Soft Drink Vending Machines

Soft drink vending machines combine pre-existing brand recognition with convenience. This powerful combination can, in turn, translate into low-maintenance, reliable revenue streams. The most successful soft drink vending machines use a combination of branding, selection and placement to achieve a high sales volume.

Soft Drink Vending Machine Placement: Things to Consider

Figuring out where thirsty people gather is only part of the equation, since soft drink vending machines also attract impulse buyers. While conventional wisdom suggests placing machines in areas where people go to eat and drink, such as inside or near cafeterias and food courts in schools, on college campuses and in malls and office buildings, the convenience of vending machines opens up many other possibilities.

Remember that the key advantage of soft drink vending machines is that they allow people to purchase drinks where they would otherwise not be able to. Thus, they can be profitable in any high-traffic area that isn’t serviced by nearby food and beverage outlets. For example, some of the more progressive public and college libraries permit patrons to enjoy food and drink while reading or studying, but very few of them offer on-site libations. The same logic applies to hotel and motel lobbies, office units, public and government buildings and high-traffic stores and businesses that lack their own food services. Soft drink vending machines placed in these areas enjoy a monopoly, of sorts, over thirsty shoppers and passersby.

Use Branding to Your Advantage With Soft Drink Vending Machines

While it may appear, on the surface, to be cheaper to stock a soft drink vending machine with generic brands of sodas and juices, machines that offer brand-name products tend to be more profitable over the long run. Vendors can even lease machines directly from major soft drink manufacturers (such as Coke and Pepsi). While the up-front costs associated with this option are usually higher, keep in mind that your vending machine unit will come with built-in advertising.

Since teens and young adults comprise a very significant demographic in the soft drink industry, it’s also essential to appeal to this market to maximize profit potential. It’s a well-known fact in the marketing world that young people, who generally have a higher ratio of disposable income than adults, are willing to spend more to get the products they want. Most youths, when given the choice between spending 80 cents for a can of generic cola or a dollar for a can of Coke, will choose the latter.

Purchase the Right Soft Drink Vending Machine

New technologies allowing for credit and debit card purchases and purchases that don’t require exact change work to help soft drink vending machine operators attract business through convenience. To choose the right machine, it’s essential to consider the needs of your target market. Are they likely to be carrying credit or debit cards? If not (and many students, for example, don’t), then you can save yourself some money by opting for a less expensive unit that simply accepts paper money and makes change. However, it is important to bear in mind that operators can charge a premium on their products if card sales are permitted. Most shoppers don’t mind spending a few extra cents if it means they don’t have to dig for change or find a place to get cash.

Finally, if you’re wondering how to finance the purchase of a soft drink vending machine, you should be aware that many manufacturers offer low-cost financing plans, which include small or no down payments, low interest rates and low monthly payment schedules. Thanks to the surging vending machine industry, manufacturers want to ship units quickly and are more than willing to offer competitive financing arrangements to facilitate the sale.