Vending Machines Blog

Vending Tips: Product Selection

In our first vending tips article we spoke about vending machine location and some of the benefits and potential downfalls of which to be aware. The aim of this article is to focus on vending machine product selection, with ideas of how this can be optimised to be more effective.

Choosing the right products to vend from your machines can mean the difference between profit and loss, and so is not a decision to be taken lightly.

Product Selection: Gather Data

Firstly, it is important to detach yourself from any personal preference towards particular products. Not everyone will share your opinion of the best snack/drink/brand of mints/etc. Providing products people actually want will yield better results. This is perhaps an obvious statement, but achieving it is not always so simple.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: product selection, vending, vending machines, vending tips

Condom Vending

Condom vending can be a profitable business; washroom machines account for a significant amount of sales from vending machines. In addition to this, some of the best profit margins can be found with condom machine products. Consumables such as herbal sexual enhancers have seen a sharp increase in popularity recently, but of course, this type of product will sell better in some places than others (clubs vs. offices, for instance).

Possibly the most important factor for maximising sales from condom vending machines is to target your key demographic effectively with the right products.

Sanitary items and condoms will often sell in most places and can be a good choice. However, washroom machines can be fairly versatile. If products are properly packaged and fit within the maximum vend dimensions, many different items can be sold from condom vending machines to better target your audience. Examples in the past have included: swimming equipment, disposable shoes, and adult novelty toys.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: condom machines, condom vending, condom vending machines, condoms, washroom vending

Fly Killers

Fly killers come in many shapes, sizes and prices; and each differ in features and operating methods. Deciding which fly killer is most useful for your situation isn’t always easy, especially when researching them for the first time.

Fly killers come in two main types: electric grid and glue board. These descriptions refer to the way they trap the flying insects. Electric fly killers electrocute flying pests upon collision with the internal electric grid (the collision completes the circuit which creates the desired electrical arc). The insects then typically drop down in to a ‘catch-tray’ for easy disposal.

However, glue board fly killers work in a different way. A replaceable glue board within the fly killer unit acts as the trap. Insects collide with the glue board, becoming permanently stuck and unable to detach themselves.

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Posted in: Fly Killers, Intelligent Vending Ltd, Product Help & Advice
Tags: Fly Killers, Intelligent Vending

Fly Killers – Your Ideal Pest Control Unit

We have just updated our website with a new feature, the fly killer product wizard.

Flying insects are not only an irritant – whether at home or the workplace – they are unhygienic and a potential hazard if working around sensitive products such as food or packaging.

Intelligent Vending Ltd offers some of the finest quality fly killers/pest control units currently available on the market.

To help you figure out which one is most suited to your needs, we have created a fly killer wizard, which should point you in the right direction after answering a handful of easy questions.

Our prices for fly killers are some of the best around so it’s always worth getting in contact for a quote. Additionally, if you can provide us with evidence of a cheaper price elsewhere, we will do our best to beat it!

For more information please email us or call us on: +44 (0) 1629 825555

Posted in: Fly Killers, Product Help & Advice
Tags: Fly Killers, flying insect control, pest control

Increase Business Profits with Vending Machines

In tight economical times, all businesses can do with a little extra monetary help to fill a few holes the budget cannot quite reach. The source of an extra business income may well be right under your nose; you just are not seeing it yet. What you need is vending machines. Yes, vending machines are a surprisingly profitable source of extra income for any business with a large staff contingent.

Starving off the munchies

Vending machines are especially popular in companies that have many staff members in sedentary desk jobs. When people sit down at a desk and in front of a computer, they tend to want to munch. Call centres are particularly lucrative vending profit generators. The best part is that people are pressed for time or simply cannot be bothered to walk down the street for a snack.

So if you provide them with a quick fix answer to their mid day munch attack they are likely to jump at it. Vending machines come in all shapes and sizes and they deliver all sorts of tasty goods. It is important to find out which items your staff will demand the most and keep your vending machine stocked.

Vending machines in offices can generate significant profit through numerous small sales. Tally up lots of items being sold per week and you can start seeing the bigger profit picture. Every penny your company or business can bring in extra can go towards growing your business even when customers are strapped for cash.

There are some cases however, such as in the retail sector, where fewer sales of DVDs, video games, or electronics (including the iPod) can realise even greater potential.

Posted in: Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice
Tags: drink vending, food vending, vending machines

Pub and Club Vending

Late night social venues such as bars and nightclubs can make for some of the most profitable locations to situate vending machines. With a large number of visitors and a ‘captive’ audience, significant sales can be achieved with the right choice of products in the vending machines.

Lending a big hand in the success of vending in bars, pubs and nightclubs is the ’spending frame of mind’ that consumers typically bring to the venue.  Vending provides a great opportunity to let go and relieve the burden of all that loose change gathered from the last round of drinks. This can be very effective for sales of novelty items and condoms.

