How to find the best vending machine locations

www.articlebase.com | June 24th, 2006

Let's face it, vending machines need not only be attractive to sell; vending machines also need to be located at the right places. Then there is the problem which place a particular product will be more likely to sell out. You don't just place vending machines on different locations you should also need a good marketing strategy to make it work. Many people think that knowing where a good location for a vending machine selling a particular product is pretty much common sense. Wrong. Though much of the thoughts behind placing vending machines are discernible, a lot more can be learned through studying human behavior and habits.

First of all, it is important to mention that a significant amount of vending machine sales come from impulse buyers. Impulse buyers are those who aren't looking for nor need a particular product at the moment but, out of pure impulse, buy products that they see. They buy these products just because they are there and they can. How many times have you walked into a gas station and bought coffee or soda or gone at a bus stop and purchase some gum or chocolate? A lot! Most of these things happen not because you actually need those products but because you felt at that time that you need to buy these things. It is also worthy to note that toddlers, kids and little children are included in this group. Though they do not have access to resources like adults, their persuasion abilities (crying, begging, etc.) are one of the best potential moneymaking tools you can access; for only a handful can stand a crying and begging kid. Hence, appealing to the wants of kids is nothing but a great idea. Bring all of these into mind whenever you are looking for a place to locate your vending machines.

Now let us know what the qualities of a great vending machine location are. First of all, a good place for a vending machine is a place where there is high foot traffic. Places where there are a lot of people who walk on foot have the tendency to look around and check out each place they pass by eventually making them buy. Theme parks, subway stations, plazas, hotels, beaches and shopping malls are some of the best places to place vending machines since these places have a lot of people walking around all the time. This is also where the appearance of your vending machine will be able to attract sales. The success of your machine will depend a lot on its appearance when you put them on these locations so it would be best if you choose machines that will attract the sense of sight and sound. In our experience, machines that sell candy, chocolate, soda, junk food, gumballs and cigarette are the things that sell well on these places.

Another quality of a place where it would be great to place vending machines is where people have to wait or hang out for long periods of time. These places tend to give great sales for vending machine products since it creates the tendency for those who wait to buy products from the vending machines because they are bored or they have nothing else to do. Places where people are more likely to wait for a long time are salons, barber shops, auto service centers, bus terminals, train stations and airports. A lot of sales can be derived out of these places if you place it on these locations. As much as possible, put your machines on or near chairs, sitting areas and smoking areas, these will be the places where people are more likely to stay and hang around therefore increasing your chances for a sale. Vending machines that sell products like coffee, cigarettes, soda, candy, and newspaper sell well on these locations.

Lastly, a good location to place vending machines is a place where people are likely to stop, either coming from a trip or because it is necessary. People who stop at these places have the tendency to buy something that they don't really need or just see from a distance, so it will be great if you can place your vending machines on these places. The places that fit on this description are camping areas, gas stations, train stations, bus stops, motels, bus terminals, as well as fast food and diners. Place your machines outside just right beside the front door where traveling individuals who'd just want to take a leak or stay for the night are likely to see them at first glance. Again, the appearance of your vending machine will be the key to its success. Try choosing vending machines that are bright: in our experience, most of the sales coming from the machines located on these areas usually happens from evening till midnight, so the more conspicuous your machines are, the better. Machines that vend products from cigarettes to coffee to bathroom supplies like toothbrush, toothpaste and toilet amenities such as tissues, diapers and sanitary napkins sell well on these areas.

Learning to find the best vending machine location for your vending machines is easy once you start studying human behavior & habits and stop relying alone on guesses and assumptions. There is a lot of information to be gained by studying potential locations together with the habits of people to get them so it is not only wise but also beneficial if you will pursue them. Just always remember; that a significant amount of sales on vending machines are made out of impulse buys. Incorporate this thought with the usual marketing ideas and strategies, and I am pretty sure that your machine will sell in no time. But if you have no time to know these things for yourselves you can always find a reliable vending locator out there. Good luck!