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

The Benefits of Buying a Used Vending Machine

When you invest in your vending business, every penny counts. One way to make your money go further is to choose used vending machines instead of new ones. Used vending machines are of benefit because they can cost a fraction of what new ones cost. And, when you focus your search on used machines that are certified by the vending machine manufacturer, you can rest easy that you are buying reliable equipment.

When looking at used machines, ask the following questions:

What sort of warranty is offered? Vending.com offers a 90 day warranty on bill acceptors, coin acceptors and control boards, so, you know that your investment is secure.
What is the condition of the machine? When we offer a used vending machine for sale, it is only after the machine has been factory remanufactured and certified by our trained and caring staff.
What will you pay for delivery? Our company delivers our certified used machines for free. Other companies can charge hundreds of dollars, running up your costs significantly.
What sort of financing is available? Our low monthly payments and 100% financing mean that you can get your machines placed quickly and start earning.

There are a number of sizes and styles of drink and snack vending machines in our inventory. And, new machines come in all the time, so, we are always able to get exactly what you need to fit your available spaces. Ready to explore your options? Call us at 1-855-595-1839 to learn about our inspected and certified used vending machines for sale. We can answer your questions and help you find the perfect machine to open your vending business or expand an existing route.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Can the Coffee Help Fight the Signs of Aging?

Surely you have heard the hype that coffee can help you look younger. You head to your favorite drink vending machines and stock up on the stuff to not only get a much needed boost of energy, but to watch your wrinkles dissipate. But it is really true? Can coffee really combat aging? It can! If you are hoping for a miracle in a cup, coffee is not your answer. In fact, there are not even real scientific studies on this claim. That being said, coffee is loaded with antioxidants, which are effective at fighting away many signs of aging, like fine lines and age spots. So in that regard, coffee may be contributing slightly to your cause.

Moderation is key. One of the reasons people believe coffee does slow aging and helps them appear younger is because the caffeine in it shrinks cells by dehydrating them. This is great for puffy eyes, but not so great for your body. So you should try to limit yourself to a couple of cups per day. If you go overboard, instead of the coffee helping your skin look smooth and supple, it will make your face look shriveled up and old. So when you are out and about and you pass by those drink vending machines at the office or the gas station, grab a coffee in the morning and perhaps one in the afternoon, but choose something else on your other stops. And if you are looking into buying vending machines for sale, or you are a vending machine manufacturer, considering adding a variety of both coffee drinks and non-coffee drinks to keep all of your customers happy.

In summary, when used in moderation, coffee can give you the energy you need to combat the day while helping your cause to slow aging, but if you overdo it, it will have the opposite effect on your skin.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Mobile Apps to Help Your Vending Machine Business

Vending.com loves the following three apps for your vending machine business to help keep track of financials, inventory and more.. They each offer a different service that will be valuable to you in your day-to-day life:

Mint:
Mint.com, which was name one of TIME Magazine’s “Top 50 iPhone Apps” in 2011, is the perfect free mobile app for business owners on the go. Since your vending business keeps you out and about for hours each day, this app will help make your life a lot easier. The app allows you to set a financial budget for your vending machine business and enter transactions while on the go. You also can get real-time fund availability. In addition, in case you lose your phone, the app has a password to keep any unauthorized persons from viewing your financial information.

Evernote:
This handy app gives you the ability to instantly take notes on your mobile device no matter where you are. You can then easily access this information later. This app is ideal for making notes of vending machine inventory needs, writing yourself a daily to-do list or just jotting down your latest brainstorm for your business. Thanks to Evernote, you don’t have to worry about keeping a paper and pen handy at all times.

Dropbox:
This app is available on both mobile devices and tablets. It works by storing your business documents, photos, or videos to access on the go. Imagine being able to pull up all your vending machine business marketing materials on the app no matter where you are at the time. After all, potential clients are everywhere, so why shouldn’t your most impressive business information be as well.

Any of our recommended apps for vending machine businesses will help you take yours to the next level.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

3 Ways to Find the Perfect Vending Location

Whether you are new to the vending business or a veteran, you are likely open to suggestions on how to make your business more profitable. Since a huge part of a vending businesses success is the result of the machine’s location, learning where to put your vending machine is crucial. Read below for three tips from Vending.com on how to do just that:

Go where the people are:
As a vending machine owner, you want to find locations to put your vending machines where there is a great deal of foot traffic. Examples of such places include airports, malls or busy offices. It only stands to reason that the more people who walk by your machines each day, the better your sales will be.

