Author: Phil Masters

Phil Masters has witnessed and shaped the convenience services industry for over five decades. Since earning his associate's degree in Marketing in 1970, Phil has played a pivotal role at Vending.com and The Wittern Group, Vending.com’s parent company. He’s been a key contributor and leader in evolving vending solutions. His impact surpasses the typical roles associated with sales. He has pushed boundaries and embraced change by spearheading new stylings for Vending.com’s vending equipment line and pioneering corporate partnerships and branding campaigns with iconic companies like Harley Davidson, John Deere, General Motors, Ford, and others. Phil is fortunate to be a part of driving the success of Vending.com and looks forward to celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2031. He’s thankful for the opportunities to introduce new programs and provide innovative and tailored solutions to help individuals and companies reach their vending goals and thrive in an ever-evolving market.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

What to Expect in the Vending Machine Market for 2017

2016 was a strong and vibrant year for vending machine technology and sales alike. Looking at the specific trends and developments, as well as the progression of each over the past year, can help us make some assessments for the future. There are also new developments coming in 2017 that should be very exciting for vendors and end users alike.

Let’s take a moment to look at the cutting edge technological improvements that have been instituted recently, in addition to some previews of new changes to come in the next 12 months. The biggest news in this area last year was the stratospheric growth of proprietary cashless payment options like Apple Pay for vending machines. What this opens the door for is targeted promotions and socially activated vending, based on a user’s sales history, social media use, and location. Whether promotions take the form of discounts, loyalty programs, or sales, the potential for developing user relationships is our first area of predicted growth.

Another vending machine sphere that experienced proliferation in 2016? Specialized and customized vending machines far beyond the snack food realm. Encompassing fresh foods, non-food items, office supplies, and more, businesses increasingly availed themselves of the near limitless potential for onsite vending machines to meet every need. It’s safe to say that, once clients enjoy the benefits of flexible vending services, they will continue to find new ways to employ them in even more realms.

The final segment that we firmly believe will experience continued growth in 2017 is that of fresh and healthy food options, even beyond snacks. Already, vending machines offer crisp fruits as well as meal components, but the future may involve customized juicing stations to take advantage of the latest nutritious food trends. Sustained demand and even escalation are expected for fresh, whole food options, including nuts and seeds, along with increased demand for more exotic or unusual food options.

Knowing the trends is the first step, but until they’re put into action and into machines for people to purchase, it’s all theoretical. Staying abreast of the best current practices plus employing a judicious amount of ‘futurecasting’ is the strongest way to guarantee success for vending machine owners, operators, and end users.

Vending.com is the best online location to explore various types of machines and learn about the most effective ways to augment and sustain your business.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

What We Can Learn From Diverse Vending Machines

The traditional soda and snack vending machine concept has developed exponentially in the last decade. More and more companies and industries are recognizing the potential vending machines have to grow their businesses. Cosmetics, cupcakes, clothing, and even Apple products are appearing in vending machines all over the world.

Incorporating vending machines in your business model may be the best way to build your business and attract new potential customers. Here are some of the benefits:

Low-cost expansion. Vending machines provide a relatively inexpensive way to expand your brand across the globe. Unlike brick and mortar stores, vending machines require comparably little capital to get started. Vending machines also have virtually no labor costs outside of stocking the machines. Strategically placing vending machines in busy malls and high-end hotels can provide businesses with a way to increase profitability and grow their brand.

New technology. Advances in vending machine design are providing businesses with personalized machines tailored to their needs. For example, companies wishing to sell fresh fruit and veggies in cafeterias are now able to do so with improved refrigeration technology. New developments in mobile payment options, such as Apple Pay, have also made vending machines more successful. Research has shown that use of mobile payment options not only increases sales, but also tends to lead to customers spending more in each transaction.

