For most office workers, college students, and busy young professionals, vending machines are excellent alternatives for everyday meals. Vending machines offer all sorts of things whether you need a quick breakfast, lunch, after-work meal, or even when you’re craving for something sweet.
While vending machines offer convenience, they are also the leading reasons why people tend to eat and indulge in unhealthy food. Snacking on soft drinks, candy bars, and chips are more likely to increase with the presence of vending machines. That is why it is vital to offer better solutions to foster a better and healthier lifestyle.
If you own a vending machine business in Australia and you’re confused as to the items you should keep in stock, then you might want to reconsider healthier food items than junk food.
Healthier Choices, Smarter Purchases
“Healthy vending machine options” is more than just a buzzword. But it is also a real alternative and a necessity for many. In recent years, many hospitals across the world have been choosing to cut back on the amount of sugary and caloric food they offer in their vending machines. Many studies showed that this shift has led to medical personnels and patients choosing healthier options than crisps and sugary drinks.
For the last decade, it was difficult for people to get access to healthy products conveniently. To buy fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables, you need to visit a local grocery store. But thanks to vending machines, you can now enjoy nutritious snacks and meals at your own convenience. Though most vending machine businesses in Australia fear the decrease in sales and revenue, the shift to healthier food items improve consumers’ health and encourage everyone to live a better lifestyle.
Vending Machine Business in Australia: Expand Your Market with a Healthy Food Inventory
As a business owner or vending operator, it can be a little bit overwhelming to choose the right item to stock in your inventory. However, it’s always good to note that giving people more options to pick and purchase is essential.
If you’re a vending machine operator, you should start considering a combination of healthy and sugary options for your automat. When you solely focus on a specific kind of food item, may it be nutritious or junk foods, you’re dramatically limiting your market size and sales turnover.
It’s essential to understand that as the vending machine industry changes, you need to adapt to the change rather than fight it. In Australia and across the globe, the vending machine industry has significantly seen six essential consumer trends that drive up sales, including:
Perception of Freshness
Most customers are keen on the freshness of every product. They want to check every nook and cranny of every item before purchasing. However, this is a problem for vending machines. So, if you’re a vending machine operator, having a system where customers can conveniently access and check the freshness of the products with its corresponding expiry dates is a must.
Product Quality
It’s undeniable that many consumers are becoming health conscious. They are sticking to a diet and following a regimen to ensure they live a healthier lifestyle. Giving them hearty and balanced vending machine snacks means they are more likely going to purchase.
Experience
Have you ever tried buying something just because? If you have, then chances are, you’re lured to the whole experience. For some, purchasing from vending machines is more than just getting a snack or food item – it is all about the user experience. Ideally, vending machines with interactive buttons and displays will sell more products than those that don’t.
Convenience
Vending machines are, without a doubt, one of the most convenient ways to get your snacks or meals, especially when you’re in a hurry. Other than that, most vending machines offer more convenience with cashless payment options or pre-pay methods.
Sourcing
Every vending machine business in Australia offers different kinds of products. Are they shipped and imported overseas? Are they locally sourced and made in the country? While many might think that being transparent with sourcing will not affect your business, it actually does. Most customers want to know where the products came from.
Variety
The quality of your product is as good as its range. When you only sell one specific item, you might end up losing potential customers due to the lack of variety. Make sure you stock a comprehensive range of products that suits your customers’ lifestyle and eating habits.
Changing any business model always comes with a certain level of risk. However, the risk will significantly increase if you follow a trend without a proper plan. So, it’s best if you do your homework by crunching the numbers and understanding a strategy that works best for you.
Whenever you’ve decided to give your vending machines a healthy touch, you shouldn’t just change all the products on your inventory. Instead, you can try gradually adding one or two new nourishing offers to your mix. You must also consider the locations from where you have the keenest insights in your customers’ taste and preferences.
Healthy or Traditional Choices? It Always Depends on You!
Offering better choices to customers equates to higher customer satisfaction. Different studies show that when presented with an opportunity, customers will make better choices. Thus, choosing healthier and more nutritious products. So, why not introduce something new and healthy? Here at TCN Vending Australia, we can help you improve your current operations with our healthy food options and interactive machine displays.
As the preferred supplier of custom vending machines in Australia and New Zealand, we also offer a range of vending machine options just for you. It includes elevator vending machines, touchscreen vending machines, combination vending machines, and custom vending machines. All of which are built with the best and most advanced technologies, such as new coin mechanisms and LED lights to improve efficiency.
Are you interested in investing in a vending machine? Do you want to get into detail about our vending machine solutions? Do not hesitate to reach out to our team. Dial 1800 959 910 and our friendly representative will be more than happy to assist you with your needs.
