Amazing Vending Machine | Planet Antares | Planet Antares Vending

2008-11-18T03:02:00.001-08:00

Planet Antares Vending Programs And Global Positioning System

Under the Planet Antares vending programs, many operators are investing in new technologies such as cashless vending or state of the art vending equipment. They are also putting their capital in satellite based fleet monitoring, also called Global Positioning System (GPS).

While setting up a Planet Antares vending business, you can decide to make use of any of these tools and techniques.

The purpose of GPS technology is to provide up to date information on driver and vehicle activity such as service stops and variations in routes to the vending operator. Before buying a GPS system for your Planet Antares vending business, conduct appropriate research on providers to know whether it is worth investing in or not.

Basically, there are two kinds of GPS systems, including:
a) Active system
b) Passive system

The active system uses telemetry to transmit data to the main office or a website where the subscribing company can view its fleet activity in real time. On the other hand, the passive system involves storage of data for retrieval and uploading to the main fleet computer once the vehicle returns.

A two way tracking system that utilizes low orbit satellites and allows communication between drivers and managers is used.

On the whole, GPS can significantly contribute to fuel savings for your Planet Antares vending business. This is achieved by monitoring of the vehicle movement to ensure that there is no misuse. In turn, this enables higher and more efficient routing by allowing managers to know how fast the vehicle is traveling so that excessive usage or wastage of fuel can be avoided.

Mainly, this system offers benefits in the form of:
1. Faster response time
2. Improved customer relations
3. Better employee accountability
4. Lower vehicle wear and tear

These are just a few of the many advantages of this system.

With high upfront cost, not many vendors are eager to invest in GPS system. Still, it is a worthwhile investment for your Planet Antares vending business and one can assure customers of timely and efficient service. Not only will you save a lot but also earn more!

2008-11-11T04:20:00.001-08:00

Workings of Planet Antares Vending Machine Dispensers

It is common knowledge among vending machine owners and operators that a vending machine is incomplete without dispenser. Basically, this is an essential component that dispenses the products selected by the consumer. The customer will also have to insert coins or other form of currency in the vending machine to operate it.

Dispensers can be found in all kinds of vending machines and locations. Commonly, these are present in automated form that dispenses diverse kinds of products like snacks, hot and cold beverages, tissues, cigarettes, water, digital items, etc.

Planet Antares vending machines dispense products like toys, candy, snacks and beverages.

While planning to purchase a vending machine, keep in mind the following factors:
• Customers’ requirements
• Business goals
• Budget
• Quality of features like dispenser, coin acceptors, security system, etc

You may go for vending equipment with cashless technology that allows customers to pay by way of credit or debit card. This helps in getting more people to use your vending machines for desired products as they don’t have to look for change to buy them.

Here are a few basic facts about Planet Antares vending machine dispensers that every vendor must be aware of:

The most common form of dispensers is those dispensing fluids or beverages. With the help of features like “peristaltic pumps”, these are able to dispense fixed and accurate level of liquids. Reputable vending companies like Planet Antares Inc offer vending machines that incorporate this feature.

It is quite simple to fill and operate vending machines with dispensers. They have a push button mechanism that is user friendly and highly effective.

Another feature of dispensers is the level indicator window that allows you to check whether the dispenser requires refilling or there is adequate amount of vending product in the machine.

If you purchase a Planet Antares vending machine, be assured of it dispensing high quality, branded snacks and beverages without any issues like stuck products or frequent malfunctioning. Minimal time will be involved in completion of the dispensing process and customers will prefer using your vending machine to going to the local store.

2008-11-10T01:39:00.001-08:00

Filling Your Planet Antares Vending Machines

Before you take the decision about turning into a professional vending operator, make sure that you know all the inherent duties and responsibilities.

After all, investing your hard earned money in vending business and not getting adequate returns due to your own ignorance is not justified. This means that you have to carefully select, purchase, locate and maintain your vending machines to get value for your money.

Filling or stocking of the vending machines constitutes one of the most basic features of vending machine servicing. It is essential to store the products properly to make sure that there are no problems while dispensing them. You must check the products before and after they are shipped. Many times, vending operators skip this part and this leads to filling of vending machines with damaged or rotten items.

Preferably, you should buy high grade, branded products from reputed companies like Planet Antares Inc. Once you have ensured that the products are good quality and fresh, your vending machines are ready to be stocked. Also, you need to estimate the number of items that can be placed in different slots of a vending machine.

Don’t forget that refilling of vending machines has to be undertaken at regular intervals. Plan your time schedule for visiting the vending route accordingly. You must also indicate the number of items placed in the vending machine and check it for efficiency in operations after that.

