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How does a ‘Made in USA’ vending machine help your vending business

 

Made in the USA – The What and The Why?

Some suppliers sell truly American-made products, while others do not. Tthe government has ensured that Made in the USA is no longer an abstract concept. The high-level description of an “All or Virtually All” American-made product is that more than 50% of the product and its components by cost must be made in the country. Thanks to FTC guidelines [1] and federal regulations, every industry also has clear rules as to what is eligible for a Made in the USA tag and what is not.

A recent survey by a leading magazine [2] says about 69% of the respondents preferred buying American-made products. About 83% of them were also willing to pay a premium for the Made-in-America label if it is a genuine claim. This may not be surprising as we all want to reward the American spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. The benefits of buying a product made in America, however, are not limited to patriotic fervor. There are sound business benefits to vending machine owners and operators while buying American machines or services.

What it means for your vending business

Local Customer Service: A vending machine is complex equipment that is built with a variety of electrical, mechanical, electronic, and communication equipment. Adequate customer support with cross-functional technical capabilities is essential to deliver the best user experience for the end-users of the machine. Local manufacturers understand the challenges of local customers. A good understanding of many variables like ambient weather, tastes and preferences, compliance to regulations, and other factors influence the quality of service. A business that designs and builds machines in the USA is more likely to understand the nuances of these variables and provide the best support.

International Supply Chain Woes: Manufacturers, relying on global suppliers for their components currently struggle with a severe supply chain bottleneck. This is not a temporary situation. If your machine’s card refrigerator unit fails and you must wait for a month to replace it, it means your machine is out of action. The cost of spoiled inventory in the machine is not even a scratch on the surface of what you will stand to lose as revenue. If you have purchased your machine through a financing option, you will also service the debt without revenue. On the other hand, a local manufacturer can quickly replace parts and keep the cash registers ringing.

Standards of Safety and Quality: The safety standards are a minimum benchmark for an American manufacturer who understands the consequences of a gap. However, for manufacturers in a developing nation, the standards are simply a matter of compliance to purchase specifications. Both might be working towards meeting the same safety standards, but the drive to meet such measures can be quite different. North American and Western European businesses are much more savvy than most other regions. This also gives an edge to American manufacturers compared to those who buy parts or machines from other countries to sell locally.

Faster Delivery Time: Mobilizing machines, equipment, and parts locally are faster than ordering and shipping from thousands of miles away. In a market where impulse purchases of products are short-lived fads, “time-in-transit” can be a killing. Also, the distances your machine or parts must move without any economic value can hurt the environment. A local manufacturer might still burn gas to haul your machine a few hundred miles. But it is way faster, cheaper, and environmentally responsible than shipping it on a diesel barge across the ocean.

Geopolitical Uncertainties: The last thing that a vending machine owner or operator must be worried about is the relationship between countries and world leaders. Today’s environment is so volatile that countries trade tariffs, embargos, restrictions, and retaliatory measures between each other at the drop of a hat. Suppliers who rely on foreign products or components are often impacted by the tectonics of international politics. Local manufacturers are relatively insulated from such uncertainties and become reliable partners to your vending business.

Made in the USA is not a tag. It is a proposition.

Buying American-made vending machines has a definite and positive impact on the success of your vending business. You can improve your revenues, reduce risks, ensure consumer convenience, and escape impact from extraneous factors. You can also contribute to empowering the country. You can give a boost to both your patriotism and profitability by doing business with an American manufacturer. Vending.com has been manufacturing vending machines in the USA for more than 90 years. You can talk to us to know more about the benefits of doing business with an American manufacturer like us. Call us now at 1-855-929-1042 or click here.

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5 features your vending machine must have (UV, Cashless, GuaranteeVend, etc.)

Five Must-Have Features of Your Vending Machine 

Are you in the market for a vending solution?

Vending machines wear multiple hats – they are a great source of extra income and a way for products and retail brands to improve the customer experience. If you are in the market for a vending solution, the ideal starting point is to check out our profit calculator or contact us directly at Vending.com.

 

What are the features or capabilities that your vending solution must possess? 

