Vending Machines Blog

Top Quality Vending

Vending machines are fantastic products. Not only are they great for a business as they generate extra revenue, but they are also great from a customer’s perspective as they are convenient and easy to use.

There is a much wider range of goods available from vending machines today, than ever before. Not only are the products more diverse, there is a dramatic increase in vending machines stocked with higher quality items. A good vending company will advise on product choice and supplier and will guide you in the right direction for building your own vending machine success.

Industry experts know just how important it is for our customers to have flexibility in their vending and we aim to assist them in this wherever possible. Many of our customers have strong beliefs or preferences and these can be met in many different ways.

For example, many fair trade suppliers are now offering food and drink products for vending machines. Stocking fair trade products not only benefits the owner of the vending machine, but also the customers, as they are giving back a little from something which they would be purchasing anyway.

Many different types of products are now being stocked in vending machines, as the vending industry steers away from just offering food and drink. While this can be a great way to innovate and generate more profit, it is vitally important to ensure you research and comply with any health & safety or licensing requirements which may be applicable to the products, prior to making them available for sale from your vending machines.

At Intelligent Vending Ltd we have an expert team of customer service advisors to help you with all your vending needs, so no matter how weird or unusual your choice of product, there is a vending option for you.

Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice
Tags: Intelligent Vending, vending advice, vending machine information, vending machines

Drinks Vending Machine Services

With the vast array of soft drinks available nowadays in our supermarkets, shops, cafes and bars, vending machines have had to up their game in terms of the types of products and product selection they offer.

As a reputable vending machine supplier, Intelligent Vending understand the need for customers to have a wide choice in terms of what products they can put in their vending machines. That is why we supply cold and hot drinks vending machines which can accommodate a multitude of drinks products for you to supply; some can even be customised to vend unusual products.

Hot drinks vending machines in particular have come a long way in the past few years, with people now demanding more than just your average instant coffee. The technology now available for providing various types of coffee and hot drinks is astounding, with advancements being so good they are strong enough to stand up against shop bought products. Check out our Flavia coffee machines and Flavia drinks for examples of such quality.

When deciding what type of drinks products to place in your vending machines it is important to think about your clientele. There is no point having a selection of herbal teas if the majority of your customer base will be drinking builder’s breakfast tea, for example.

Choice is there for a reason and that reason is to enable our customers to tailor their vending machines to their specific customer base. Just because the choice is there does not necessarily mean that you have to choose everything available. Consider your options carefully and look at trialling new products for a couple of months until you find the right mix that works for you.

Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice
Tags: Intelligent Vending, vending advice, Vending Machine Supplier, vending machines

Vending Machines for your Business

Vending machines for businesses are a great way of keeping staff happy, whilst also providing additional income. Not only can vending machines generate profit, but they can sometimes help save money in other areas as well. Consider the time your staff will spend chatting in the kitchen area while making a round of drinks, then work out their hourly rate and multiply by frequency – as I’m sure you can imagine, this can quickly work out to be a costly exercise.

A traditional self catering staff kitchen requires a constant supply of tea, coffee, biscuits, snacks etc. – plus of course the cost of items such as kettles. By installing vending machines in your business premises, staff will be able to purchase their own goods, at their convenience, with little upkeep required from the employer. You can even install your hot drinks machine in the office area to avoid wasted time.

Whatever the size of your business, it is likely visitors and guests will attend for meetings or appointments. While the customary hot drink on arrival is always welcome, it is also nice to be able to offer a selection of snacks and food items – vending machines are probably the best way to achieve this.

Providing a selection of snack, food or drink items without a vending machine is typically impractical, and very costly. Vending machines can help to impress visitors, keep staff happy and all without costing you a fortune in on-going costs.

At Intelligent Vending Ltd we have an almost unsurpassed range of vending machines available, and have models suitable for almost every possible location.

If hot drinks are your thing, then we suggest you check out our Flavia® machines and drinks; which are proving to be extremely popular with all the cold weather the UK is currently experiencing.

Please give us a call or contact us for more information on vending machines for businesses.

Posted in: Vending Help & Advice
Tags: vending machines

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

Vending Tips: Location, Location, Location

A profitable vending machine is a wonderful thing. Vending machines are one of the few business opportunities which can allow you to sit back and relax while the money rolls in. Of course, there are no guarantees when it comes to the success of vending machines, but there are ways to improve your chances and perhaps gain an advantage.

