Vending Machines

Vending machines represent a $40 billion a year industry in the United States, and current trends suggest that this figure is only going to grow. In our consumer-driven culture, vending machine manufacturers have developed innovative new ways of attracting business, while providing machine owners and operators with enhanced security features that protect their investments. As that technology continues to improve, the range of products that can viably be sold in vending machines also continues to grow, now including items such as disposable cameras, books, body care products and just about anything else that will fit in a coin-operated slot.

Vending Machines Can Now Be Used to Sell an Incredible Range of Products

One of the key technological advancements that’s led to the resurgence of the vending machine industry is temperature control. Not only do advanced cooling systems allow frozen foods such as ice cream to be sold from vending machines, less obviously temperature-sensitive items such as camera film can now also be securely stocked for longer periods of time. There’s also a flip side to the coin: it is now viable to vend items that need to be kept warm or hot, such as prepared food, coffee and tea.

In fact, coffee and tea vending machines represent one of the strongest growth sectors in the vending machine industry. These can make an excellent investment wherever large groups of people in need of a pick-me-up are likely to gather, such as cafeterias, university lecture halls, dormitories, and office buildings. A key factor in their ongoing success is the way these vending machines manage to anticipate and appeal to the everday needs of the people circulating nearby.

Vending Machine Marketing on a Whole New Level

Enticing customers to make vending machine purchases by stocking the machine with tried-and-true top-selling brands is an essential strategy. While the clearest examples of this have been demonstrated in the soft drink vending machine industry, dominated by the world’s two top soft drinks, Coke and Pepsi, the principle holds true no matter what type of products are being sold. Offering brand-name products enables vending machine owners to lure in business using the brand’s name and logo on the vending machine, a low-cost marketing tool when applied to products that already hold a substantial market share. Think Kodak for film, Johnson + Johnson for band-aids and Vaseline for skin care, for a few concrete examples.

Vending machine manufacturers themselves have begun to respond to customer demand for more designs oriented toward brand recognition. Advances in the manufacture of high-performance, sculptable plastics, stylized lighting and transparent materials allow vending machine operators to purchase a model that speaks to the preferences of their target market. Young people, for example, are known not only for brand loyalty but also for preferring sleeker, flashier displays that convey a contemporary, hip and “young” feel. Form should also match function: if you’re selling laundry soap, a classic, clean look can appeal to customers on a subliminal level.

In addition, vending machine operators are the latest in the bandwagon-jumpers who have realized they can translate nutrition trends into profits. Vending machines that offer products for people swept up in the low-carb craze, for example, are performing very well when placed in areas with high volumes of health-conscious people. With contemporary technology, the uses for vending machines is really limited only by the imagination of the people operating them, and significant profits await those who can discover a winning combination of marketing and product placement.