There is a vending solution that fits a variety of requirements for users.. Entrepreneurs, retail businesses, facility management agencies, the list goes on. Your business is unique and requires solutions aligned to your business goals and your target vending audiences. Some areas will need your attention before investing in a vending solution. This blog post outlines five of these areas.

Accessibility – Are your vending machines ADA compliant?

The Americans with Disabilities Act is comprehensive in its scope, as well as scientific and compassionate in its stipulations. Though there are multiple aspects that the act covers, accessibility is an area that applies to the vending machines you choose. 

Vending.com’s offerings are all ADA compliant or ADA ready. Our solutions comply with the ADA by its design, ergonomic access to the user interfaces, intuitiveness, and its ability to be accessible to all. Contact us to know more about our ADA-compliant machines.

Customizability

Just as your vending partner needs to cater to your business’s unique identity and operations, you also need someone well-versed with your industry’s demands. Custom-developed solutions, wherever applicable, will help drive more sales and ensure a richer user experience that delights users.

Vending.com has custom vending solutions that have been designed and redesigned for specific industries, domains, and applications, like PPE kit vending, gym and fitness centers, self-service laundry businesses, and more. Our partners and affiliates add to our vending solutions’ customizability.

In addition to providing the custom vendor, Vending.com also helps in catching the attention of your customers with eye-popping designs. Our custom graphics offering helps in decking out your vending machine to attract more audiences – right from the factory. Our marketing team helps you serve the right look for your audience. 

Effectiveness Of Technology And Application Used

Technology has raised the bar with end-user expectations regarding features and experiences. It is essential to choose the appropriate features that are relevant for your target vending audience. 

Vending.com has constantly developed products and solutions filled to the brim with features, and we have done this for all stakeholders – our customers and the end-user audience. We have everything from easy item loading to handling multiple form factors. For the end-user, we have easy item selection, cashless transactions, sanitization, and more.

Contact us now to understand the multiple features and options that would work for your audiences.

Alternative Methods of Monetization

We are all looking to maximize the returns from our assets and investments. Complementary or supplementary income avenues are a way to do that. In this connected and digital world, there are multiple ways to augment the principal revenue source. For instance, any surface that demands the public’s attention is ideal for placing advertisements. When it comes to vending machines with digital displays and an internet connection, the possibilities are endless.

Vending.com’s vending solutions have feature-rich interfaces. Our in-house engineering is laser-focused on incorporating cutting-edge technology that helps our customers recognize tangible results. Check out our Express Combo Vending Machine to see for yourself. 

Sustainability

In this day and age, machines have to be energy-efficient as much as possible. Multiple technologies are applicable across design, ergonomics, hardware, software, customer behavior, etc., for reducing the energy consumption of vending machines and their carbon footprint. 

For example, Vending.com’s MarketOne 5W Cold Food & Drink Vending Machine is a combo machine that includes cooling solutions, digital displays, touch interface, cashless payment, and much more. It has Energy Star compliant technology, LED lighting, and the latest in energy usage optimization from our in-house innovators.  

Why choose Vending.com for your Vending Solutions?

Our 90 years of proven vending industry legacy and leadership focus on long-term innovation and planning. We offer everything required for your success. Our end-to-end ecosystem for vending solutions covers everything from usage-specific machines and new technology-driven features to financing and hassle-free maintenance.

Vending.com’s vending excellence has multiple testimonials and countless success stories. We are always at the precipice of the latest technology, features, and business practices that help our customers become more successful.

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The true cost of vending machines

 

Total Cost of Ownership – The iceberg below the water level

Owning and operating a vending machine is good business. More than 2/3rds of vending machine owners and operators are micro businesses and individuals. They do not have the “big-four” accounting companies keeping their books. Suppose you are a small business or individual owner-operator of vending machines. There is a high chance that you will have to keep a tab of your collections and earnings yourselves. Most of us do it, too, but what we often tend to lose focus on is the cost. While buying the vending machine is a clear capital investment, there are other costs during the life of the vending machine that will define your profitability. As an owner-operator, let us see how you can understand these costs of owning a vending machine and ensure maximum profitability from your devices.