Unique appeal. Designing iconic vending machine concepts can be a great way to attract new customers and evolve your company’s image. The Cupcake shop Sprinkles has had incredible success with their “Cupcake ATM” idea. The unique idea has drawn attention from newsgroups, social media, and most importantly consumers. Creating a one-of-a-kind vending machine design can make your brand stand out from competitors.

New vending machine concepts may be your company’s next step to take business to the next level. When you are ready to invest in a vending machine of your own, visit our website to explore the various types of machines available, as well as to learn more about how to maximize your vending machine business endeavor.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Create a Break Room Your Employees Will Love

A company’s break room is an integral part of the modern workplace. Employees spend a great deal of their waking hours in the office, and they need a place to go where they can clear their mind for a few moments after a stressful meeting or phone call.

When first getting a tour of a new workplace, the break room is one of the first places that an employee sees. Break rooms are where employees spend a large portion of their time when they’re not actively working. Some companies, like Google, have interactive games and relaxation rooms to help their employees get a break from hectic yet creative work schedules. We’ve compiled a list of what you can do to make your employees happier in their workspace:

Spruce up the decor

Decorating a break room can be affordable, a tip to keep the cost down is to find furniture from a second-hand store. There are plenty of second-hand stores such as Goodwill that have well-appointed furniture and accessories at a bargain price.

Offer free vending machines

Another low-cost option, vending machines provide employees with delicious snacks and beverages to your employees for enjoyment throughout the workday. As a vending machine distributor, we can help you make your break room better for your employees.

Set out interactive games

Providing games, such as board games, provides an opportunity for your employees to mingle and blow off some steam. In the age of electronics, our communication is spent online more often, board games and interactive games can help to boost employee interaction and overall morale.

Ultimately, your company culture determines the type of break rooms you have for your employees. These are just a few suggestions to help embody your company culture on a daily basis.

When you are ready to invest in a vending machine of your own, visit our website to explore the various types of machines available, as well as to learn more about how to maximize your vending machine business endeavor.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Breaking Into the Vending Industry Scene Safely and Profitably

Vending machines are known to be a very lucrative industry with relatively low overhead costs. Whether as an independent operation or an additional revenue generator for your existing business, items can be sold with minimal or no staffing or facility rental costs. Another great quality of this type of venture is flexibility–you can move your machine to higher traffic areas as needed, as well as change the type and quantity of goods you sell from week to week, season to season, and year to year.

For individuals and businesses that are thinking about making an investment in a vending machine for sale for their business operation, there are some essential factors to consider. Before you purchase the machine itself, consider these important questions:

Does my state or municipality require licensing to operate a vending machine?
What tax regulations do I need to be aware of as a merchandiser?
Where will my machine be located and what are the rent costs associated with that location?
What time investment am I able to reasonably make in stocking, repairing, and maintaining the machine? Will there be a need to hire additional personnel?

Once these key issues are squared away, you can start to get specific on details such as what you will sell, how to price your goods, and who your supplier(s) will be. The possibilities with a vending machine venture are endless, and you can continually adapt as you learn what works for your business and what does not.

When you are ready to invest in a vending machine of your own, visit our website to explore the various types of machines available, as well as to learn more about how to get into and maximize your vending machine business endeavor.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

What Should I Do With Products That Go Stale?

Most food and drink items will have an expiration date on them. These are the dates you have to make sure to pay attention to when doing inventory of all your product to avoid selling expired vending machine food.

Keeping an eye on stales is a key component to maintaining your vending machine, and maintaining your customer satisfaction. You can gain a reputation with your repeat customers if you have products that are out of date for sale.

Shortest Coded Items

If you have a refrigerated cold food machine you know these items have the shortest code. Whether you’re selling sandwiches, or salads, these short coded meals need to be checked every single day, several times a day.

Keep Your Stales Under Control

Every time you open the door to your machine, check the dates for all your food and drink items. Once you turn this into a habit, you will be able to create an eagle eye for out of date items. If you have employees, you will have to train them to check the vending machine daily, several times a day for expired food to keep from selling it.

