Cigarette Vending Machines

Even though the number of smokers worldwide is in decline, cigarette vending machines continue to rake in significant profits for their owners, and not only because the tobacco habit is so overpoweringly addictive. Vending machines are a way to score impulse purchases; smokers usually don’t wait until they’ve run out before buying their next pack.

However, legal concerns are particularly applicable to owners of cigarette vending machines. Eight recent, independently conducted studies showed that, within the United States, minors were successfully able to purchase tobacco products from cigarette vending machines 82 percent of the time or more–in several studies, they were able to get away with their illegal purchase 100 percent of the time. The law may hold the proprietor of the cigarette vending machine responsible, not the owner or lessee of the property where the machine is located. Hefty fines can result. If you’d prefer to be safe rather than sorry, consider locating your cigarette vending machines in environments where external age controls are already enforced, with bars and nightclubs being the most obvious examples.

Stock Cigarette Vending Machines With Specialized Products

One technique that vendors use to draw more business to their cigarette vending machines is to offer tobacco products that are difficult to find in conventional corner stores. Imported cigarettes, for example, can lend an exotic, refined air to your cigarette vending machine, and coax curious customers into spending some extra dollars for the specialty product. If you’re going to go that route, always ensure you’re stocking products that are legal in your jurisdiction, and that all applicable duty fees have been paid. Also be sure to offer specialty tobacco products in tandem with recognized domestic brands to ensure you cover the spread.

Depending on where you live, cigarette manufacturers may also make specially packaged cigarettes available to vending machine operators. Some tobacco companies box special packs specifically for sale in vending machines, which contain an odd number of cigarettes (usually 17 cigarettes in a box manufactured to hold 20). This is done to increase both the tobacco company and the vending machine operator’s profit margins, though you should be wary that this ploy is unlikely to attract repeat business. It’s best used in locations where smokers are willing to pay more to get their fix–again, bars and nightclubs are the best examples.

What to Look For In a Cigarette Vending Machine

You’ll want to purchase a cigarette vending machine that allows you customized control over the pricing and dispensing of the individual product chambers, and shop knowing that even the most basic units have a capacity of at least 100 packs. Most units produced nowadays come standard with bill validators, electronic money changers and the ability to accept bank notes of most any denomination. More and more cigarette vending machine operators are finding it worth their while to invest in a unit that permits payment by card, since it also allows them to charge additional premiums on top of the already inflated vending machine cost of a pack of cigarettes. It’s also worth spending the extra money on a machine that offers more security: cigarette vending machines tend to suffer from theft and vandalism more than other vending machines, simply because they offer a product that has an inherent street value.

While cigarette vending machines come in many shapes and sizes, they usually weigh 200 to 300 pounds and stand three feet high or less. If you’re looking to invest in one, you should consider buying a new unit directly from the manufacturer, since financing plans are often available and comprehensive warranties are usually offered so that you can protect your investment.