The costs across the lifecycle

Vending machines typically have a long cashable life. This means that adequately maintained vending machines can generate revenue for several years. Depending on the type of goods, location, maintenance and technology, machines can last anywhere between 5 and 15 years. The cost of owning these vending machines is also incurred over the product’s life. As the age of the machine increases, so does the cost of owning it. That is why used vending machines are cheaper to buy, but more expensive to own. It is also easy to forget that a non-functional machine means a loss of revenue. So, the decision to invest in a new machine or buy a used one should be made after carefully considering the following costs.

Cost of Buying – The cost of new vending machines for sale can be a few thousand dollars. The cost of buying a used one might be much less. This is a one-time expense and is considered a capital spend.

Cost of Installation – If you buy a machine, you will also incur charges to transport the machine to the location. Then comes the cost of setting these machines up and getting them up and running. You may have to pay for such services if you are not an expert.

Cost of Owning – Operating the machine includes the cost of the goods sold, energy cost, the cost involved in stocking or replacing goods, and other operational costs.

Cost of Upgrading – Depending on the age of your machine and the advancements in technology, you will incur expenses to upgrade your machines. Cashless payment systems are a good example. While many machines have card readers, modern cashless systems, like NFC and mobile wallets, may need upgrades.

Cost of Retiring – If your machines reach end-of-life, you will need to remove them. Malfunctioning machines or ones with obsolete technology will continue to cost you while generating no revenue. There will also be a cost of disconnecting, dismantling and disposing of such machines. 

Understanding all the costs incurred during the entire life of the vending machine will help you decide several aspects. You can choose to buy a new or a used machine. You can also calculate the returns from your machines better.

Cost Types

In each stage of the life cycle, several factors contribute to the cost of owning a vending machine. Calculating these costs meticulously can help you estimate the profitability of each machine you own and operate. Let us discuss these cost components.

  • Machine Cost – This is the initial investment that forms a big part of your upfront cash, but this is not the most significant component of your total cost.
  • Installation and Commissioning Cost – The size of this spend depends on your expertise, availability of professional support, and your deal with the machine supplier. Some manufacturers bundle this as a part of their machines to make it easy for buyers.
  • Cost of Accessories and Peripherals – The performance of your vending machines can be improved by adding peripherals. Accessories can also help upgrade old machines and extend their life.
  • Energy Cost – Machines need lighting, refrigeration, heating, handling payment transactions, or connection with back-end platforms.
  • Location or Real Estate Cost – This cost depends on your agreement with the owner of the location. Machine operators pay fixed fees, a commission on the sales made, branding on the machine, or a combination of these options.
  • Maintenance Costs – The maintenance cost includes servicing outages or repairs and preventive maintenance scheduled at regular intervals.
  • Merchandise Cost – This is the highest cost of owning any vending machine. This can be a few hundred dollars or thousands of dollars per stock replenishment, depending on what merchandise you sell.
  • Insurance Cost – General liability insurance costs are also a component that runs into a few hundred dollars per year.
  • Warehousing Cost – You will incur this cost to store your inventory before stocking your machine.
  • Consumables, Parts & Supplies Cost – Your machine will consume resources to operate. Some of them are your coolant in your refrigeration unit and lubricant in your mechanical unit. These will need periodic replacement or replenishment.
  • Taxes on Earnings – Taxes on your income from the vending machines are based on what and how you report in your earnings statement.
  • Cost of Downtime – All the above costs are direct costs that can be measured. The cost that cannot be measured is the cost of downtime of your machines. This is the revenue lost when your machine is not usable. If your stock includes perishables like fruits or packaged meat, downtime will also cost you the spoiled inventory.

 

Recovering Total Cost of Ownership

It is now clear that the cost of owning a vending machine is just the tip of the iceberg, but do not let that scare you. Vending machines are a very lucrative investment with a low barrier to entry. The returns from this investment are fast and help you recover your total cost of ownership quickly. Every transaction your machine makes can give you a decent markup on the product sold. Depending on the location and merchandise, operators markup merchandise prices by anywhere between 50% to 200%. This is the fee that the consumer pays for convenience and accessibility.

