How to Decide On Drink Vending Machine Locations

Location, location, location. This saying has rang true in the business world for a long time and it is especially important to retailers and vending machine operators. USelectIt has been in the industry a long time as a vending machine manufacturer and is backed by over 80 years of experience as a member of The Wittern Group, so we have seen a lot of success stories over the years!

There are a few common factors that all great vending locations have in common:

·        Traffic

·        Isolation from Alternatives

·        Utility

Traffic: If you do not have people near your vending machine, you will definitely not sell anything. Vending machine operators should find areas with the right amount of traffic (preferably higher, the more the better) and the right kind of traffic. You also want traffic that is around the machine long enough to interact with it. Places like waiting areas work well for this because potential patrons are sitting near the machine for long periods of time. Places like malls work well for slow moving and window shopping traffic that is likely to break their stride and stop off for a drink. Vending machines in places where people are not expecting to stop will have lower percentages of the traffic, no matter how high, stop at the machine.

Isolation from Alternatives: Another crucial part of the equation for the perfect machine location is to make sure that it is separate from other places to purchase a similar product. If your machine is selling bottled water and soda and there is a store selling the same thing right next to it, chances are that you will lose sales to the store. If your vending machine is located in a park and the nearest place to buy a beverage requires customers to leave the park and drive to it, then you will have captured those sales due to isolation from alternatives.

Utility: Especially if you sell specialized items in your vending machines, such as energy drinks or sports drinks, they should offer value to customers in the form of utility. People in a waiting room may not need a quick boost of caffeine from your energy drink vending machine, but people in an office or at a gym may be willing to purchase them because they have the need for that benefit.

Niche Vending Businesses

There a lot of decisions that you have to make when starting any new business. The same is true for a vending machine business. A big decision that you must decide during the planning stages of your business is what kind of markets you want to pursue. Do you want to stick to a specific niche or do you want to diversity and broaden your vending services to be more inclusive? There are benefits and drawbacks to each, but making this decision early and defining the role your vending services will fill will be crucial in the success of your business!

Niche Vending Advantages:

• Lower Competition – By focusing the products that you offer, the locations you sell them and the target demographics that you sell them to, you eliminate a lot of competition. General beverage and snack vending machines will not be direct competition to an organic granola bar vending machine that only vends in specific book and music stores.

•  Set premium prices – By offering specialized products that are difficult to find anywhere else, you can set your prices at a higher level than broad scope venders. This is because customers are willing to pay more to find exactly what they want and for the perceived additional value to your products.

• Easier targeting of markets – By having a very specified, niche product, you will easily be able to identify your target markets. Operating vending machines that only vend energy drinks and beverages will be easier to place effectively based on your ideal consumers instead of a machine that sells every kind of beverages from water to coffee and soda.

Niche Vending Disadvantages

• Small Market Size – The main disadvantage of niche vending is that your customer base, or target market, shrinks considerably the more specialized your machines become. If you only sell one product in your machines, then only people that want or need that product will purchase it. If you offer a wider range of products, you will attract more customers.

Niche marketing can be a very lucrative strategy for your vending business, but you will have to do your research and make sure that you understand your target market. Being extremely effective at meeting the needs and wants of your target market will be key to succeeding with a niche vending business. This means finding locations, equipment and suppliers that all work together to maximized the real and perceived value of your services to your customers. USelectIt.com has a wide range of vending machines for sale that will help get your niche vending business up and running!

Satisfying Drink Vending Machine Options for Summer

Summer is getting hotter than ever, and customers need cold refreshment like never before. People frequently flock to their local vending machine whenever the heat gets the best of them, so now is a great time to optimize your drink vending machine for any thirsty customers who may be coming your way.




From the basics to today's latest drink innovations, here are some great ideas for keeping customers refreshed this summer.

The Basics: If you own a drink vending machine, you have to start with the core drinks that will consistently drive business. Water is a no-brainer and practically a requirement, whether you opt for Poland Spring, Aquafina, or one of the many new nutrient-infused water drinks. Soft drinks are another staple, as many customers associate summer with guzzling down their favorite colas.

Delicious Juice: Aside from soda and water, juice drinks often take major prominence in most drink vending machines. From orange juice to mixed fruit juice, you can't go wrong selling fresh juices to customers who want a cold drink. These beverages provide unique variety to those who aren't in the mood for soda and water, so be sure to be stocked with plenty of them!