Whether you operate drinks vending machines, snack vending machines, condom vending machines or any other type of retail vending machine, there are some simple rules which can be applied to them all, which should help to encourage more sales if properly followed.

This first article in a series of vending tips will be dealing with the strategy of vending machine location – probably the most important factor when trying to achieve the highest possible product sales rates.

Vending Machine Location

A good location demands careful thought. It is not always optimal to just ‘whack the machines in the busiest area’. Try to think logically about the motivation and mood of the consumer and how they can be used to your advantage.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: vending, vending machine location, vending machines, vending tips

Vending Machines for Sale

Since Intelligent Vending Ltd was established, our portfolio of vending machines and vending related products has grown extensively – along with the company. Our comprehensive range of vending machines for sale mean there is something for everyone, whatever our clients’ needs may be.

Whether you are looking for a snack or hot drinks vending machine for your businesses’ employees, an air sterilization system to keep your environment clean and safe, or a domestic fly killer to keep pesky insects away at home; we can provide them all, and everything in-between.

An early ethos of the company was ensuring only top-quality vending machines and products appeared in our catalogue and were sold with integrity and customer satisfaction in mind. The vending machine market can be a minefield of unreliability and false promises; buyers should always be careful when choosing their supplier.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: Intelligent Vending, vending, vending machines, Vending Service

Healthy Vending Machines

Vending machines are everywhere today. You will find them at home, in office buildings, reception areas, schools, shops and everywhere in-between. The truth is that vending machines have become a vital part of many peoples’ lives – and they can become a huge part of your business!

As a business owner it is important to exploit all possible revenue streams. Vending machines for staff or customers can be a good source of money and should always be considered.

Even if shops are nearby, human nature means we usually want to expel as little energy as possible (well, most of us at least); we tend to prefer the easy option. For this reason, conveniently placed vending machines will always be appealing – and can often even get away with charging slightly higher prices.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Help & Advice, Vending Service
Tags: healthy vending, snack vending machines, vending machines

Vending Machines

Cultures and societies constantly evolve as time progresses. Inevitably this means changes in the retail sector, especially as technological advances provide new possibilities. In recent history, we only need to look to the Internet for an example of a drastic change in consumer shopping habits.

Vending machines are no different to any other piece of technological equipment. As advances are made, new machines are always developed and adapted to take advantage; vending machines continually get smarter, faster, cleaner and more reliable.

Isn’t it about time your business took advantage of one of the biggest, most versatile retail sectors? You can. All you need is to invest in a vending machine from Intelligent Vending. We provide you with the best quality vending machines, with great information and unbeatable service, so that you can become an active vending entrepreneur.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Machine News, Vending Service
Tags: vending, vending machines

Vending Machines and Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is part of most people’s daily lives now, with people becoming increasingly more aware of health issues and how their diet can affect them. At Intelligent Vending we have recognised the importance of this and also appreciate the responsibility which an employer or a public service environment has on providing healthier options for staff or the general public.

Our range of healthier vending machines are highly beneficial in the way they keep and provide a vast choice of snacks, from healthy food through to treats. Vending machines are available with dual temperature controls to enable fresh food and cold drinks to be provided alongside snacks.

Various dispensing systems from spiral vending to carousel vending to elevator systems enable a mixed range of goods, from larger bulky packets such as crisps, to delicate items such as fresh fruit. The various options mean products will not be damaged in the purchasing/dispensing process.

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd
Tags: Intelligent Vending, vending, Vending Company, vending machine, Vending Machine Supplier, vending machines

History of Vending Machines

It is widely accepted that the vending machine was first developed way back in the 1^st century AD, by a Greek mathematician known as: Hero, or Hero of Alexandria (and later Heron/Heron of…). This vending machine was created to distribute holy water from temples in Egypt. It is believed the mechanics of this vending machine involved a valve which opened and released holy water when a lever was activated by a coin.

However, this particular vending machine engineer was somewhat before his time. Subsequent records of vending machine manufacture appear to be non-existent until the early 18^th century, when English colonies (and also later that century, British-American colonies) used simple coin-activated ‘honour boxes’ to sell tobacco and snuff (snuff: n. inhaled or ’smokeless’ tobacco); though this first use of modern vending machines seems debatable.

Alternative sources credit an English publisher and bookshop owner named Richard Carlisle with the first commercial vending machine (which – unsurprisingly – was used to vend books); whereas it is also documented that coin-operated vending machines to dispense postcards were introduced into London, England around the same time (during the early 1880s).

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Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending History
Tags: Vending History, vending machines