Handling Customer Complaints

Complaints can be a seen as an opportunity to make a bad situation good. Listen to your customer. Have they found repeated stale or expired food items that your vending machine has been selling? You may want to offer something to them that is of better value than a simple refund. Perhaps offer them a gift card to your store, or a free item along with their refund. For customers whose first time buying a stale item is now, definitely offer them a refund, and assure them you and your team will be more proactive in making sure all the items are completely fresh.

If you can help it, it is best to keep stale items out of your vending machine. Stay aware of what is in there, and once it becomes a habit, it will become way more easier.

Get in contact with us to explore your vending machine options!

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

How to Improve Your Patient’s Waiting Room Experience

No matter who you are, you’ve spent some time in a waiting room. If you own a practice and find yourself wanting to improve patient waiting room experience, check out the following tips.

Free Wi-Fi; In this day and age, free wi-fi is just about a must in any business or establishment you go to. With everyone, from an elderly grandmother to a young toddler owning either cell phones or tablets, offering free wi-fi would endear a lot of people to your practice.

Offer Entertainment; Whether it’s in the form of a television, magazines, or a even a table of legos. Your patients are bound to appreciate some entertainment to help keep any boredom at bay.
Have Vending Machines; Hungry patients are cranky patients. When the water fountain just isn’t cutting it anymore, an affordable vending machine is the way to go. From snacks to energy drinks, you can find all kinds of vending machines at Vending.com.

As cool as it might be, you don’t need something like a giant fish tank in the middle of your waiting room to better your patients’ experience. It’s the small things that can go a long way.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending services, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full range of vending machines, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full-line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending.com’s Free Full Service Vending Program

Vending.com is your one-stop source for affordable vending machines! We offer free full service vending machine company programs, including stocking, for business owners.

The Full-Service Program is designed for businesses that want to place vending machines at their facilities without having to purchase and service the vending machines themselves.

Purchasing or servicing vending machines for your location is not something you want to do, but it would be nice if someone else did it. Costs can start to add up very quickly when it comes to managing a vending machine, with our full-service program, you get to reap the benefits of having a convenient vending machine, without the backend hassle.

The Full-Service Vending Program comes at no cost to you. Vending.com provides you with high quality vending machines stocked with your choice of drinks, snacks or food! Our Operators will stock and service the vending machines as needed, and you could even earn a commission off your vending machine sales.

If you’re interested in taking full advantage of Vending.com’s Free Full Service Vending Machine Program, or in any of the other incredible snack vending machine sale items or other products available to order on the website right now, please contact us today for more information.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending machine services, stocking, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full range of vending machines, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full-line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies and full service vending company program go to work for you.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending.com Product Rebate Special

Vending.com is your one-stop source for vending machines!

Vending.com is offering a Product Rebate Special featuring a $250 (retail value) Product Rebate with purchase of one Trimline II Combo, or $500 (retail value) Product Rebate with purchase of any two models!

Offer is good for product rebate on vending machines through Vending.com. Terms of Vending.com’s Product Rebate Special include $250 (retail value) product rebate with the purchase of one (1) Trimline II Combo Vending Machine or $500 (retail value) product rebate with the purchase of any two (2) vending machine models. Taxes for sales only to billing and shipping addresses in the state of Iowa will apply. Valid for Vending.com new and freight blemished vending machine purchases only. Not valid on factory certified remanufactured vending machines, prior vending machine purchases through Vending.com, and orders for vending machines placed with Vending.com prior to the beginning of the promotion period. Offer cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other Vending.com offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

Contact Vending.com today at 888-290-9356 to learn more about Vending.com’s Product Rebate Promotion. Promotion is available for a limited time.

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending services, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella.Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business, or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full-range of vending machines, financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories.Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you.