Be the focus:
Although it is wise to put your vending machine where there is lots of foot traffic as listed above, you can also find success when placing your machine in a more subdued environment. Your machine will often times become a source of entertainment when people are bored. Great examples of these locations that are less busy yet highly profitable include doctors’ offices, nail salons, car repair centers or barber shops.

Don’t avoid competition:
Some vending machine owners do not want to place their machines near other peoples’ machines. However, that can be a mistake. If you place a well-stocked, attractive vending machine next to a machine that is poorly maintained or rarely stocked, you will end up doing well even with competition present.

By incorporating the three tips listed above and remembering to match the type of vending machine with your clientele, you can ensure you are placing your machine in the most profitable location possible. After all, just as in real estate, location, location, location is the means to success in the vending business.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Eco-Friendly Customers and Coffee

Vending.com has learned that what makes a cup of coffee delicious might depend on more than just the beans used and the coffee and hot beverage vending machine it’s made in. According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, a research team ran an experiment in which participants were presented two cups of coffee, one that was “eco-friendly” and one that was just a regular cup of coffee. What the participants did not know was that both cups of coffee were made from the same beans and in the same standard coffee maker.

While the phrase “eco-friendly vending machine” might not make all coffee consumers crave more environmentally conscious coffee, participants were also surveyed on various issues before the study and the results showed that the majority of participants that were concerned about the environment preferred the eco-friendly brew. Those same participants were also willing to pay about 25 percent more for a coffee they believed shared their views on the environment.

When it comes to coffee or drink vending machines, you might not need to change your product offering to continue to be successful, but this is a good example of how knowing your customers and what their preferences are can help your vending machines, eco-friendly or otherwise, become even more profitable.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

The Blues, Naturally

Vending machine patrons that pay close attention to the ingredients of their favorite confections may have noticed that treats with natural food coloring are not available in blue or green. The reason for this, is that until recently, the FDA had not approved a natural color additive that created these desired shades. Now, the FDA has approved spirulina extract as a source of blue color in candy and gum.

This is big news for gum and candy manufacturers who until now had to use FD&C Blue #1 (“brilliant blue”) which is an artificial ingredient for blue coloring. US manufacturers had been left behind as spirulina extract has been previously approved in other markets. The benefit to this is that there is now a history of spirulina use for natural blue food coloring and testing that the FDA and manufacturers can take advantage of.

If you have been looking for a vending machine for sale, you will most likely know what kinds of snacks and candies are popular in vending machines. Vending.com‘s machines are very frequently stocked with chewing gum, and blue and green coloring will be a very popular choice for manufacturers. Representing “cool” and “fresh” flavors and breath, blue is an extremely popular color choice for many gum products and fresh breath candies.

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, 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.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Coffee Vending Machine Convenience

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 an office coffee maker vending machine with 36 different combinations of coffee, espresso, cafe latte, cappuccino, cafe mocha, tea and hot chocolate! With all of those options, this machine will rival the menu of any cafe. With our European Designed state-of-the-art brewing and filter system, your beverages are brewed to delicious perfection every time.

Our coffee and hot beverage vending machines also feature a simple user interface that makes selecting and ordering from the comprehensive drink list easy. With the iVend Ensured Delivery Sensing technology that is included with this machine, a quality product will be distributed every time.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Space-Saving Vending Solutions

To keep customers returning to your vending machines you need to have a variety of products that will satisfy their needs and keep them interested. Providing variety in your vending machine selection is key to a successful vending business but sometimes having sufficient space for large or multiple vending machines can be an issue.

A perfect solution to this is a compact combination vending machine that is able to vend multiple varieties of products all from one machine. Vending.com has a large selection of these space-saving vending machines for sale, such as the Trimline Refreshment Center. This compact vending machine is able to vend up to 12 selections of chips, candy and pastries with a maximum capacity of 152 units. The drink vending part of the machine can vend bottles or cans, holding up to 144 20 oz bottles or 312 12 oz cans.