Energy and More: Energy drinks are all the rage these days, and having them in the summertime will surely go a long way for your vending business. Whether you get a surplus of Monster and Red Bull or experiment with newer, health-friendly energy drinks, these beverages will keep your client base buzzing throughout the entire week!

There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to stocking up your drink vending machine for summer--Just make sure you have enough of whatever you order! This is undoubtedly the hottest time of year, and you need to be prepared to give customers the cold beverages they need most.

How to Get Your Vending Machine Business Off the Ground

Have you recently passed your local snack vending machine and thought, "I'd like to operate one of these"? While the vending industry seems simple on the surface (after all, who doesn't want to buy drinks and snacks), there are a multitude of steps that must be taken before you can enjoy true success with your vending unit. Fortunately,  we've compiled some of the key components of entering the industry, from selecting a machine to maintaining it for perfect use!

The first step to entering the vending business is obvious: Getting a machine! No matter what type of products you'd like to serve to customers, there are vending machines for sale all over the country that suit both general and specific needs. While the average machine runs for a few thousand dollars, many companies have generous financing plans that allow you to pay your machine off while earning profits from it. This is certainly recommended to those entering the industry for the first time!

Once you've secured a machine, maintaining the right product selection is key. Operating a coffee vending machine for the office? You need to have plenty of popular roasts and blends. The same goes for a combo vending machine, as it is crucial to provide a wide variety of sodas, snacks, and candies that are widely enjoyed in your school, gym, or any other place of business.

Even if your vending operation has been running smoothly for months, vending machine maintenance will always be important. You never quite know when a product will get stuck or when your credit card reader will suddenly stop working, so make sure to always know who your local vending machine service representative is. Vending is certainly lucrative, but not during a big machine malfunction!

While there is much to explore in the world of vending machines, knowing the basics of financing, stocking, and maintenance will go a long way, whether you're vending potato chips or expensive car parts. Vending is one of the most enduring and profitable industries around, and by running yours properly you can profit for years to come!

Top 4 Items for Drink Vending Machines

Drink vending machines can distribute a variety of different beverages, from soda and juice to water and coffee. Let's take a look at our favorite items to put in drink vending machines.

4. Coffee

If you're in an office, a coffee machine is a must. Modern coffee machines are particularly impressive, as these state-of-the-art devices can feature 30+ drink combinations, including decaf. options and specialty items like cappuccino.

3. Water

Our bodies are already over 60% water — why not add a little more? These vending machines offer chilled water (including flavored options) poured into paper cups or users' own glasses and mugs to cut down on waste. The water is filtered to remove the odor and taste of tap water.

2. Juice

Available in a variety of flavors, juice is a great afternoon pick-me-up for employees and students alike. The best juices are made with natural ingredients with low concentrations of sugar, so choose wisely!

1. Soda

What would vending machines be without soda? Drink vending machines for sale have more soda options than ever — including a variety of diet drinks that are free of sugar and calories.

The Automat—America’s First Snack Vending Machine

Remember the automat? If you worked in Philadelphia or New York City during the first half of the 20th century, chances are you took your lunch in a restaurant that was one big, shiny snack vending machine.

You’d enter the restaurant, make your choice, drop a few nickels in the chrome and glass machine, lift a hinged window and remove your meal, which was probably wrapped in waxed paper. Behind the windows was the kitchen, with a staff ready to replenish each window as the meals disappeared.

The automat started to disappear in the 1950s as the suburbs burgeoned and fast food restaurants came up with drive-thru windows. But once upon a time, this communal snack vending machine was America’s largest restaurant chain, serving 800,000 people a day.

Nowadays you’re more likely to select a candy bar, a bag of chips, or a yogurt from a snack vending machine than a slice of coconut cream pie or dish of baked beans. Fresh coffee’s as popular as ever, though, a true classic. You might not think of Edward Hopper’s 1927 painting or hum Irving Berlin’s automat-inspired tune, “Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee” as you make your choice—but then again, you might.

Does Your Vending Machine Manufacturer Offer Maintenance and Repairs?

Even top vending machines need maintenance and repairs every once in a while. Does your manufacturer have you covered? USelectIt.com is a vending machine manufacturer partnered with a parts and services company called Vendnet, which offers comprehensive support throughout the country.

What can Vendnet do for you?

Technical Support: If something goes wrong with your machine, trained representatives with knowledge of your specific make and model will troubleshoot the issue. And if we can't solve it over the phone, we'll refer you to one of our 435 service provides across the country so that you can receive local, specialized support. In addition to toll-free assistance over the phone, we also offer technical support via email and online chat.

Overnight Parts Shipment: The Vendnet parts department is fully stocked with coin mechs, breakers, grommets and more — if it breaks, we can fix it! We offer worldwide shipping and overnight delivery in many cases.

In-House Repairs: If your snack or soda vending machine needs significant work, our repair facility will resolve the issue in-house and return your machine as soon as possible.

Vending Machines Are A Must For the Office

A few months ago, I noticed that pretty much every member of my staff was taking frequent breaks throughout the course of the day. There wasn’t a single time during the day that every single person was at their desk working. Productivity is of utmost importance in my office, so this concerned me quite a bit. I asked why everyone was leaving periodically through out the day and I found out that it was because they were going on snack runs. It all made sense! Snacking is important to do throughout the work day. Snacking helps fuel the body to prepare for physical and mental activity, and when you’re working a job that requires serious brain power like the accountants in my firm, you need some fuel.

I got a great idea to order some snack vending machines and drink vending machines. I took an office poll on what everyone would like to see in the machines, and then a few weeks later found some vending machines on sale. Everyone was pleased with the new vending machines and even happier when they realized how much gas money they were saving by not making frequent snack runs throughout the day. It was a win-win!

Soda Vending Machine Tips: Seize the Summer!

Now that the weather's getting warmer, the demand for cold beverages — especially soda — is on the rise. That's why www.USelectIt.com offers high-capacity Summit drink vending machines capable of storing over 300 cans or 700 bottles!

How? Summit vending machines for sale feature variable depth stacking — a storage method designed to save space. And more space for soda bottles and cans in your machines means less time spent restocking.

Plus, many Summit vending machines incorporate high-tech software that can alert you when a machine is running low on supplies, so you'll never miss a potential sale.

If you're looking to really maximize your summer soda profits, there are several other factors to consider. Take a look at these helpful tips:

• Choose drink vending machines with illuminated displays. These will help catch potential soda-buyers' attention, even from far away.
• Make sure your vending machines work! Invest in machines with delivery sensors to guarantee that your customers walk away satisfied.
• Place each soda vending machine outside. Hot, sticky weather makes soda much more appealing than chilly office air conditioning.

More Healthy Items for Snack Vending Machines

To some people, “snacking” has a negative connotation, but if you pick the right foods, there’s nothing wrong with a little noshing between meals. Check out our favorite products for snacking vending machines below:

Baked Potato Chips: Available in all the familiar flavors, these delectable snacks have a much lower fat content then their fried brethren. And the extra dose of fiber isn’t bad either. A bag of original Baked! Lays has only 210 calories, with 14 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber.

Low-Fat Popcorn: Similar to the above, low-fat popcorn provides fiber and fullness with precious little fat and calories. Snackers love those black bags of Smartfood Popcorn, featuring 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, and only 120 calories.

Peanut M&M’s: Candy is never going to be that good for you, but combining chocolate and peanuts allows you to satisfy your cravings while boosting your energy with protein-rich peanuts. Peanut M&M’s are ideal for perking up during that post-lunch daze at work.

Best of all, these items are avaible in convenient individual sizes, perfect for vending machines for sale!

Vending Machines for Sale: Exploring Your Options

If you’re looking for vending machines for sale, chances are you’re at least a little overwhelmed by your options. Read on for the four basic categories of vending machines, all of which are available on www.Uselectit.com.

Coffee Drink Vending Machines

Java much? These caffeine-instilled devices are ideal for offices, or anywhere where a pick-me-up could help pick things up. Best of all, modern coffee drink vending machines also offer certain coffee shop standards, including espresso, café latte, cappuccino, and hot chocolate.

Snack Vending Machines

U-Select-It offers high-capacity snack vending machines able to store hundreds of items at once. These machines can feature adjustable trays for snacks of all kinds, as well as optional trays for mint and gum.

Food Vending Machines

Frozen or chilled? With modern vending machines, you never have to choose, as most feature moveable partitions so that you can stock frozen and refrigerated items in a single device.

Cold Drink Vending Machines

Stocking everything from soda to fruit juice to flavored water, cold drink vending machines can adapt to cans and bottles of all sizes. Plus, some water vending machines even dispense flavored or unflavored water directly into cups.

