and schools are often advised to stock foods with balanced nutritional contents. Normally, it is advised to put water, pure juices, dried fruit snacks, yogurt, baked chips, nuts, etc. in vending machines that are meant for offices and schools. Meanwhile, delicious food treats like chocolates, cakes, sodas and the likes are not healthy to habitually consume. They may be reserved for locations like recreation and entertainment centers where there is still a lot of traffic, but these people need not to be there all the time. This way, people who go for recreation at an occasional basis, occasionally gets the delicious treats, which are not healthy to consume habitually.

The choice of food to stock is the part of the vendor in terms of responsible vending, while the responsible choice and moderation of food intake is a responsibility of the consumer. Food vending machines offer a very lucrative opportunity for business but it comes with a whole lot of social responsibility as well.

The Food Vending Machine

The vending machine business has grown in leaps and bounds. You can get anything and everything via a vending machine. Let us now talk about the Food Vending Machines which have hit the market in a big way. Life is becoming fast and there is little or no time for conventional cooking so the easy way out is to find a food vending machine which vends either fresh food like sandwiches or food packet or even hot food.
You have a choice of the Food Packet Vending Machine. The Food Packet Vending Machine is used for vending ready to eat food packets stored in the vending machines at the requisite temperatures. Such a food vending machine has a choice of six to twelve different products stacked vertically in each column. The choice of machines varies from one item to six different products . Some of these machines operate with coins, some with notes and some with both options. These food vending machines have a built in sales reporting function that displays the total quantity of the products, the quantity sold, stock remaining, total value of the transaction with regard to coins and notes as well. The food vending machines with these displays help the owners of the machines know at a glance the quantity of food packets sold, the stock that has to be replenished and the amount of money collected. At the same time, the customer, at a press of a button after selecting the food packet desired and putting in the required coins/notes, is dispensed the food packet. So these food vending machines not only user friendly from the customers point of view but also make the vendors life easy with less mental calculations to make.
You then have a choice of Food Vending Machines with food cooling units between 85F to 100F down to 37.4F for vending of food, sandwiches, pastries, meat products and any other such perishable products. The adjustable temperature zone of down to 37.4°F keeps food products chilled and fresh for a longer period of time. The food vending machine has a health switch installed which prevents the machine from exceeding the programmed temperature limits.
When the customer selects his choice of product and puts in the mentioned amount of coins/notes into the slot, the food vending machine gently dispenses the products to the delivery box. There are special trays for the products depending on their size. You then have a choice of hot food vending machine. In the hot food vending machine you select the item, the item is delivered to the top door of a microwave oven, which triggers the sensors , sensors opening at top door, top door reverses backwards to allow the food to fall into the microwave, the door of the microwave closes, sensors tells microwave to start cooking for that particular product , display board shows countdown in seconds, at the end of which the bottom drawer of the microwave bursts backwards and foods falls into food tray and display says, please take item. It is as easy as that.

Vending Machines in Schools

Vending machines in schools can either be an advantage or a disadvantage to the school children, parents, and school management. It all depends on how responsible each party uses the utility.

Vending machines in school are a convenient source of beverage and snack items. Aside from not needing to staff it with a salesperson, it makes it easier for children to get food items anytime. What makes it a disadvantage is that snack time cannot be controlled because the machine is not like a salesperson who can tell the kids “Ooopppsss! That is already the 10th time that you got this chocolate!” It cannot educate the children on what to eat and what not to eat and when to eat and when not to eat. Therefore it is highly advised that the school management control the type of food and beverage stocked in the vending machines in school.

Meanwhile, another advantage of vending machines in school is the fact that it cuts off the time for parents to prepare snack items for kids. As long as they are assured that the vending machines in school offers a wide array of nutritious and healthy food and beverage items, all the parents have to do is send their children with enough money for the vended snack products to school. They need not give them a variable amount because the vending machine snack items prices are constant and predictable. But the disadvantage of sending kids to school with money can sometimes lead to spending the money on other items, other than the snack items which the money was supposed to be intended. This aspect makes it a disadvantage. Thus, it is advised that if you choose to send the kids to school with money, they have to understand that this money is intended for their snacks and not for anything else.