The most popular items sold through wall mounted machines in toilets/washrooms are usually condoms & novelty lines. A good tip is not to forget condoms in the in the female washrooms; they often sell just as well as in the gents (this is surprisingly frequently overlooked). Other popular products sold through washroom or condom vending machines are chewing gum, mints and male/female adult toys. These lines of products can be ideal for busy pubs, bars & nightclubs.

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Posted in: Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice
Tags: condom vending machines, nightclub vending, pub vending, vending advice, washroom vending

Vending Machine Safety and Security

Vending machine manufacturers test their products thoroughly, and build specifically designed units which inhibit theft and injury in accordance with strict consumer guidelines.

The sheer weight of the materials use in construction and the resulting unit size make vending machines very secure. This also makes them very stable, which reduces the risk of them toppling over and causing serious or irreversible damage (a fully stocked machine can weigh as much as 400 kilograms). User safety is of paramount importance.

Sadly, accidents do happen. However these incidents are rare and even fewer are fatal, particularly when vending machines are appropriately used and regularly serviced by a management company like Intelligent Vending Ltd.

Smart vending machine security

No longer is a padlock the only thing standing between a pilferer and your goods. Wherever your vending machines are situated, Intelligent Vending Ltd. can offer you a security solution to suit. From internal camera surveillance to theft indicators, bolt down feet to anti-tilt wall brackets, you’ll find everything to make your machines secure and safe to use.

Vending machine technology has advanced considerably too. Coin weight and size recognition means it’s even harder for people to outsmart your machine. Also modern spiral mechanisms hold products in place until paid for, even if the machine is tilted (within reason).

Internal sensors also know whether or not a product has been vended before taking a customer’s money, resulting in fewer angry outbursts. Smart!

Working together with Intelligent Vending Ltd. you can ensure your vending machines are secure and, most importantly, safe for your staff and clients to use.

Posted in: Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Security
Tags: vending advice, vending machine safety, Vending Security

Intelligent Vending for Profits

Convenience is the keyword to consider when investing in vending machines – after all that’s what they’re designed for – and intelligent management could turn yours from a simple piece of service equipment to being a great profit producer and an outlet to market new products.

Intelligent Vending Ltd. don’t just supply, we offer you expert advice too. From stocking tips to office placement ideas, whether you’re looking to invest in new vending machines or simply want to increase the profit margin from those you already have, we can help.

Go about it the smart way

It would be easy to pack your vending machines with random items, but if you want to tempt your staff and clients to buy them, you’ll need to think about the products you choose. With vending options including drinks, snacks, health foods and cosmetic products, it’s clear that knowing your market is an important step towards success in intelligent vending.

Ok, so you’ve worked out what your buyers really want – the next step in intelligent vending is making sure your machine is in a high traffic or social area. Keeping your machine in plain sight and making sure it’s always full of brightly packaged goods will always attract hungry customers.

Just contact Intelligent Vending Ltd. Using your vending criteria and our wealth of market knowledge, we can provide you with a proposal detailing the vending machine options which best suit you and your business.

Smart vending equals smart profits!

Posted in: Customised Vending, Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice
Tags: customised vending, drink vending, food vending, healthy vending

Snack Vending Machines

Snack vending machines are probably what most people think of when they picture typical vending machines.  Snack and food vending machines can be a great way of making extra money from your existing business premises.

The first important choice to make prior to considering the purchase of snack vending machines should be whether you would be better suited with a self-management vending machine service (self-filling – arranging own vending machine products), or a fully operated vending machine service (vending machine stock managed by dedicated vending  machine operators).

Usually, answers to a few initial questions should help you make an informed decision:

How large is your organisation?
Do you have a staff member available who you could entrust with this responsibility?
What type of products/brands do you wish to vend?
How many products do you think you could sell a week?

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Posted in: Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: combination vending machines, food vending, snack vending machines, snacks, vending advice

Winds of Change

The world we live in today is ever changing. Nothing stagnates and there are always upgrades for yesterday’s products coming out. The minute a product is launched it becomes outdated because we start working on a newer, better one to replace it with.

The same goes for lifestyles and trends. Nothing ever stays the same, not even for a whole season. There are new ideas for your lifestyle coming out every single day and new research is delivering new results each day. So where does all this change leave you as a vending machine owner?

Time to adapt

There has been research and surveys into the working lives and habits of people across the UK and there is a shocking rise in the amount of people that work from home or are on the move. That is not shocking for the rest of the world, but that increase is shocking for vending machine owners and operators.

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Posted in: Product Help & Advice, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Machine News, Vending Service
Tags: Intelligent Vending, vending, Vending Company, vending machine, Vending Machine Supplier, vending machines