Cleaning and repair of vending equipment are other functions that must be performed properly. Verify that the coin acceptor is not sticky or jammed. This can create problems when the customers try to get the ordered products from the vending machine.

While servicing the vending machine, check that the lights are in proper working order. These may indicate sold out and currency change limits that will not be displyed if the same are not working.

Other than this, keep an eye on the timing of filling the vending machine. You must place a sign regarding the last item filled in the vending machine on it. This enables customers to know which items are fresh and hot in case of snacks and cold in case of beverages. If your vending machine is placed in a business office, make sure that it is filled and ready to dispense products at least an hour before the employee working hours begin.

Keep introducing new products in your Planet Antares vending machines to adapt to the current trends. This doesn’t mean that you should stop filling conventional bestsellers in your vending machines. A combination of both will be most effective for your vending business sales.

2008-10-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

Fundamentals Of Planet Antares Vending

To become an independent business owner, you must figure out what you want to do.

Once you are ready, try buying Planet Antares vending machines.

As it is, it is one of the most lucrative business opportunities of our times. However, you must be careful while choosing the right vending machine for you. Before choosing the ideal vending equipment for successful vending, do some research to gain knowledge.

The trick is to find vending machines that prove to be profitable for your business, not a liability that adds more expenses. This article can help you understand the basics of vending machine business and how to buy vending machines.

People with smaller budget for purchasing vending machines can go for used vending machines. You must inspect them and ensure that these are still in working order and all parts are functioning properly. If you don’t know much about vending machines, you can bring a person who has knowledge of technical aspects of vending machines.

An important thing to be considered is the ease of use. Remember that the machine needs to be simple enough to be operated by even kids. It is imperative to buy Planet Antares vending machines that have all necessary gadgets and parts in place.

Location of vending machines is often cited as the most important factor for business success by vending operators. For this, you must consider the customer preferences, products to be supplied and the accessibility of different places that can be great or awful vending locations.

Safety is another factor to be kept in mind. You must ensure that no accident happens to a customer or kids while they are using the vending machine. Apart from the shape, size and purpose of the vending equipment, you need to consider this factor. Customer safety and satisfaction should be your first priority.

It is also important to learn how the machines work so that you can repair minor glitches if something goes wrong. Make sure that it is operated properly by customers and employees in the location premises.

There’s nothing better than Planet Antares vending programs to start a home based business and gain control of your lifestyle. So treat it professionally and make the most of it.

Don’t hesitate to gather as much information as you can before making any decisions. If you choose a reliable vending program as that offered by Planet Antares Corporation, you are sure to have a winning business in your hands.

2008-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Vending Route: Economic Methods Of Development

We all know that establishing a successful vending business requires developing an effective vending route. You should know that the most effective way to establish an economic vending route is to do it yourself. Of course, this can only be done after you have carried out your own research on the vending industry. Once you know exactly what you are looking for, it will be quite easy to establish a vending route.

According to Planet Antares Inc, doing it yourself allows you to save money that would have otherwise been involved in paying a professional location company. There is really no need to pay someone to look for a location, when you can easily do it on your own. As it is, hiring a location company is a good option for people who don’t have the time to search for locations themselves.

To begin with, find the locations that are willing to host your Planet Antares vending machines. Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines are really popular in most locations. This will lead to location owners looking for vending operators that can offer them the service, on their own. However, you need to be prepared to do a lot of convincing since most locations already have vending machines placed in them.

Many times, vendors get discourages while facing refusal from vending locations but you just need to keep looking for other locations till you find the right place for keeping your vending equipment. Once you have found such a location, get ready to negotiate on the commission that you will pay to the location.

This amount should be fixed according to the products that you are selling and the type of machine that you have. You should offer a reasonable amount of commission to the location owner so that you are able to make a profit even after paying this amount.

Some of the best deals are offered by Planet Antares suppliers on snack and beverages vending machines as well as products. If you get a supplier that can provide you with products at a lower cost than others, then he would be the perfect person to deal with.

Believe me…setting up your Planet Antares vending route on your own allows you to enjoy greater economy and at the same time, get equipped for any future acquisitions that come by as opportunities for growth.

2008-10-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Planet Antares Introduces Location Based Data Transmission

Your Planet Antares vending machines may have a data capture device but it is the nature and needs of the location that will decide the method of transmission to be used.

The profitability of transient locations with fluctuating sales and locations involving long travel times can be increased through online data delivery. Business and Industry locations with stable and predictable work forces can function with affordable handheld data delivery. Wireless transmission may be indicated if these locations work occassional second shifts or weekends, with a fluctuating work force.