Some schools also use vending machines to make payments for school fees, supplies, etc. This is one advantageous feature brought about the the vending industry. It cuts the schools’ budget for staffing on some minor fees that can be managed by the machine. It automates both the service, document filing, and accounting part of some simpler requirements in school. For example, it makes the work of the supply officer easier to release school supplies as they have now been automated. Nevertheless, the disadvantage will lie on the fact that machines are not 100 percent guaranteed to work all the time. At the time of failure, transactions cannot be fixed anytime as it will become dependent on the machine. Thus, it is highly recommended that machine operated transactions be backed up with a plan b in case the machine fails at a given time.

It is, therefore, advised that when a school decides to put vending machines in their campuses, the school should aim at convenience for school children, parents, and school management and the school should not focus on profit alone. Responsible vending is highly advised when putting vending machines in schools.

Used Vending Machines

In business, quality equipment is key to a successful operation and good customer service. However, an entrepreneur would also aim to lower the cost of his investment. It is very hard to explore these two different opportunities. When quality go up, the cost also go up. When cost go low, the quality also go low. The two factors seem to go directly proportional to each other, thus it is so hard to get a high-quality equipment at a very low price. I’ll try to explore the pros and cons of this approach with a comparison between new and used vending machines when launching a vending business.

When starting a business, it is also advised to optimize, or make ends meet at a break-even point. Since its a business, changes in the economic climate can never be predictable which can pose a risk on the business. Thus, it is advised to lower down the costs of investments when starting up.

With the vending machine business, the industry now offers an option of getting brand new machines or getting refurnished used vending machines.

Brand new vending machines are those machines fresh from fabrication. Customers can even request for customization of parts, accessories, and automations. With brand new machines, a customer is guranteed highest quality and machine warranty is automatic because the company is ensured of the highest durability and endurance.

The advantage of used vending machines

Meanwhile, refurbished vending machines are those used vending machines that are taken back to fabrication, recalibration and, sometimes, improvement. After recalibration, these machines are being resold at a lower price, that is almost half the price of a brand new machine.

With used vending machines, you don’t get the highest quality of machine parts and materials. However, they are re-fabricated, re-calibrated, and tuned up to its best potential. It might not be that good compared to a new one, but some vending machine vendors still offer service warranty and customer support for these used machines.

Used vending machines are usually half the price of that of a brand new vending machine. Though you get the highest quality of a brand new machine, you will get double the number of machines you can get when you prefer to get used vending machines, at the cost of one brand new vending machine. The benefits include that for one brand new business if you get a brand new vending machine, you get two businesses for two used vending machines. The chances of winning the businesses is double that of just one brand new vending machine. In the world of economic risks in businesses, it is always an advantage to get multiple opportunities over one single exploration.

In the same case, the cost of one brand new machine is equivalent to two used vending machines, thus, an investment in the used vending machine is half the risk that it takes to invest on one brand new vending machine. Although the quality of used vending machines are not as good as the brand new machine quality, the advantage of a lesser business risk outweigh the advantage of a new machine quality.

Therefore, we can conclude that it is always an advantage to get used vending machine over the brand new machine when starting a vending machine business.

Vending Machines for Sale

There are a lot of vending machines for sale, however, how you choose which machine to buy from which company is the million dollar question.

Which Vending Machine?

There are a lot of types of vending machines out for sale, a lot of vending solutions being offered, and a lot of customizable services out in the market. Below is a list of types of vending machines for sale, which can give you an idea on what type of machine you want to buy with the type of business plan you have.

Water Vending Machines
Soda Vending Machines
Cold Beverage Vending Machines
Coffee Vending Machines
Hot Beverage Vending Machines
Cigarette Vending Machines
Snack Vending Machines
Candy Vending Machines
Gumball Vending Machines
Noodle Vending Machines
Fresh Meat Vending Machines
Potted Plants Vending Machines
Book Vending Machines
Sex Gadgets/Utilities Vending Machines
Toiletry Vending Machines
Card Dispensers
Coin Dispensers
Token Dispensers
Ticket Dispensers
Paystations
Validators
Bill Changers
Currency Counters
Customized Vending Machines

A lot of vending machines for sale from a lot of vendors with a lot of service offerings. Before buying from the many vending machines for sale in the market, you have to consider several factors:

Cost-effectiveness -This is an overall attribute that we have to look into. This may be based on the business that you are trying to establish, the location where you want to put it, the type of target market that you are looking to serve and the type of management that you want to do. All of this factors should be considered before you rank your choices accroding to cost-effectiveness.