If you’re interested in taking full advantage of Vending.com’s promotion, or in any of the other incredible snack vending machine sale items or other products available to order on the website right now, please contact us today at for more information.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

New Vending Machine Trends for 2016

Wall decals. Faux freckles. Roasted brussel sprouts. Tailor-made french fries. 2016 has already brought a wide array of trends, and the vending machine is no exception. It’s all about a mixture of personalization, creativity, and ease of access. Here’s what’s happening now, and what you can expect to see over the rest of the year.

More Cash-Free Options. Technology relentlessly moves forward, and fewer and fewer consumers are carrying cash, let alone interested in getting coins as change from a purchase. Chip reading payment options, ubiquitous card swipe devices, and other digital payment options are projected to overtake ‘traditional’ payment methods by the end of this year.
America’s Love Affair With Coffee Continues. With the new, fresh-grinding coffee vending machines, machine coffees are no longer being seen as lesser products. Instead, consumers recognize the value in freshly made and transparent production of their beverages, leading to an increase in demand for these machines.
Continued Movement Away From High Fat Snacks. Snackers are routinely selecting options they perceive to be healthier, such as baked chips and products with added protein, rather than high carb or high fat choices. However, candy bars and other sweet treats remain consistently in demand, suggesting that the curious dichotomy of both healthful and comfort eating remains an American trait.
Fresher Options. Packaged sliced fruits, salads and veggies, custom mashed potatoes, protein packs with nuts and cheeses–these are all hugely in demand currently and their popularity is expected to continue to grow. Even foods traditionally seen as less healthy, like french fries, are being offered ‘made to order.’ Whether it’s the perceived personalization or ideas about equating freshness to wellbeing, purchasers are selecting more and more of these items to fulfill their appetites.
New Locations for Vending Machines. Pop Up vending machines are already appearing in major metropolitan areas. These shorter term sites will offer more complex options, and the novelty and variety will draw in consumers. In some cities, vending machines will be in cabs and buses as well.

Overall, the trends we’re seeing center around increased convenience, more individualized and flexible edible options, and more informed consumers enjoying healthier, customized foods. The savvy vending machine operator will look closely at his or her location to see where this future casting can be incorporated. Get in contact with us to explore your vending machine options!

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

About Vending.com – Vending Services

Consumers today are used to getting what they want and when they want it. With the popularity of shopping online, consumers can find almost anything they want 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Vending services are no exception. As the ultimate in location-based convenience, vending machines are located in places were patrons will want a product without easy access to a store or restaurant.

Coffee and tea are something that is easily accessible in most urban areas in the US and the variety of products has grown exponentially in recent years. To keep vending customers satisfied and give them convenient options for hot, caffeinated drinks, Vending.com has a variety of affordable vending machines as well as used vending machines for its customers to choose from.

About Vending.com

Vending.com brings together a multitude of vending expertise through our circle of our very best vending services. Everything you need to start, grow, or manage your vending business is provided through our easy online access. We provide vending services, financing, vending industry news, technical repair, parts and much more. Vending.com is one of the companies under the Wittern Group umbrella. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own vending machine business, or expanding your current business, Vending.com offers you a full-range of vending machines, vending machine financing, location assistance and other services to meet all of your vending needs. As a full line vending sales company we provide customers nationwide with the right equipment for their client’s location. Our large selection of snack, soda machines, hot beverage, cold and frozen food and other quality vending machines can be configured and customized to fit any size location from small businesses to large factories. Let our network of vending machine companies go to work for you with the best vending services we have to offer.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Best and Biggest Selection of Vending Machine Options

When it comes to vending machines, the importance of offering the biggest and best selection of items to customers cannot be overstated enough. Vending machines are an important fixture in the daily lives of many – they’re often used for everything from a quick snack in between classes or meetings to a necessary cup of coffee first thing in the morning. If a vending machine doesn’t offer what a customer needs, however, they’ll begin to lose faith in it and will look elsewhere for what they desire. At that point, it’s hard to get them back again, which is why offering the largest selection isn’t just recommended, it’s practically a requirement.

Now, one vending machine manufacturer has proudly stepped up to the plate and answered that call: the 40 Selection Large Capacity Vending Machine is available to order now from Vending.com.