Further, reputed machinery manufacturers also support their customers in the buying process to make investing in a vending machine even more attractive. They also have tools that help you estimate your returns from investing in a vending machine. You can call the experts from Vending.com at 1-855-929-1042 to learn more about the costs and benefits of investing in your next vending machine.

Cost-Benefit Comparison for Vending Machines

  • Per Machine Profitability
  • Aggregate Revenue and Profitability
  • Maximizing Profits

Selecting the Right Machine

  • Help you understand TCO
  • Partner, not vendor
  • One-Stop-Shop (Machine, parts, consumables, software)
  • Financing
  • Accessibility.
Vending.com

Grow Your Business with Your New Profit Maker

As businesses around the United States continue to open up and welcome back employees and customers, many vending business owners have noticed an increase in vending sales. In order to help business owners, as well as new and current vending operators, thrive in the vending industry.

Right now, Vending.com is offering 0 interest for one year, as well as 0 payments for 60 days, on select vending equipment, with approved credit. Vending machines and their first-year monthly payments include:

In addition to zero interest for one year and zero payment for 60 days, Vending.com is also offering no-cost for Greenlite credit card reader installation. Greenlite allows you to manage all of your vending machines anytime, anywhere by giving you access to a number of reports including machine health, machine sales and more. Additionally, it allows vending customers to purchase products with credit/debit cards, as well as mobile payments.

Whether you are a seasoned professional in the vending industry or a new vending operator, Vending.com is here to coach you every step of the way. For more information, give us a call at 1-800-548-1982.

Breaking Down the State of the Industry Report and What it Means for You

Every year, Vending MarketWatch publishes its State of the Industry Report, which breaks down vending locations, sales and more from the previous year. We are going to break down the 2019 report in order for you to get a better understanding of how your vending business can continue to grow.

Locations

Just because vending machines can be placed anywhere, does not mean they should be placed anywhere. According to surveys conducted by Automatic Merchandiser, the most popular locations to place a vending machine are manufacturing facilities and offices, with 22.1% of vending machines placed at each location. Correctional facilities are the least popular places to place vending machines, with just 2.4% of vending machines being placed there, which is an increase from the previous year. 

What does this information mean for you? This report shows that while offices and manufacturing facilities are still very popular for vending, there may be a lot of potential in less popular locations, such as correctional facilities and military bases. If you are a business owner looking to add a vending machine to your location, contact us to see if your location could support vending equipment.

Cold Beverage

To no surprise, cold beverages still remain at the top of vending industry sales. In 2019, cold beverages made up 22.8% of sales, which is a significant decrease from the previous year. To help support your vending business and sales, Vending.com offers a variety of cold beverage vending machines, which provides your customers with the cold beverages they crave.

A surprise in this year’s report shows that cold beverages do not stand alone at the top of the sales chart. A new category has gained a lot of ground over the past year and shows no signs of slowing down.

Opportunities for Growth – Retail 

Shooting to the top of the product sales category with cold beverages in 2019 was the other category, which includes non-edible items. This category grew from 7.7% to 22.8%. This shows that operators are looking to diversify their vending businesses. 

If you are looking on capitalizing in the retail vending industry, especially amidst COVID-19, check out our Sani-Center PPE Vending Machine. These machines are created to provide customers with masks, sanitizers and more in order to keep you safe.

The vending industry is constantly changing and evolving. To access the full industry report, read the State of the Industry Report here. If you have any questions about how you can grow in the vending industry, give us a call at 1-800-548-1982.

Introducing the New MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machine

By ensuring you are up to date with the latest in vending technology, you are putting yourself in the best position to stay competitive within the vending industry. Our new addition of MarketOne Vending Machines ensures you will be top of mind in the vending industry. We have recently added six new vending machines to our line and will be introducing them to you. Previously we introduced the MarketOne 5W Cold Food & Drink Vending Machine, MarketOne 3W Cold Food & Drink Vending Machine, MarketOne 5W Snack & Cold Drink Vending Machine, and MarketOne 3W Snack & Cold Drink Vending Machine. Now, let’s discuss the MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machine.

The MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machine features the latest in vending technology. It includes a soft-elevator and a large delivery bin, allowing you to vend food and drinks of various product packaging shapes and sizes. With the elevator delivery system, you can vend fragile products, such as yogurt parfaits. Optimal product rotation through First-In-First-Out (FIFO) loading is also included.

The MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machine offers up to 60 unique product selections. Its large product merchandising window is sure to catch the eyes of many customers. Combined with enhanced LED lighting, the MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machine offers maximum product visualization. Similar to other MarketOne vending machines, the MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machine is health safety programmable by section, range or row. It is also ideal for high-humidity locations, as it has a soft-coat heated glass.  

Customers crave a vending “experience.” MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machines give them just that by being fully Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. Additionally, these machines come fully equipped with enhanced LED lighting, providing your customers with maximum product visibility. Finally, thanks to iVend, products are guaranteed to vend to your customers every time. If a product does not vend correctly the first time, your customer will have the opportunity to try again or vend an entirely new product.

A standard feature on the MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machines is a 3.5” full-color display. This feature enables you to display pricing information and nutritional information in compliance with the FDA’s Calorie Disclosure Rule. Update this feature to a 7” full-color touch screen to offer a shopping cart mode to purchase up to three items in one transaction, with product browsing capability and advertising options for static and video content.

Finally, you will never have to worry about losing out on sales again due to payment acceptance issues with the MarketOne 5W Elevator Vending Machines. These machines come standard with a bill acceptor for $1-20 and PayRange, a leading mobile payment system. It allows users to load money directly into the app and pay from their mobile funds. Additionally, an optional Greenlite card reader can be added, which enables customers to pay with credit/debit cards and mobile wallets.

Stay at the top of the vending industry with the latest in vending technology. For more information about the MarketOne Vending Machines, give us a call at 1-800-548-1982.

Our ‘Game-Changer’

As it’s now the middle of the football season and the crisp feeling of fall is in the air we’re going to take some liberty and let you in on a special play that can make all the difference in the vending game. Similar to the “Philly Special” or a well disguised safety blitz, Vending.com’s flexible financing program can turn the momentum in your business and give you a huge boost moving ahead. At Vending.com we do not require you to pay cash for your equipment. We offer flexible financing options designed to fit the new vendor and the growing vendor. Apply today!

Our financing program means that your machine can pay for itself. You can pay off your new vending machine from the profits of just a few sales per day. It’s okay if you don’t have the money to pay for the machine now, when you qualify for our financing program you can pay off the machine in manageable monthly chunks while the machine is already in use helping you earn money. It is important to Vending.com that as many people as possible have the opportunity to own and operate a vending machine. If you’re new to vending don’t worry because our vending coaches are available to walk you through the process of starting your vending business. The Vending.com team can help answer any questions you have, whether it’s about financing, products for your machine or a location for you machine.

This fall is a great time to check out our financing program. Currently, we are proud to offer $0 Down and no payments for 60 days in addition to $0 interest financing for 12 months! 

Adding Cashless Payments Increases Profits

Is it just me or do people carry less cash around than they used to? The only time I’ve been paid in cash was my allowance growing up. God bless my amazingly generous grandfather who still pays cash taking our family out to eat, but I normally see most people using other cashless forms of payment. If my friend owes me money or vice versa Venmo is likely where we’ll complete the transaction. Credit cards and mobile payments make it easy to spend money without having a wad of cash bulging from you pocket. Customers at vending machines that accept cashless payments are not limited by the amount of change or bills they have with them. They can spend more money and they can do it easier. Here are some facts that support the profitable trend toward cashless transaction systems for vending machines.

“American adults under 30 dislike using cash so much that 51% of them use credit or debit cards for purchases — even for transactions under $5 (the price point where vending lives),” said Christopher Blomquist, Parlevel’s marketing content manager in a Vending Times article.

In a study of 84,000 vending machines by USA Tech, 10,600 were low volume machines with less than $2,000 in pre-cashless sales per year. After accepting cashless payments the 10,600 machines reported an 86% growth in top line sales after 18 months. Machines adding cashless transaction systems increased average monthly sales from $104 to $193. According to USA Tech, vending consumers spend 37 percent more using cashless credit, debit, NFC contactless or mobile wallet payments than they do using cash. Annually. total sales in machines adding cashless payments goes from $1,248 to $2,316. A more recent Vending Times article notes a Parlevel Systems study that states cashless machines have an average transaction that is 40 cents more than machines that are cash only.