No matter what the method of transmission, the system has benefits like the ability to capture and report the volume of sales, by individual brands, in each Planet Antares vending machine, without any need for the route operator to manually count the product placements by brand.
With such information of brand preference data for your Planet Antares operations, you can perform the same function that a merchandiser manager performs at a supermarket. This implies removal of products that the location has deemed to be low performing products and have them replaced with test products that the location might want.

Planet Antares vending machines can allocate double or triple columns to the top selling brands in order to induce uniform rates for products being sold. This will get you higher sales and longer intervals between servicing of the accounts. As a result, more money will be collected in the cash box for the cost of each service.

With such a transmission system, unnecessary double trips to each machine would be eliminated. Moreover, the driver will not have to enter anything into his handheld if the predicted order proves to be accurate.

2008-09-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

Catering Schools With Planet Antares Vending Machines

In the wake of greater health consciousness, vending operators are finding it hard to serve the school accounts without any losses. The reason for this is the increasing awareness among people regarding the problems caused by high calorie intake in the long run.

A lot of people are becoming conscious about what they eat and this has led to a decline in preference for vending products. The traditional snack and soda vending machines are no longer the favorites among people. In fact, they are demanding low calorie, healthy products and drinks like nutrition bars, nuts, tea and soymilk.

Planet Antares vending machines can be the key to handle such a change in the vending environment.

Let me explain how…

Recently, the company has come up with modified as well as new vending machine models. These are capable of stocking as well as selling healthy products. For example, snack and soda vending machines are now selling healthier items instead of the conventional beverages with high level of carbohydrates.

When you install Planet Antares vending machines in schools, be careful about the kind of products that are sold. Children will not prefer very healthy or organic food alone. They should be given an alternative that satisfies their taste buds along with being nutritious.

Planet Antares combination machines vend both snacks and soda in a product mix having healthy items as well as conventional bestsellers. This way, the school authorities will approve of the vending machines and products while the kids can enjoy a balanced meal.

You will also need to focus on the price of vending products. These cannot be very costly as children cannot afford to pay high prices. Thus, you must select reasonably priced items from reliable sources, preferably in bulk quantity.

Once the machines are set, all that is left to be done is regular stocking of the machines and maintenance at fixed intervals. This is important from the point of view of healthy product filling and knowing about the performance of different products. Also, you can get to know about the demands and preferences of school children.

2008-06-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ways To Make Your Planet Antares Vending Machines Profitable

Purchasing a Planet Antares vending machine can imply that you will be investing in a profitable venture. When you plan to buy a vending machine, the price factor will determine the kind of vending machine you purchase. Amongst the most reasonable vending machines are Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines. These are worth investing in because within a short period of time, you will be able to pay off the vending machine cost.

What’s more, these machines will hardly ever let you down because they are reliable and durable. In other words, these are the best machines that you can buy from the market. If you have good vending equipment, these will be frequently used by customers who will keep on coming back because they find the machine easy to use and reliable.

This means greater cash inflow for your business. You won’t have to think twice before spending money on quality vending machines as your money will be returned with even greater profits. Focus on buying quality vending machines that will never let you down and hardly ever experience any downtime. That will satisfy both the customers as well as location owners.

A vital factor for the success of your vending business is the location of vending machines. Choosing a location also depends on a number of factors. The kind of machine you have purchased as well as the products to be dispensed will determine the kind of location that you should go for.

Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines will do well in all sorts of locations, especially high traffic locations. If you find a vending location that does not have a vending machine, don’t think that it is a great catch. Perhaps, it is not suitable for vending machines and that is the reason for no other vending machines being placed there. Take your time in searching for strategic locations that will be profitable for you.

It is equally important to service your vending machines on time. After setting up a vending business, you must monitor the product activity on a regular basis. As soon as the vending machine is empty of a product, it should be refilled. An empty machine is highly undesirable and indicated potential for loss of sales. So, you must practice preventive maintenance and keep your vending machine in top condition to make them profitable.

2008-05-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

Value Pricing In Planet Antares Vending Business

The Planet Antares vending operator has now become empowered to track product turns with minimal labor with the help of management tools such as handheld devices and planograms. As a result, some of the operators are evaluating their pricing strategies.

Since a long time, Planet Antares vending operators have complained about not being able to raise prices to the same level as other retail channels. Generally, vending prices are determined by competition and by consumer contracts, not consumer needs. To improve profits as well as sales, a more scientific pricing strategy will be required. In the past, only a few operators have possessed the resources to track results in a manner that would provide them with the necessary information to do this.

Several theories have evolved ways to improve product pricing. One theory states that by discounting secondary products, operators can improve customer choices and they enhance customer satisfaction. It also states that if managers considered the suggestion, it would result in higher profitability.