This compact vending machine also features easy-loading tilt out trays, simple controls and quality construction. To save energy usage, and to save money for vending machine operators, our combination machines are Energy Star Rated. These machines are perfect for break rooms or offices that need to maximize space or cafeterias were patrons will expect more than one type of item.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending Machine Financing

A concern for many people interested in starting up a vending machine business is the cost of equipment. Vending machines can seem expensive to a newcomer to the vending industry, but with financing plans and the right mindset there are tons of great options available to help you start vending today!

Vending.com offers flexibility for customers to custom-tailor their financing arrangements so that it works best for their type and size of organization. This comes in handy for anyone looking to buy vending machines because each vending machien start-up business is different, and finding the solution that works for you will help ensure your success!

Some of our financing options include flexible repayment arrangements to meet cash flow, specialized programs to increase sales, up to 48 month terms, and a quick credit approval process. Our website also offers tools such as the profit calculator that will help you visualize how easily vending machines pay for themselves between steady profits and financing options.

The easiest way to get started and find out which start-up vending machine business financing option is right for you is to give us a call and speak with one of our specialists. We are here to help you reach your business goals in the vending industry!

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Easy Mobile Upgrade for Vending Machines

Incorporating mobile technology into vending machines is a popular trend that is creating tons of new possibilities for payments, technical service and customer interaction. A company called LikeUS Network is coming out with a new technology that gives vending machine patrons more options for mobile payments.

This new “plug-and-play” technology is one of the easiest vending machine upgrades available. This solution allows vending machine operators to plug a device into their existing vending machines and immediately be able to use the technology without the need to change any settings. This new mobile technology is a great addition to allow vending machines for sale currently from companies such as Vending.com to accept payments from PayPayl and Google wallet.

There is also a mobile payment option that allows patrons to interact with the machine via social networks such as Facebook and receive free beverages or snacks in exchange for a Like, Retweet or share. This is an interesting new way to promote your vending machines because a branded message is shared on that customer’s social network that tells all of their friends about your vending machine.

This easy vending machine upgrade is also a great way to gain demographic information on your customers that is typically unavailable to machines that accept cash or credit and debit cards.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Luxury Gift Vending Machine

A vending machine in Berlin is offering a range of items that you might not find in your traditional vending machines. The vending machine was launched by German delicatessen Floris Feinkost and features gourmet selections including luxury items such as prepared food and gift packages.

This luxury vending machine has gifts that anyone would want to receive including pint-sized bottles of champagne, pastries, pralines, flavored salts, chocolates and even bottles of wines. These are just a few of the more than 60 products customers can browse through.

The unit has ten levels of display cases that showcase the wares. Vending.com has seen vending operators benefit from improved displays of vending products through updated machines, captivating graphics on the machine, and well-lit and organized product displays. In this particular luxury vending machine, the gift cases look like miniature storefront displays, with products perfectly packaged and displayed.

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

Google Play Vending Machine

Another unique vending machine has launched in Tokyo recently. There is definitely no shortage of odd and creative vending machines in Japan, but this one has a very large brand name attached to it. This new machine was launched by Google and does not vend physical products, but it is a brick and mortar interface for Google’s Play market.

This creative vending machine requires that you have a smartphone that is running Android 4.0 and has NFC technology. So not all smartphone users will be able to interface with the machine, but most new Android devices should have no problem. The machine features a large screen that uses the same interface that Android users would regularly see when they visit Google Play on their desktop or mobile devices. Customers can then browse the selections on the screen while they are assisted by two attendants that will be stationed at every Google vending machine.

The purchases on the machine can be paid for with your mobile device and will be downloaded after payment is received. Vending.com has discussed NFC technology and mobile payments for vending machines before, and seeing how Google uses their own technology could lead to some interesting innovations!

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

Break Room Vending Machines

When you have worked in an office for any amount of time that has a break room, it is easy to notice how odd and often gross, they can be. The reason for these oddities is often food brought in by coworkers.

Storing perishable food can often become a challenge as expiration dates become lost in the well-lit abyss that is the back of the communal refrigerator. Once good ideas for lunch may sit, left and forgotten, on tables or in communal microwaves for days on end and pots of coffee made with the best intentions can become caffeinated science projects gone wrong.

An easy way to avoid these break room horrors is with vending machines! Vending.com has a wide variety of vending machines specifically for office break rooms that include, food, snack, drink, coffee, water and more. Break room vending machines are not just for grabbing a candy bar or can of soda anymore; many of our machines can vend enough fresh food to keep employees happy and well-fed every day.