Cashless payment systems are very important to the profitability of a vending machine. Vending.com provides the Greenlite cashless payment system to help vending operators embrace the need for cashless payments. Efficient and easy to use, Greenlite will make sure you do not miss a cashless purchase. Greenlite also offers important tools for product management that makes it simple to track what’s gone in and out of your machine.

 

Vending Machines Are Sources Of Revenue For Schools

Vending machines raise money for schools and are a great source of additional revenue for school districts. Through the use of a vending machine, schools can fund projects and initiatives their current budgets do not account for.

By utilizing a vending machine from Vending.com, schools can have ultimate flexibility in their selection of product to offer their staff and students. This varies from vending machines supplied direct from consumer brands, as in most cases you are limited to that brand’s offerings. Making upwards of $200 daily on a vending machine in a high traffic location is obtainable with the right product selection.

Including a vending machine in your school will not only benefit the school’s revenue but also the quality of life for both students and staff.  Time spent in between classes is short and usually rushed. A hungry student may be low on energy and not be able to retain information.

By adding a vending machine to high-traffic hallways or wings of your building, you will be able to quickly offer students the nourishment they need, while simultaneously collecting additional revenue from the vending machine and raising money for the school district.

Consider adding a Combo Vending Machine in a faculty break room or in the lunchroom. Have a look at the Trimline II Combo Vending Machine below.

Vending Machines Are Sources Of Revenue For Schools

You can vend both snacks and drinks using the Trimline II. This allows for ultimate selection capability. Offer up to 9 drink selections & 20 snack selections with a combo vending machine.

Is your district making the most out of vending options? We can help. Contact Vending.com today –  our experts are standing by to help with any questions.

Until next time,

Vending.com

Are You Back-to-School Ready?

School is in session! Well, almost. As an educational institution, you need to be prepared for the return of students after summer break. Here are some things to make sure you’re on top of before students return for the start of the semester:

The Welcome-Back Letter

The back-to-school letter is a must of many teachers, school principals and institutional leaders. The letter provides much-needed details for students and parents to help pre-empt any back-to-school jitters along with information such as the time the student should plan to arrive at school on the first day, where the student should go once they arrive, and any information about upcoming orientations. This is also an excellent way to introduce students to any new administration or changes in policy.

Visit with Faculty/Staff Members

Though it’s important to prepare incoming students and parents for the semester, it is equally important to make sure your staff is prepared as well. A faculty meeting before the start of the school year encourages excellent communication among faculty which is essential to a well-running school.

Along with excellent communication among the faculty, it’s also important for your staff to be well-equipped with the right tools which brings us to our next points.

Fixed Seating Arrangements

While there may be no right or wrong seating arrangement, there are certainly differences in how students interact with and are influenced by the set-up of a classroom. You can utilize fixed seating to maximize your use of space, deliver visual room uniformity or create collaborative team-based spaces. The use of fixed seating helps to create innovative learning spaces that encourage your students to succeed and reach their full potential.

Textbooks

A textbook is essentially a guide to facilitate the teaching and learning of the curriculum in a particular subject for both teachers and students alike. Textbooks play a fundamental role in supplementing any teachers knowledge deficits so having the most updated, accurate textbooks is a must for any educational institution.

Vending Machines

Do you have vending machines conveniently spaced out along your school halls, yet? Vending machines allow students, teachers and other faculty to get the snacks and refreshments they crave, whenever they crave them. Provide your students and faculty with the energy they need to both learn and teach effectively. In this day and age, vending doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Healthier vending machines are becoming more and more popular, especially in educational institutions. Vending.com offers a wide array of snack vending machines, drink vending machines and combination vending machines that accept credit cards and cash alike, making small purchases easy.

Are you prepared for the upcoming school year? We can help. Contact Vending.com today –  our experts are standing by to help with any questions.

Until next time,

Vending.com