Last year, most businesses are slowly returning to their normal operations. But not long until the newer variant of the virus impacted us all and several businesses must stay put a little longer regarding the government restrictions. Stretching the timeline to an uncertain end may stress business owners. Shorter business hours, higher store rental fees than before, and limited visitor per day are most problems encountered while running a business during COVID-19 pandemic.
On the bright side, the pandemic gave a spotlight to vending machine business. The machine that used to be popular for selling snacks and beverage products, now get to the surface to show that they, when explored, can do so much more. The machine can still run business while left unattended. Physical distancing also increases the needs to minimize contacts with people in the public space. A shopping system that can minimize contact with people, faster checkouts, and cashless feature. All in one machine: a vending machine.
It may seem that making a vending machine business is fairly easy especially now since we don’t really see too many of them around anymore. However, before deciding if this is right for you, keep reading and you will learn more about how the industry looks like and the benefits involved with starting a new venture.
Why the vending machine business?
Almost every business needs a strategic place or an area so that their products can be seen in public spaces. Vending business has been a better option for business practices during the coronavirus pandemic. Majority of these machines can be found in relatable area, selling popular product that is needed. Say, in office buildings, these office workers may need to snack between work hours. Vending machine can shorten the time that needed to go to the minimart. Placed in the middle of office spaces, presumably in the recess area, can double their break time as well.
This business can also be seen as profitable in entertainment venues like the cinema or shopping malls. Majority of vending machines now can be customized to the product itself. You can have the machine to match the product or you can make it according to your business plan. Without having an actual store, it can also minimize labor costs and have even more flexible hours. If you are selling products with faster expiry dates, you can keep your products as these machines are basically commercialized refrigerators. Maybe you sell some healthy snacks and energy drinks right by the gym, or maybe you want to sell milks and biscuits at school area, the choices of these vending business are varied.
An actual vending machine need to be checked between several days, You will need to check them when the products are out of stock or if there is any problem occurred. But all of these short encounters can be checked will you are at home, so you do not have to go see your vending machine every day as it caters to your flexible schedule.
How does the industry look like?
The vending industry is urged to create a more modern solution with the shift in the customers shopping behaviour. Vending machine industry has been thriving even more during the era of the contactless like today. Automatic vending machine, or simply meant as a contactless product dispensing, has made quite a solution for both business owner and property owner. The automatic feature makes it easier for vending machine operators, with access to the Cloud system can give the ease to check the condition of the machine including the inventory count at any time. Read more on how to make the perfect matchmaking system for business owner and property owner.
The biggest deal is how to make this vending machine business becomes a business for profit. These machines can be easily turned into multi-functional devices that can accommodate many types of services. By adding touch screen features, this can become part of a platform that provides different solutions to support future projects. It can also serve as a tool for building a marketing campaign or even as a way to provide information about events from other locations.
A growing trend that is emerging nowadays is the e-commerce integration with the automated systems. In the future, we can expect to see the vending machine as a gateway to online sales. Once the vending machine is connected to the internet, it can act as the central point where customer will then purchase their items online. Imagine a world with no stores, just these vending machines everywhere. Perhaps, it sounds unreal but that is what we are moving towards.
Benefits of Starting Your Own Vending Machine Business
Starting your own vending machine business is definitely a good idea. If you ask me, I think it is better to have your own business rather than working for somebody else. After all, you work less when it comes to salary and more when it comes to profits. Besides, there are things that you can control and manage yourself. You won’t have bosses breathing down your neck every minute asking for your services. Besides, you will still have free time to pursue your interests. There isn’t any fixed schedule, so you won’t have to feel stressed when there’s no one to supervise you everyday. More importantly, your family will surely appreciate this because they will feel that you’re doing well which translates to more money coming in.
In addition, having your own vending machine business provides opportunities. For example, you could choose to offer discounts or promotional offers to customers. That way, you can encourage potential buyers to buy from your establishment. On top of that, this allows you to market your products at low cost.
To conclude, today’s vending machine is more than a simple product dispenser. It is capable of evolving into multiple functions that can solve more issues for our lives. This will only continue as technology advances. We cannot rule out the possibility of the vending machine turning into the next big thing in the near future. And we know that is a new concept but one worth exploring.
Should you need more information about us, hop along to Smartven’s website and Instagram page and we got you covered with our informative posts and videos. We hope to see you soon!
Original article is posted on February 21, 2022 by Nadhiya Pradhanitasari.