Depending on how your office decides to operate the vending machines at work, profits from them can be donated to charity, reinvested back into the office or a variety of other options that will help out more than your break room’s hygiene!

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending Machines Help Relieve the Heat

Drink vending machines are a mainstay in most vending lineups and can be found year-round in most locations. Vending.com noticed that Coca-Cola recently launched a vending machine in Spain that adjusts its pricing strategy of its drinks depending on the on temperature.

These machines were placed in water parks and theme parks and the surprising vending machine pricing strategy was that the prices of cold beverages actually went down as the temperatures went up. With three different price points depending on how high the thermometer was reading, these machines sold drinks for the least amount of money when the temperature was the hottest.

The reasoning behind this pricing strategy was that hot and busy days at these amusement parks would be a good time to test a new Coke beverage, so decreasing the price on hot and usually busy days meant that the new drink got into more people’s hands.

Most vending machines for sale currently do not offer features to adjust the price based on external conditions such as weather. Adjusting prices based on time of day, number of people around the machine, or weather conditions could open some interesting marketing strategies. What conditions would you have your machines’ prices fluctuate with?

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Vending Machine Industry Confidence Index

Vending MarketWatch recently released a new study of the vending industry, the Vending Operator Confidence Index. The aim of this index is to measure the confidence vending operators have in the industry and assign it a positive or negative value. In their first ever index, Vending Market Watch rated the vending industry confidence level at 136.00. The average is 100 so a reading over that indicates various levels of positive outlooks. 136 puts it at a cautiously optimist outlook for the vending industry.

This index will be conducted monthly and give industry members a view of how the overall industry is doing on a more regular basis. The vending industry usually relies on annual reports or smaller studies and the monthly delivery of this survey will certainly give some unique insights into the industry. Having monthly indexes will most likely cause a few unduly high or low points based on industry trends or developments, but it will hopefully draw attention to those developments as well.

With new developments occurring more and more frequently and new vending machines for sale hitting the market, having a way to keep tab on these technological advances and the overall trend of the industry will be very helpful.

Posted on January 12, 2021 | by Phil Masters

Finding the Right Vending Machine Size

The snack vending machine size you choose depend on a lot of factors: the size of your location, the demands of your customers, the dimensions of door frames and spaces allotted to you, and even the amount you have to budget for new machines.

Vending.com has a wide variety of snack vending machines for sale that are able to fit the bill for any vending operator. In this blog, we will break down the benefits of a few of our vending machine sizes.

Our 12 Selection Machine is ideal for locations where space is limited but you still need the capacity and flexibility of a compact, professional vending machine.

Our most popular vending machine, the 23 Selection machine is perfect for nearly every vending location. This machine delivers a lot of value for a great price.

Our 47 Selection machine offers the largest capacity in the industry! The reconfigurable product selection spacing and auger timing make the vending possibilities of this machine limitless!

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

November Activities, All in One Vending Machine!

November is a month of food, lots of food, and shopping thanks to retail calendar highlights such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Vending.com is here to help you keep your vending customers satisfied for both of these things.

Vending machines tie in both of these November pastimes in one place and at the same time! Vending machines are also much more than just a place to get a quick snack. With our food vending machines’s ability to vend cold and frozen food, there are also plenty of fresh and frozen options available to vending patrons that are looking for a quick Thanksgiving meal.

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 Machines Help “World Hello Day”

November 21st is World Hello Day. The goal of this holiday is to promote world peace by getting people to say hello to each other and break down the barriers that are created when we do not know someone else well enough. Introducing yourself, or even just saying “hello” to someone can create a positive and friendly atmosphere that will carry on throughout the entire day.

At Vending.com, we love this idea. People have always talked about “meeting at the water cooler” or the modern day equivalent, drink vending machine. To celebrate this holiday in your office, what places could you meet someone new or say “hello” to someone? Food and drinks are the perfect way to bring people together and casual settings like cafes, dining areas or vending machine areas function perfectly as social gather places.

We challenge you to use this entire week as a time to meet new people and create a more positive environment at your workplace just by saying hello and acknowledging the people around you. Who knows, you might meet a new best friend or learn something you would have never known!