Vending Machines Blog

Vending Machines for a Better Workplace

Having vending machines available for staff to use in their workplace can be beneficial to both employees and the employer. It is often said that a happy workforce will perform more productively and efficiently, and it is often the smaller aspects of being at work that can motivate staff.

Vending machines are ideal for all sorts of businesses and provide the ultimate in convenience for employees. At Intelligent Vending we provide a wide variety of different vending machines to suit the size and nature of your business.

Vending machines are perfect for a smaller business or industrial premises where there is a limited selection of shops or cafes nearby and staff generally bring in their own lunch. Vending machines provide a boost  to staff morale and help to keep energy levels high (and don’t forget those hot drinks machines for that morning coffee, tea or hot chocolate) – an essential requirement for a productive workforce.

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

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

Pre: AVEX 2009 International Vending and Water Exhibition

The AVEX International Vending and Water Exhibition has arrived again. It will be running from Wednesday 10^th – Thursday 11^th June at the NEC in Birmingham. The AVEX exhibition provides a unique opportunity to see the latest vending innovations and technologies as well as offering a chance to network and do business with key suppliers.

AVEX is only held every two years and attracts visitors from all over the world. Over 100 different stands will be on display, exhibiting some of the most exciting new and existing vending products and services. For anyone involved in vending, this is an event not to be missed.

No matter which vending sector you are in, there will be plenty of displays related to your area. Whether you are a vendor or an operator there are stands to cater for everyone.

In addition to the many new innovations to be seen, there will be a number of useful seminars offering help, tips and ideas on concepts including optimising sales and effective cost management. Other more specific topics will also be covered such as sustainability, telemetry, IT and scale control.

Entry to AVEX is free, subject to prior web or phone registration. More details on the AVEX exhibition can be found on the AVEX website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Machine News
Tags: avex, Intelligent Vending, vending and water exhibition, Vending Machine News

High-Traffic Public Site Vending: ‘Destination Leisure’

Vending machines thrive in public site locations. These highly populated areas are ideally suited for “free on-loan” high-royalty vending machine deals; typically catering for soft drinks, snacks and coffee-shop quality hot drinks machines (please note: we are unable to offer royalty-based deals for any other types of vending machine other than those previously mentioned).

Locations such as theme parks, safari parks and zoos, stadiums and arenas, airports and docks, transport interchanges and stations (train, bus, coach, etc.) and shopping centres and retail chains/parks often experience great success with vending machines due to the large number of people who visit and pass through them on a daily basis.

We take pride at Intelligent Vending Ltd in the products and services we provide. Our public site vending package is perfect for high footfall public areas which have the potential to generate significant product unit sales. The reliable vending machines supplied are stocked with market leading branded products. These are regularly reviewed based on current market trends and updated as appropriate to help ensure the highest possible sales are achieved for our clients (increased sales = increased royalties).

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Posted in: Public Vending, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: Intelligent Vending, public site vending, vending advice, vending machine information, vending machines

Water Coolers

Nothing beats a nice cold drink of water for quenching thirst and keeping hydrated. In the workplace, water coolers can be the perfect platform for refreshing staff and visitors: they are quick, easy and cost effective and are welcomed by everyone. Water coolers from Intelligent Vending Ltd are either available to purchase outright, or can typically be rented over a 3 year agreement (other terms available on request). Our water cooler rental agreements are inclusive of installation, support and twice yearly sanitisation.

Water coolers come in two main types: bottled and POU (Point of Use). Bottled water coolers use replaceable containers to provide the water, whereas POU water coolers are plumbed directly in to the mains water supply. Obviously, it is important to decide which type is most suitable for your needs at the outset.

For a variety of reasons, we recommend POU water coolers are used whenever possible. The difference in the quality of the water itself is perhaps the most important factor. It is not uncommon for bottled water to sit for a large portion of its shelf life in a warehouse somewhere before being delivered to and used by the consumer; in comparison, filtered regular tap water can provide a significantly nicer drink. Interestingly, there are actually more standards in place for regulating tap water in Europe and the US than there are for regulating bottled water.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service, Watercoolers
Tags: bottled water coolers, drink vending, pou water coolers, water coolers, water dispensers