Different Types of Vending Machines

There is a large variety of products available via vending machines throughout most cities in the UK, with an equally rich array of ways they can be dispensed. Commercial vending machines have been categorized in a number of ways, according to the type of product they dispense. Here are the 10 most common categories of vending machines in the UK:

Hot Drinks Vending Machines

Hot drinks have become the most common vended items in the UK, most likely because 60% of vending machines are now placed in workplaces. The most popular hot beverage dispensed is coffee, followed by tea, hot chocolate, and soup.

Cold Drink Vending Machines

Cold beverages are another very popular dispensed item in the UK, the most popular ones being soda, followed by ice tea, juice, milk and milkshakes.

Snack Vending Machines

Snack vending machines, while supplying any type of sweet or savoury snack, can also dispense cold drink in bottles or cans; a combination of two of UK’s most popular vended products. The snacks include crisps, pastries, ice-cream, nuts, candy bars, sweets, and others.

Ice Cream and Frozen Food Vending Machines

During the hot summer days, ice cream vending machines become the most sought after category, and vending machines that dispense frozen food like pizza and hot dog sandwich, are great for those looking for more than just a quick bite.

Change Vending Machines

This vending machine dispenses change in exchange for bills and can be useful in places like parking garages or laundry shops.

Gumball and Novelty Machines

An absolute favourite among kids, these vending machines are found in malls, amusement parks, and other entertainment venues and may dispense gumballs, bouncy balls, tattoos, or stickers.

Ice Dispensers

Ice dispensers come in various sizes for residential or commercial use. Combined with a water dispenser, this vending machine can be very helpful and convenient in both homes and offices. 

Medicine and Hygiene Products

These vending machines are mostly found in public bathrooms at restaurants, airports, clubs and malls and may dispense baby changing essentials, toothbrushes, toothpaste, condoms, tampons, hand sanitizers and other hygiene products.  

Healthy Vending Machines

Healthy vending machines contain regular vending supplies like drinks, snacks, and foods, but of healthy brands that have better nutritional value. This category of vending machines is gaining rapid popularity in the UK as people are become increasingly health conscious.

Custom Vending Machine

Installed by a specific company or brand, these vending machines dispense products of only that particular brand, like newspapers, sports equipment or perfume. 

If you are planning to start a vending machine business, browse through our wide range of commercialvending machines and vending supplies and you will definitely find one that suits your needs!

Start a Vending Machine Business - Tips and Advice

In today’s fast-moving way of life, people seldom have the time to wait in long queues for a quick snack or a refreshing cold drink. Due to this, the vendingmachine business has been able to establish a strong foothold as it dispenses food in a matter of seconds. For every 55 people in the UK, there is 1 vending machine. While that number may not seem much, the industry continues to evolve further every day with many potential opportunities waiting to be tapped. This sort of business has a small start up cost and the potential to generate a return on investment from the very first day.

If you are interested in setting up a vending machine business, be assured that’s it’s a great, recession-proof business idea. Follow these tips and advice for guaranteed success!

1 Start Small

Even though the vending machine business does not require a large investment, it is still advisable to start small so that you can assess the success and profitability of the business. Ideally, you should buy only one or two vending machines when starting out.

2 Find a Reputable Supplier

Look for a well established vending machine supplier who has a reputation of providing a wide array of high quality vending machines and vending supplies. An added advantage would be if the supplier also offers great customer service through a team of service technicians and fully trained operators for vending machine
maintenance services.  

3 Location. Location. Location

Just as location is king in the real estate market, it is an equally important factor in the success of the vending machine business. If you install a gumball vending machine in a corporate district or a newspaper vending machine in a school, it is a recipe for disaster. Before you decide on the type of vending machine and its location, do your homework about the consumer traffic and demographics. An ideal place should be where consumer traffic, particularly on foot, is constant, like malls, hospitals, bus stops, movie theatres, parks, and schools. Just make sure that the vending supplies offered by the vending machine align with the demographics of the consumer traffic.

4 Be Efficient, Be Organized

You can improve your chances of having a booming business with clean, attractive, and well-supplied machines. Check upon your vending machines regularly to make sure that they are working efficiently and are stocked with fresh vending supplies. It is also important to maintain a “good looking” machine – have them cleaned and maintained to reflect your attentiveness as well as the superior quality of your products.

5 Keep Up With Market Trends

Suppose a new energy drink or healthy snack has hit the market and is getting popular among young adults, the first thing you should do is stock your vending machine with it. Offering popular items will definitely increase sales and profitability.

Now that you know how to start and run a successful vending machine business, place an order with us for top-notch vending machines and vending supplies now and reap the profits!