A blog on vending solutions by Planet Antares.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Common Mistakes Made In Vending Business

Vending is one of the most lucrative business. With little knowledge and no formal education you can have your very own vending business. The initial investment is also minimal. Though it is easy to maintain and earn profits from vending business, operators can make certain mistakes. Here I have outlined few mistakes that are made by vending operators and methods to avoid them.

1) Choosing a wrong Product: Putting a wrong product at a wrong location is definitely an example of a bad decision. Vendors must keep the right product at appropriate places that can give them good returns. Like a vending machine selling energy drinks in gym can give nice revenue.

2) Choosing a wrong Location: Choice of a wrong location can show its affects on the sales of a product that can be easily seen in the profit of the business. Selection of both— location and product should be done after some research about the place. Selecting a product that meets the needs of people in the surrounding area, can be a hit.

3) Buying used or refurbished vending machines:
To save a little initially, operators can make a mistake of buying a used or refurbished vending machines. This deed may save some capital initially but is not a good step at all as the maintenance of a refurbished or used vending machine may cost more in the longer run. Operators should rather buy a brand new compact vending machine equipped with the latest technology like Planet Antares ‘Office Deli’.

4) Working on customer’s feedback:
The profit of any businesses depends on how satisfied its customers are. Operators should never neglect the feedbacks and should act even on the minutest suggestions.

Vending business is a self sufficient business and is bound to give you revenues, provided, you avoid these mistakes.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Customer Feedback Helpful in Growth

A well established vending business is bound to give you lucrative returns. Location and product are the most vital factors on which the establishment of the vending business depends, but both of these factors have a single aim, which is sales. And the sale of a product at a particular location is solely dependent on the customers and their choice. Therefore, it can be concluded that customers play an equally important role in the establishment of your vending business.

It becomes very important for the distributors to take care and understand customers’ needs and wants to see prosperity in their vending business. It is not easy to figure-out what do customers actually require, and living up to their expectations becomes correspondingly difficult!

Here is a list of methods which operators can employ to meet the requirements, needs and wants of the customers:

1) Operators can put a state of the art machine like Planet Antares Office Deli, which is capable of vending a wide range of products to meet customers’ needs.

2) Operators can install a suggestion box for customers’ feedbacks related to the products they want and for other information that can be used for the benefit of their business.

3) Operators can conduct surveys periodically which can help in understanding the tastes and preferences of the customers.

4) Operators should contact companies like Planet Antares that guide them how to select product based on customer preference data.

5) Operators should keep a regular check on the products. By observing the sale, an operator can evaluate which are the slow moving products, and can gradually replace them.

6) There should be flexibility in the mode of payment. Operators should offer various easy payment options to the customers.

7) The prices should be reasonable that doesn’t leave a hole in customer’s pocket and he prefers to visit again.

8) Operators should offer a wide range of hygienic, nutritious and branded products that can easily attract customers.

9) In the fast running world no one has time to wait and waste. Operators should provide quick and punctual delivery of the product to the customer.

With proper implementation of these simple steps, the operator is sure to be successful.

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Glass Vending Machines

With the cutthroat competition in the vending machine industry, it becomes very tough to reach and maintain your position at the top. The most difficult task is to fulfill all the needs of the distributors and the customers. Several vending machines have been invented time to time to fulfill the needs of customers and the requirements of the industry. Planet Antares Glass front vending machine is an answer to the increasing demands for more choices of products for the customer.

There are various Glass front vending machines available in the market including snack glass front vending machines and beverage glass front vending machines. Planet Antares offers a combo Glass front vending machine that can vend both snacks and beverages together. The various diverse features of Glass front vending machine makes it one of the best selling vending machines present in the market. Few benefits of the Glass front vending machines are the following:

1) Glass front vending machines give better sales as the customer gets a large variety of product to choose from. With an increased selection the customer has more options to choose from, that eventually reduces the chances of a customer going empty handed.

2) In Glass front vending machine, a customer is able to see what he wants to order. As is a result it is much revenue oriented as compared to the close front vending machines in which a customer just sees the product once it is out of the machine.

3) Glass front vending machines attract customers easily as compared to the closed front vending machines.

4) Glass front vending machines allow the distributor to keep a check on ales as he can see what product is selling at a faster rate and what stock needs to be refilled for hassle free vending.

5) Glass front vending machines gives you the freedom to put all your products on display that enables you to quick vending of the product.

These Glass front vending machines are not only a revolution in the vending machine industry but it is also responsible in a better working and increased sales in the vending business.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

About Vending Products

Choosing products for your vending machine is quite a tough decision to make for the vendor as there is wide variety of products available in the market. However, this search can be simplified if operator considers certain facts while choosing products.

Some of these factors are mentioned below:

• Taste and preferences: The tastes and preferences of customers are not standard. They keep changing with changing times. An operator need to regularly update himself with the changing market trends. This helps him in offering latest products and thus boosts his sales.

• Price: The price of the product offered also influences its sales. This does not mean that an operator has to forgo his profit margin in order to increase his sales. An operator should ideally look at trying out various new products in well controlled and positioned segments.

• Merchandising: Besides selection of product, it is also important that you know how to promote your product. This could augment your sales. Offering new products is important and is it also necessary for route driver to be well acquaintance with new items. Planograms help can be taken while introducing new products into your machine. If you are using a glass front vending machine while offering new products, make sure the name of the product is displayed properly. For more information on vending machines contact Planet Antares.

• Discounts: Coupons and discounts are best marketing tools. These tools have been highly successful in drawing the attention and creating instinct to purchase the product.

• Quality over quantity: Modern day customers are quality conscious. They are prepared to spare additional money in order to get the best. If you would like to become a successful vending operator, make sure you do not compromise on the quality of products.

• Out dated stock: Ensure you maintain fresh stock in your machine. Check for the expiry date on the products regularly and replace out dated products on a timely basis. This will not only create good will among customers but also increase sales by increasing the number of repeat customers.

These factors if implemented would ensure your good returns.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Planet Antares Vending Tips – Customer Is The King

Vending is an amazing business. With low investment and minimal management, you can run vending business successfully. Vending business is all about maintaining quality and providing high level of service. Just like any other business, in vending business – Customer is the king! You can witness high surge in vending business profits with repeat customers.

It is equally important to maintain quality and keep your old customers coming back to you as is getting new customers to your vending machines. To make sure your customers keep on coming back, you need to provide them products of their choice. You can do a little survey around the location to know customers preferences. You can also place a suggestion box near your vending machine for people to drop in their product suggestions. Buy products that are recommended by customers and stock them in vending machines.

You should also make sure that the quality of products stocked is superb. Go in for branded products which are widely publicized by manufacturing companies. Inferior quality of products will make you not only lose your customers but also can make you lose your vending account. Also make sure the vending machines are always working in perfect condition. Machine jams are one of the biggest causes of losing customers. To avoid that make sure you regularly service your vending machines. Also it is important to buy a brand new vending machine. You should never buy refurbished vending machines as they tend to fail frequently.

If you are thinking of venturing into vending business, then it is advised to contact Planet Antares support staff. They not only guide vending operators about ins and outs of vending but also make sure you are aware of the best suited vending programs. Planet Antares also manufactures top quality vending machines equipped with latest technology.

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