Monday, April 2, 2012

Keep Track of Product Movement in Your Vending Machine

The vending machine is quite a symbol of how far life has moved away from dependence on home and family for food and drink. With people having to be on the move much of the time and diminishing time to devote to nutritional needs, reliance on the vending machine has increased. You need to keep track of which products move faster than the others for two reasons. The first is obviously to replenish stocks before they run out completely. The other is that you could start tracking how much offtake there is in a specific period.

Changes in offtake pattern could be seasonal. A vending machine which dispenses cold drinks and water will automatically see a sharp rise in offtake in the summer unless the product range on offer is out of synch with local tastes. For example, a vending machine which dispenses energy drinks in a school will not do so well as one in a gym or even an office. This tracking of offtake will enable you to plan better how much more you need to order or buy certain products to cope with demand. There is no surer way to lose clientele than to be out of stock of products much in demand.

Where offtake is enough to justify adding another vending machine nearabouts or even at some distance, you could look at vending machines for sale to keep your costs down. It would also ensure that you take a lower hit if you have misjudged demand. Certain spurts of demand might actually be fuelled by a self limiting phenomenon. There could have been some large gathering or event near your vending machine at a point of time. First ask yourself whether the increased demand is likely to sustain.

You must evaluate the condition in which the vending machines for sale are being offered. If you have to spend on cosmetic repairs or more serious maintenance then the added costs might make the vending machines for sale as expensive as new ones without the benefit of warranty. Also make discreet enquiries as to why they are being sold out.

No comments: