Wednesday, November 28, 2007

New Trends In Vending Industry

The vending industry is witnessing new trends and advances. There has been a large amount of innovations and technological up gradations in vending machines and their functions. New possibilities have cropped up and there is increased potential for higher sales and profitability of vending business.

Planet Antares Corporation has launched a new refreshment center and Natural Choice vending program. Similarly, many vending companies are coming up with ideas to boost their vending sales and get new customers to buy products from their vending machines.

Recently, Coca-cola designed vending machines that could raise prices with increase in the vending machine temperature. According to the Vending Times, there have been innovations in the field of data collection from vending machines. A vending machine that is compliant with DEX has the capability to transmit its records to a computer carried by route distribution personnel.

If you are buying a vending machine with technologically advanced features and enhanced operations, there will be scope for better customer service, higher vending sales and increased ROI (Return On Investment). This may be a little expensive as compared to traditional, mechanically operated vending machines but the benefits available from them make it a worthwhile investment avenue.

In 2005, the new revolutionary Antares Refreshment Center was sold for the first time. This machine is innovative and technically advanced with various features like:

• Ability to vend various size drinks in cans, glass and plastic containers.
• Dispensing facility fir water in containers of 10-12 ounces, the most popular being the 16.9 oz bottles.
• Another feature is the ability to dispense 12oz canned beverages as well as 10-12 oz beverages.
• This unique machine can vend juices of different flavors, chilled coffee, sodas and energy drinks.

With increasing innovations and introduction of new techniques, the Antares Refreshment Center has become more advanced and intelligent. For vending operators, this can prove to be a great help in starting and running a successful vending business. The most vending machines can be found in Japan as they have been innovating for decades now.

The new millennium will see new and better vending machines with high tech mechanisms. They will only get bigger, faster and more stylish. Even latest payment technology and security systems are being used for improving vending machine efficiency. There is also a bill changer and currency validator to enhance the purchase process.

If you want to buy the Antares Refreshment Center, you can get it from the exclusive supplier, Planet Antares Inc. The Natural Choice marketing plan is spread all over the United States and Canada.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

How To Maintain Your Vending Machines For Better Performance

The performance of your vending business depends on the performance of your vending machines. You should plan a proper time schedule for servicing and maintenance of equipment. This is necessary to keep your vending machines in top condition. As a vending machine operator, you must stock and repair your vending machines regularly. Visit the different locations on your vending route to check the working condition of equipment and solve any problems faced by the business owners.

An important thing to do for effective servicing is purchasing a van. This helps in making it easier to maintain vending machines as all the essential products, tools, supplies and equipment can be kept in the van and carried to various locations. In the beginning, upto 5 locations can be serviced per day and this number may go upto 15 machines per day with experience.

Not only vending machine operators but even manufacturers and suppliers like Planet Antares Inc provide maintenance services like:

  • Locating
  • Refilling
  • Repair
  • Transport

of vending machines as part of their full line vending service contract. They provide technical support for solving any faults or errors in vending machines and even do money collection from machines on behalf of the operators or business owners.

A good vending machine company will offer guidelines regarding the cleaning, restocking and servicing of machines. You must read the instruction manual carefully and carry out inspection of the vending equipment, products, etc. for soda and snack vending machines, you may have to clean the vending machines from outside as well as inside.

Before you purchase a vending machine, check the expertise and technical capability of the vendor’s staff. Also, you should be able to do minor repairs on your own. If you have hired professionals to handle this task, they should be properly trained and possess adequate skills for solving all sorts of problems. Make sure that you get expert services to keep your customers satisfied. Also, you should make sure that there are no broken parts or errors with the machine.

Your vending machine warranty should cover the cost of repair and replacement within a certain time period.

Keeping these factors in mind will significantly improve the performance of your vending machines and enhance business sales and profitability. Keep your equipment in good condition to beat the competition and build business reputation.