Water Drink Vending Machines

Some people think drink vending machines are only designed to stock soda, juice, or coffee beverages, but this list excludes the most basic drink of all: water! Water drink vending machines are becoming increasingly popular in offices, schools, and other locations, as they provide a healthy, environmentally conscious way to quench your thirst.

One excellent water vending machine is the Ecoasis, available from www.Uselectit.com. This state-of-the-art machine dispenses chilled water in up to 3 flavors – in addition to unflavored water – thus providing a variety of delicious low-calorie options. Inside, high-tech filtration techniques remove the taste and odor of tap water without producing any waste. The system will even let you know when it’s time to replace the filter!

Best of all, the Ecoasis is one of the most environmentally friendly vending machines for sale. It eliminates the need for bottled water and can even pour water directly into mugs and cups so that no disposable products are required. Plus, the LED lighting and flash chilling technologies are specifically designed to conserve energy, which helps protect the planet while reducing your bottom line.

Shopping for a Vending Machine Manufacturer?

Choosing a vending machine manufacturer can be almost as difficult as choosing a snack from a vending machine! Just like with food, you want to pick something affordable, visually appealing, and good for you – and the environment. So, what makes a good vending machine manufacturer?

Innovation

Modern vending machines have some pretty nifty features, including high-functioning software that can export your sales data to Excel and even page you when your stock gets low. Additionally, many food and drink vending machines are now compact enough to easily fit through doorways, while still supporting large capacities of products.

Service

Even quality vending machines require servicing and repairs, so you need a vending machine manufacturer that provides fast, effective maintenance. Make sure the parts department is fully-stocked and equipped to ship to your location.

Sustainability

It’s always best to do business with a company committed to saving energy and protecting the environment. www.Uselectit.com uses energy-efficient and environmentally friendly equipment, from our office printers to our manufacturing techniques.

Plus, our food and snack vending machines are designed with eco-friendly features including LED lighting and power-saving controls for refrigeration and lighting.

Choose Variable Temperature for Your Snack and Soda Vending Machine

Just think of all the items you want to stock in your food and drink vending machine. Soda, water, juice, yogurt, pretzels, chips, gum, candy… If you bought a separate vending machine for each type of product, that would waste a lot of space! (And money.) Instead, we recommend investing in a snack and soda vending machine with variable temperature control.

Variable temperature allows you to divide your vending machine into two separate categories, so you can keep certain items like candy and chips at room temperature, while refrigerating other products such as soda, yogurt, juice, and water at temperatures 20 degrees lower.

One of the best variable temperature control vending machines for sale is the Alpine VT3000. This machine features an adjustable barrier tray, so you can decide which products will be stored at cooler temperatures. The Alpine VT3000 also offers tons of great optional features, including LED lighting that uses 40% less energy than fluorescent models; high capacity can storage that can hold as many as 100 cans per tray; and heated glass for locations with high levels of humidity.

The Best Items for Office Snack Vending Machines

Like most business tools, vending machines for sale come down to two things: supply and demand. People want certain items, and it’s your job to provide them. If you manage an office building with one or more snack vending machines inside, you might be wondering whether your supply is matching up with the employees’ demand.

Let’s take a look at some of the best supplies for snack vending machines at work:

Nuts: Loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and protein, these snacks are great for staying focused. Look for small packages, however, as nuts are also high in calories.

Dark chocolate: A dark chocolate candy bar can satiate any sweet tooth while providing a healthy dose of antioxidants.

Crackers and cheese: A great mid-morning or -afternoon pick-me-up to stave off hunger. Even small packs with five crackers will be enough to get the job done.

Dried fruit: From raisins to pineapple chunks, dried fruit is a healthy and food-pyramid-abiding option. Different fruits offer different nutrients, but they’re all good for you!

Trail mix: Perfect for snack vending machines, trail mix offers a little bit of everything – nuts, chocolate, and dried fruit, among other goodies.

Coffee Vending Machines for Sale

An office just wouldn't be an office without coffee. It's the refuge of the overworked and under-slept — and the people who just want an excuse to get up from their desks. That's where coffee vending machines for sale come in handy.

See, work coffee doesn't have to come from some pot churning noisily in the break room — the kind of machine that makes employees stare longingly out the window in the direction of the nearest Starbucks. With modern vending machines, it's easier than ever to have gourmet coffee without ever leaving the office.