40 Selection Snack Vending Machine

The 40 Selection Snack Vending Machine is our biggest vending machine and was built from the ground up to be the perfect choice for high traffic, high volume locations. It doesn’t just offer a large number of different selections, it also breaks new ground in terms of variety. It has 15 snack selections, 18 candy and snack cracker selections, two gum and mint selections and five pastry selections, making sure that you have all of your bases covered and that your customers walk away satisfied each and every time.

The product itself features six flex trays, all of which are fully adjustable in one inch increments to better service your unique needs – even if those needs should happen to change on a regular basis. Our biggest vending machine also gives business owners the power to individually price selections in any way they see fit and is even re-configurable for product selection spacing or variable packaging sizes.

Powered by the revolutionary iVend Sensor System, the 40 Selection Snack Vending Machine features a large, lighted product display window and a customer interface that is almost impossibly easy to use with a large LED display and multiple money acceptance options.

Security

If the security of your vending machine is a concern, it doesn’t have to be any longer – the unit features sturdy steel construction with durable powder coat painted surfaces, creating the type of vending machine that will dutifully serve you for years to come. A high security package is also available for additional protection levels.

With variability, versatility and functionality like this, it’s easy to see why 40 Selection Snack Vending Machine single handedly offers the best vending machine selection on the market today.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending Machine March Promotion | Get It While It’s HOT

In terms of vending machine promotions, it doesn’t get much better than this. Vending.com is currently running a financing special that lets customers get all of the vending machine equipment and other items they need to keep their customers satisfied with no money down for 12 months at 0% interest. Regardless of which item you’re looking for and how much you spend, you can save an incredible amount of money just by way of this special financing promotion in general. It’s important to note that the promotion is valid only for Vending.com new and freight blemished vending machine purchases only. The offer expires at the stroke of midnight CT on March 31, 2016, so act fast before these incredible savings are gone forever. You certainly won’t regret it.

Other Amazing Items and Unbeatable Offers by Vending.com

Even if you won’t be taking advantage of Vending.com’s March madness sale, the company still has a wide range of additional items on sale right now to help businesses exceed their customer’s expectations and create the sustainable revenue stream they’ve always dreamed of.

One of these bold items is the Cafe Express Refreshment Center, designed from the ground up to offer coffee service, beverages and a wide range of different snack items – all from one easy-to-use kiosk. The Cafe Express Refreshment Center offers a large compartment for single cup pods, K-Cups and pour over brewers in addition to a customer-friendly shelf that they can use to prepare their coffee any way that they’d like. The easy loading bottle and can trays accommodate beverages in nearly every size, from 16 ounces to 24 ounce plastic bottles and beyond.

Another impressive option available to order from Vending.com right now is the Table Top 14 Selection Snack Vending Machine.This beautiful piece features a compact, space saving design that is perfect for not only small break rooms, but also any other environment where space is valuable currency. The unit was designed from the ground up to offer 14 selections of snacks and candy and is accompanied by controls that are incredibly simple to use for both customers and operators. In addition to lightning-fast first-in-first-out product loading, it also features digital electronic pricing per selection and a number of other value-added features that make it perfect for both large and small businesses alike.

If you’re interested in taking full advantage of Vending.com’s March promotion, or in any of the other incredible snack vending machine sale items or other products available to order on the website right now, please contact the company today at 888-290-9356 for more information.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Our Trimline Refreshment Center Offers the Best Snack and Drink Vending Machine Options

The technology in vending machines has grown exponentially. Vending machines are used for a variety of purposes, which range from healthcare applications to traditional snacks and soda refreshments. Some of the latest technology includes mobile payment options and Apple Pay. However, simplicity can be more productive, and the Trimline Refreshment Center is designed to focus on simplicity.

