Vending History

Vending as we all know has a long history. The first vending machine was invented by a Greek mathematician in 215 BC for dispensing holy water in Egyptian temples. This has lead to the gradual evolution of modern vending machines.

The next era was introduction of commercial coin operated vending machines. This was done in 1880 in London to dispense post cards. Vending machines were introduced in United States for the first time in 1888. These machines were installed on elevated subway platforms in New York City for selling Tutti-fruiti gums. With increasing acceptance of these machines among public, manufacturing companies added animated figures to grab customer attention. This lead to introduction of candy coated gumball vending machine in 1907.

Soon vending machines started offering everything including cigars, postcards, stamps etc. In the next stage a completely coin operated vending machine was opened in 1902. Technological advancement has lead to designing of first ever automatic vending machines that dispensed sodas into cups. Since then there was no looking back in this industry.

Modern day vending machines have completely changed the entire scenario. Modern machines have the ability to accept debit and credit cards as a mode of payment. These machines have been revived to such an extent that you do not need coins or dollar bills for buying a bottle of coke or any product for that matter. Vending machines have the ability accept any mode of payment right away.

There is no doubt in saying that there are several benefits for both operators and customers. Customers are able to access instant services at a click of a button while operators are able to generate huge revenue from this business. Thus this industry soon grew to become a billion dollar company giving huge employment opportunities to several upcoming entrepreneurs.

Starting a Vending Business.

Vending is a great business to be into. With minimal efforts you can manage your vending business. You don’t need to hire full time employees or get a location with high rent. With low investment, you can start your own vending business.

Steps involved in starting a vending business.

1. Identify a location that has high traffic of people to place your vending machine.
2. Depending on your location, you should buy a vending machine to serve customers.
3. Depending on location you choose and customer’s preference at particular location, purchase products and stock them in vending machine.
4. Regularly refill your vending machine with products.
5. Regularly service vending machines.
6. Keep a track on customer’s preferences and make sure you stock products of customer’s choice always.
7. Keep on looking for more locations and increasing on number of machines.

As the only substantial investment you have to make is to buy a vending machine, it is important to invest in right kind of vending machine. The vending machine you choose should be versatile, i.e. should be able to stock various types of products, should be latest in technology and should be reasonably priced. Vending machines from Planet Antares has all these qualities. Planet Antares vending machines are designed for long life. They are not only power saving machines but also are compact in nature. High class ergonomic design ensures easy operations for vending machines.

Planet Antares not only sells brand new vending machines but also guide vending operators about setting up vending business from scratch. If you are planning to buy a vending machine, you should consult with experts from Planet Antares about the best suited solution for your requirements. You can also contact support staff of Planet Antares with your queries and questions about vending business.

How To Boost Vending Sales?

The main purpose of starting a vending business is to make huge profits and earn money. Operators take up number of activities in order to increase cash flow by promoting sales. Predicting future sales is impossible. However, they are influenced by several factors like the kind of vending machine used, its location, product offered and many more. It is a very common practice among operators to start vending business with one or two machines.

Generating sales from one or two machines is not as difficult as it may sound to be. However, the more the number of machines you have, the higher would be the sales. Most operators expand their vending business by reinvesting the revenue generated from the existing machines. Responsibilities also increase with growing business. Another way of increasing sales is by providing customers with best available services in the market.

Mentioned below are few steps that can help you in generating more revenue:

• Attractive and stylish machines: You might have started your business with basic models. But when you are looking for an expansion, try using some latest more attractive machines. You can get several varieties of vending machines in varying shapes and sizes capable by drawing customer’s attention. Increase in the number of customers will undoubtedly increase your sales. Contact Planet Antares to purchase the best machines.

• Explore new markets: In order to increase sales, try to tap new locations with minimum competition. Experiment with some non traditional places. This will definitely help you in reaping more profits.

• New products: Latest products are capable of drawing customer attention and they are forced to try them out once. Even offering branded products can also boost your sales. Vending is the best way to promote new and latest products since customers do not hesitate to purchase them from reputed vending machines.

• Maintenance: A vending machine that is clean and well maintained can draw more customers towards it and thereby increase sales. It is the prime responsibility of every vending operator to make sure that his machine is clean and well maintained. This can not only boost sales but also creative positive impact in the minds of customers.

• Software: As a result of technological advancement, a number of latest software is available in the market. These can help you closely monitor and track sales of your products. They also help you in identifying both fast and slow moving products. Once you identify them, you can replace the slow moving product with one that has maximum demand. Thus you can increase sales.

These factors if implemented along with some careful planning can generate huge profits for you.

Advantages of Software In Vending Business

Advances in technology has no doubted made our lives a lot easier. Vending machines are also a part of such revolution. Vending machines which were used to vend selected products in the beginning are now being use to vend almost every product.

Our changing life style is also another reason for increased dependency on vending machines. These machines are able to provide us quality service at a faster rate thus making vending more convenient. With a view to further make vending effective and reduce unnecessary expenses, wireless transmission of data software has been developed. This helps operators by resolving several issues related to vending business.

Several soft wares are being developed to enable close monitoring and supervision of vending drivers. If only all vending operators across the globe make use of this software, it can make vending a highly profitable business. If vending machines are equipped with automatic transmitting device, dynamic scheduling would be possible and operator can know as and when a machine goes out of order.

Generally a route driver has to make several trips to check the functioning and reloading the machine with stock. But with the induction of this software operators life becomes very simple. This software helps operator by:

• Avoiding errors in data entry like counting or typographical errors.

• Creating greater accountability and produces better sales analysis reports immediately after counting cash.

• Providing cost effective brand preference analysis report which helps management in quick and effective decision making.

The major problem for most vending operators is accountability reports and errors caused due to manual counting or writing of reports. Both these errors can be eliminated using this software system. So it is advisable for all existing and upcoming operators to make use of this latest software. They not only make vending profitable but also change the entire business outlook.

Latest Vending Technology

Although vending industry was first traced in 215 BC, this industry evolved remarkably in the last 20 years. Once reason was this rapid growth is technology. Rapid improvement in technology has lead to introduction of several vending machines which helped businesses in several ways. These latest vending machines with their interactive multimedia functions are capable of communicating with other computers, conduct e-commerce and m-commerce transactions and open new avenues in advertising and promotions.

GPS is one such outcome of technological advancement. But before you invest in any technology, you need to analyze the system and in what way it is going to help your business. GPS technology is going to benefit vending operators in several ways. This system helps you to have a complete control over the equipment and your employees. It helps in striking a perfect balance between employer and driver thereby allowing you to have control over your fleet.

GPS also helps in improving customer service. Using this system, employer can monitor the usage of the vehicle. He can know whether the vehicle is being used for business purpose or for driver’s personal use. We all take up businesses to become successful and during this process we come across several hurdles. GPS is a system that helps us in overcoming all these hurdles. This system helps you in understanding what your employees are up to.

Once you have decided to install GPS software, you can have the driver up and running within two hours after installation. The more often you use this software, the more efficient you become. But you need to devote some time for mastering this software.

Modern technology not only helps operators but it also benefits customers. Touch screen options have made purchasing a memorable experience. Thanks to technology, customers can now have access to fresh products round the clock.