One of the best coffee vending machines on the market right now is the Geneva, available at www.USelectIt.com. This impressive machine offers as many as 36 drink combinations, featuring either fresh brewed or instant coffee — the choice is yours. A built-in water filtration system ensures quality beverages, while non-coffee options like hot chocolate and tea mean that the Geneva provides a little something for everyone.

Coffee drink vending machines provide all the variety and flavor of the coffeehouse right in the office. And unlike the coffeehouse, you don't have to remember whether “grande” or “venti” is bigger.

Our Favorite Drink Vending Machines: The Summit 500

If you work with drink vending machines on a regular basis, you know how important versatility can be. Your beverage selection is subject to change at a moment's notice as a result of beverage prices and availability, in addition to the preferences of individual clients.

One week you might need cans of Diet Coke and 24 oz. bottles of Dr. Pepper, whereas later in the year you may have to substitute the latter for 20 oz. bottles of iced tea or juice. You can't buy a new machine every time your circumstances change, which is why it's so critical to select a machine that can accommodate a dynamic selection, like the Summit 500.

The Summit 500 can stock ten drinks of a variety of shapes and sizes, including 12 oz. cans and 16, 20, or 24 oz. bottles. You can supply all cans (500 max), all bottles (240 max), or any combination of the aforementioned. It's this kind of flexibility that makes the Summer 500 a favorite among equipment managers.

Plus, like so many modern vending machines for sale, the Summit 500 comes with a customizable graphic panel perfect for showcasing beverage brands. From head to toe, you can personalize this machine to fit your needs.

Vending Machines for Sale Vend Anything, Anywhere!

Vending machines for sale come in all shapes and sizes. They vend everything from soda and snacks, to coffee and salads, to fish bait and DVD’s. And plus, you can put snack vending machines pretty much anywhere. Pretty, pretty, pretty much anywhere. Anywhere there’s room, that is. But seriously, you can put one in any kind of workspace or business, which is pretty common, or you can put one in your house, so that if you’re hungry, instead of going to the pantry and fixing yourself something, you just put a few quarters in the old snack vending machines (quarters which you eventually collect again) and you have yourself a snack, and when you have your hungry friends over, they can feed themselves and so instead of providing for them, they provide for you!

U Select it has snack vending machines and drink vending machines, and combo vending machines that can double! So whether you’re looking to stock your office, school, or home, or anywhere with people ready to snack, U Select It is your vending machine manufacturer.

But you don’t have to stop there, you can fill a vending machine with anything you want! In fact, all around the world are different kinds of products being vended! Get creative – vend books, or yogurt, beer or ice cream! Whatever you want vending machines for sale can make it happen!

What Are the Laws for Placing Snack Vending Machines?

As with any other aspect of your business, placing snack vending machines in your building comes with certain laws and regulations you will have to follow. Let's have a look at some of the common laws for food or drink vending machines.

First, you need to make sure you have the proper licensing in accordance with your building, city, and even state. Be sure to clear your new machine specifically with your landlord or building manager as well.

You also have to be sure your vending machine remains healthy and safe. Just like restaurant kitchens are often checked up on by the health department, your vending machine might also be inspected. Fortunately, most of the necessary precautions are also common sense:

• If the power goes out, dispose of all your perishable food.
• Take care of any rodent or insect infestations before placing your machine in an area.
• Follow the recommendations for maintenance and repairs to ensure that your machine is functioning properly.
  

Follow these suggestions, and you'll have the safest snack vending machines on the block!

Finding The Best Vending Machine Manufacturer

When you begin looking for vending machines for sale you are going to see a whole truck load of businesses to choose from. So what things should you be looking for before you choose a company to go with? Well first off, you gotta make sure they have vending machines for sale - this is going to reduce your overhead significantly. Second off, it's important that they offer a wide array of vending machines for sale, and when I say wide array, I mean everything from snack vending machines, drink vending machines and soda vending machine.

You want to really have your choice of what to buy, and you also want to consider which ones work for your business. It might be the soda vending machine or it might be snack vending machines – all depending on your demographic area and where you place the machines at. However, if you buy a few vending machines for sale all at once and place them in a few different spots utilizing a few different items (food and otherwise) you can take notes on where the best sellers are!

And lastly, you want to make sure the company has been in business for a while. A vending machine manufacturer that has experience in this type of business is a major plus because ultimately you need good customer support, you need good servicemen, and you need reliable machines that are going to keep making you money over and over again and essentially pay off what you bought them for!