A Traditional Soda Vending Machine

Do you recall the stories of your grandparents first experiences with vending machines? In many cases, vending machines may have contained few items, but the popularity was undeniable. The Trimline Refreshment Center Returns to the simplistic nature with six beverage selections, and business owners can decide between bottled or canned beverages, such as water, sodas, juices, and more. When filled, the Trimline Refreshment Center can hold up to 144 20-ounce bottles or 312 12-ounce cans. However, the Trimline Refreshment Center takes on another critical concern of vending machine owners, space.

Essentially, the Trimline Refreshment Center is made up of two paired machines, and the drink side weighs 467 pounds. A traditional soda vending machine may be up to 4 feet wide. Yet, the drink side of the Trimline Refreshment Center stands out at a mere 21 inches, which makes it easy to fit anywhere. Furthermore, the lightweight section of this refreshment center makes installation faster and easier than bulkier machines.

Redefining the Snack Vending Machine

Some snack machines can hold hundreds of different various items, but you’ve probably seen a few vending machines where a few items grow stale and don’t sell. This combo vending machine focuses on resolving this problem by simplifying the snack selection to 12 items.

Business owners can select 12 items to fill this machine to its capacity of 152 items. The snack section of the Trimline Refreshment Center offers an MDB coin acceptor and an MDB $1 and $5 bill acceptor. Similar to the drink section, the snack part of this machine is a mere 21-inches wide, which increases the machine’s maneuverability during installation or when moving the machine from one location to another.

With a versatile configuration for drinks, independent sections for snack and soda storage, and a simple, customer-driven selection, the Trimline Refreshment Center is sure to please the hunger and thirst of your customers. To find out more about combo vending machine options, contact the vending machine manufacturer directly at Vending.com, or request a quote on the Trimline Refreshment Center today.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

State of The Food and Drink Vending Machine Market, 2015 – 2021

Modern society has become accustomed to the idea of obtaining beverages, snacks, and many other types of items from vending machines. The machines are becoming a standard part of various businesses and industries, which range from pharmaceuticals to free items for the fans of sporting events. The stagnant age of the vending machine has come to a close, and a recent report by Persistence Market Research, as reported on by Medgadget, indicates an overwhelming trend of growth for the vending machine industry over the next six years.

What’s Driving the Growth?

Consumer demand remains the ultimate driving factor in the growth of the snack vending machine market. In recent years, the public has become increasingly concerned with the nutritional value of the contents of drink vending machines and snack vending machine. Traditionally, these vending machines have contained items of little nutritional value, but the trend seems to be changing. As more governments have become health conscious of snacks and beverages from vending machine, vending machine manufacturers and owners who readily display the caloric value of available items are expected to reap significant profits.

The growth of the vending machine market cannot be attributable to these factors alone. Instead, some of this growth may be the direct result of an increased use of mobile payment options, such as vending machines that accept credit cards. Ultimately, a vending machine with more payment options is able to serve those who may not have cash or coins on their person.

Where Will the Strongest Growth Occur?

Vending machines represent the classic idea of self service. In the coming years, the vending machine industry is expected to grow by 13.98 percent to reach an approximate worth of $31.75 billion. The US is predicted to be the predominant player in driving the growth of the vending machine market globally, while North America will claim approximately 44 percent of the market share of the vending machine industry.

What Types of Vending Machines Will Experience the Most Growth?

Vending machines can be categorized into generic groups, such as snacks, beverages, medical supplies, promotional materials, and more. Food and snack machines are expected to garner the highest market share in the industry. Behind snack vending machines, frozen food and candy vending machines will experience the highest level of growth in the US. However, the use of vending machines in quick-serving restaurants is expected to contribute the highest to the growth of the vending machine market globally. Although the growth will not be as substantial as snack vending machines, drink vending machines, such as those that dispense soda, beer, liquor, wine, and other cold beverages, are expected to show “substantial” growth by 2021.

The vending machine industry is growing, and vending machine manufacturers understand the need to increase snack and drink vending machine availability. To learn more about how vending machine services are changing today’s world, visit the blog on Vending.com, or contact a reputable vending machine manufacturer by filling out the online contact form today.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

How Are Millennials Driving the Vending Industry?