Space-wise – You have to know the location where you plan to put the machine. Rectangular machines are normally space-saving compared to square machines. However, the latter has more advantage in terms of presentability and attractiveness. It is important that you know where to put it so that you can choose the right shape and size of the machine.

Automatic Inventory – In the world of improving technology, vending machines have now been updated to incorporate the most recent and high tech features. However, we dont require that you pick a high tech one, but at least consider an automatic inventory feature that will simplify and make goods accounting more easy.

Dispensing Efficiency – The ability to dispense successful has to be considered. An efficient machine not only gives convenience to the users, but it also earns your machine reputation.

From Which Vending Company?

Vending machines can either be bought, leased, or franchised. In choosing your vending machine vendor, you have to consider the warranty being offered by the company, the type of service that they provide, the maintenance support that they provide for their equipment and the reputation on how they deliver the services to their customers.

In the US, one provider where you can buy vending machines is from Vending World (http://www.vendingworld.com/), a wholly owned subsidiary of Amusement World, Inc. Vending World is located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The company offers both an array of brand new vending machines as well as refurbished vending machines, and vending machine parts and accessories.

In the UK, Express Vending (http://www.expressvending.co.uk) is the leading supplier vending solution. Aside from selling new vending machines, they also offer vending machines for lease, stocking/restocking services, and office vending machines. They also provided brand-exclusive product vending machines for Cadburys, Coke, Nestle, Nescafe, Kenco, Pringles, and Lucozade.

Meanwhile, A&M Equipment Sale (http://www.amequipmentsales.com/) caters the international market. The company is located in Lithonia, GA. They both sell brand new and refurbished vending machines and ship goods worldwide.

The Vending Machine Business

The Vending Machine Business is a lucrative business for beginners who would want to start at low cost, low maintenance, and low requirements. Vending machines have become popular as it has become a good source of convenience at times when wholesale is not possible and at times when instant needs arise. Let’s read on to explore the advantages, disadvantages and the requirements of the business.

The Advantages of a Vending Machine Business

There are a lot of advantages when going into a vending machine business. You don’t need extensive business experience. It is a very good business for starters. Since consumers compel on vending machines out of need and out of impulse, there is no need to create a working manpower force, but instead, you can do both the servicing and the managing for the moment while you are still starting your business.

You enjoy flexible working hours. You own your time, you manage your time. You can choose to work full time, or this can be a part-time business, or even manage as an absentee owner. And at times when you have to be away, your business remains open 24 hours a day.

You put in low overhead cost. Generally, a vending machines business require only minimal maintenance and almost zero cost for human resource. Due to the low overhead costs, one can sell vending machine products at very competitive prices.

You are assured of an excellent return on investment. No risk of losing through recession, as consumers are compelled to retail purchases when times are hard. There is immediate cash income. Before the goods even go out to the hands of the customer, they pay it before they get it.

And let’s not forget there are a lot of good financing options being offered by industry leaders for start-up vendors.

The Requirements of a Vending Machine Business

Right location: The location has to be a place where you have control over competition. Its either a place that you own and nobody else can put in a vending machine but you. Or, it may be a place where you have a contract of becoming the sole vending machine provider. The location has to be secure from theft and vandalism. The place has to be somewhere where your machine is secure from damage due to pest and people. It has to be either a place where individuals are well educated or it has to be a place that has free security people and/or equipments like security cameras.

Right selection of products: One key to the success of a vending machine business is having the right products sold at the right location. A gumball vending machine would be more saleable in a park than in an office. While a toiletry vendo would not sell that much inside a canteen compared to that when it is in wash rooms and rest rooms.

Regular servicing: A vending machine needs maintenance in terms of cleanliness, presentability, and freshness of products. It has to be cleaned regularly. Attractive paint and machine durability should be checked and maintained at all times. Products should be kept fresh and available at all times to maintain good reputation for consumers.

Cost and revenue management: There has to be a periodic accounting of income and profit against the cost of the investment and the cost of operation.

The Disadvantage of a Vending Machine Business

There is only one disadvantage in a Vending Machine Business. You will have to comply to all the requirements because if you don’t, then, you don’t have a business at all.