Millennials, those coming into adulthood in the year 2000 and after, are driving the market across many industries including housing, technology, marketing, and even vending machine industry trends. As this group reaches maturity and have more disposable income, everyone is taking notice of how to market and sell to this demographic.

What Do Millennials Look for in Snack Vending Machines?

This generation has grown up with technology. Vending machines that provide fresh, affordable snack and beverage options at a touch of a button appeal to them.
The younger generations are more in tune with the impact that sugary sodas and snacks have on obesity and health causing the health market to be the fastest growing channel in vending machine industry trends.
Millennials rarely carry cash and prefer cashless options like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and credit or debit cards; however, for low-cost transactions the probability of any consumer paying cash rises. A market savvy vending machine manufacturer will provide both cashless payment options as well as cash options that accept a wide range of bills and coins.
Providing mobile payment options also influences where operators place their machines. To complete a wireless transaction, consumers must have access to a clear cell signal, so locations such as basements where cell signals are at their worst are becoming less than ideal.

How Does This Change the Vending Industry?

Because the vending machine market is large, change will take time. Millennials are the perfect demographic for the vending market. They expect self-checkout options and as vending machine operators gather more data, micro-markets are expected to emerge.

The technology that serves the millennial generation so well is also helping the vending industry cater to them. Market analysts are beginning to predict a customer’s future possible purchases based on their past purchases. This data will help vending machine owners group products in a single machine that will encourage larger or repeat purchases from the same customer.

The convenience provided by technology also benefits machine owners. As owners provide machines that have wireless connectivity to allow cashless purchases for their customers, owners find that the same connectivity allows them to check machine inventory remotely. By knowing the machine’s inventory ahead of time, owners save precious time and money in restocking efforts.

As the nation’s leading vending machine provider, Vending.com sells and services snack and drink vending machines across the United States. Contact us at 855-712-8781 to see how we can assist you with your vending business.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Future of Vending Machines: Smart Tech, Latest Trends, and More

Vending machines are changing – and for the better. According to Forbes, you won’t even be able to recognize vending machines in just a few years. So what is expected to change? The way we buy and how we buy items from vending machines.

To start with, expect to see healthier food items, especially in snack vending machines and drink vending machines. People want healthier food options and are more willing to eat or drink something from a healthy snack vending machine that will make them feel good, while giving them the energy boost they need to get on with their day. In fact, many vending machines have begun to post calorie labels on their food and drink items.

So what else can these vending machines do?

According to Forbes, the future of vending is so smart, that these machines will be able to use facial recognition. In fact, the machine will be able to greet customers, remember their preferences, and even refuse to sell an item to a customer based on age or medical records.

In addition, vending machines are taking hold of the cashless trend as many people prefer to purchase items with a credit card or debit card. To take it a step further, customers won’t even need to have a credit or debit card to purchase items from snack and drink vending machines in the future. All you need is an iPhone 6. And if your phone’s battery is nearly dead, don’t worry, most smart vending machines come equipped with an iPhone charging station – so you can snack while your charge your phone. Also, all payment information is never stored, protecting customers from fraud.

With the customer taken care of, that just leaves the vending machine operators. Long gone will be the days when operators had to physically check every snack vending machine at each different location. Instead, smart vending machines use technology that allow inventory data to be stored and tracked. This means that the operator will know exactly when to refill their machines and with what products.

But what makes these vending machines even more unique is their level of interaction. By offering loyalty cards, cell phone charging stations, apps that help customers locate vending machines, and social media sharing options, vending machines are becoming a trendy way to quickly get healthy food and drink, particularly in schools.

While technology is constantly changing the way we interact with our world, with each other, and even with our food and drink, it’s no surprise then that vending technology is also transforming to suit our smart, modern lives.

The future of vending machines is transforming to offer healthy options, cashless purchasing, and can even recognize your face.