Planet Antares vending operators are of the view that simplicity continues to be important in pricing, in terms of driver execution and sales accountability. They think that the benefits derived by strategic planning would be minimal in relation to the risks associated with more complicated pricing strategies.

In the current economic situation, it is a good time to experiment with value pricing due to many reason, such as:

1) Greater price consciousness among customer who pay a lot of attention to special offers.

2) Decline in location sales due to downsizing, making it the ideal time for buying less from established suppliers.

2008-05-06T02:14:00.000-07:00

Looking At Route Commission Systems

Route commission systems are most suited in environments where the employee has a lot of control over the rate of production, based on his ability to work harder, smarter, faster and longer.

In industries with employees having less than total control over the rate of production, commission systems can be less effective. One of these industries is the vending industry with its unique vending route environment. For example: a route person who is paid on a commission basis knows that he will earn more by collecting more money on his route.

A vending route driver will learn how to refill and clean the Planet Antares vending machines at a fast pace. He must also reduce the amount of time spent at every location on the vending route, with the hope of saving more time to service machines and collect money on each trip. According to a survey, most vending operators pay drivers some incentive and not a straight salary. While some pay only commission, others pay a combination of commission and salary.

In contrast, there are several drawbacks of the commission systems as well. A route driver, in his haste to service more Planet Antares vending machines, may:

1) drive too fast
2) perform less than complete sanitation operations to meet the mahcine’s requirements
3) ignore simple, mechanical issues like removing a paper clip from a coin acceptor
4) ignore the activity of making sure that the mahcine works after refilling and servicing

All these factors can create conditions that lead to serious problems than the problem the commission system was designed to solve in the first place.

In itself, a commission system will not teach you how to schedule the route. The trick is to schedule the route person to service a Planet Antares vending machine after it has made enough sales to profitably justify the cost of service. This will go a long way in improving route productivity.

2008-04-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

Suggested Serving Size For Bulk Vending Machines

Once you have setup a vending business and got your vending machines installed in different locations, it’s time to start fulfilling customer desires and requirements for different products. For Planet Antares bulk candy vending operators, it is important to determine the right serving size.

Even though different vending machines have different serving size capacity, it is important to have an outline of the suggested size. This can help you in knowing the cost of each order and fix the price accordingly. On the other hand, the customer is happy when he gets adequate amount of candy in a reasonable amount of money.

The following can be used as a general guide to fix the serving size for your bulk candy vending machines:

--Peanut M&M's: 8-10 pieces

--Plain M&M's: 12-14 pieces

--Runts: 10-12 pieces

--Skittles: 12-14 pieces

--Reese's Pieces: 12-14 pieces

--Mike & Ike: 6-8 pieces

--Chiclets: 10-12 pieces

--Cashews: 10-12 pieces

--Hot Tamales: 6-8 pieces

--Pistachios: 10-12 pieces

The above are the serving sizes for the most common types of bulk candy products. These are very popular among different segments of the vending customers, be it toddlers, children, youngsters or adults. Mainly, kids and their family members form the majority of the customers for bulk candy vending machine products.

If you implement or try to implement the above serving sizes in your vending machines, your Planet Antares vending business customers are sure to be pleased with your services. This means, higher sales and more profitability for your business.

2008-03-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

Vending Machine Technology For Cash Counting And Sorting

One of the greatest issues in vending business is that of accountability. Majority of the vending machine business owners are facing problems regarding this element. Fortunately, Planet Antares vending operators can enjoy more accountability with the help of technical advances in money counting equipment and the ability to interface with management software.

Technical innovations like the newer coin and currency counting and sorting equipment enables operators to track and monitor collections at the Planet Antares machine level on a daily basis. This enables them to handle more business with fewer employees who have been assigned to collection, sorting and bagging of money because these systems have become more versatile and faster.

Every few days, coin and currency counting and sorting equipment manufacturers continue to introduce new features in vending machines. A recent survey of vending operators including Planet Antares vending operators indicated the varying views on the benefits of the different features available. It has been found that some small vending operators are using some of the most advanced counting and sorting equipment while large companies believe that manual counting and sorting is the most sensible decision.

Most of the Planet Antares vending operators agreed that significant progress has been made in the several years that have passed with the ability to interface counting and sorting equipment with management software. Currency sorters can interface with coin sorters and then interface with the main business software. This lets a Planet Antares vending operator to immediately know the total collected amount from a machine.

The need for someone to read handwritten totals from a ledger or a print out and key it into a computer has been eliminated with the help of a software interface. Such an automated process has greatly reduced the chance of human error. It has also given employees the ability to monitor machine collections on desktop computers as the coins and bills are counted and sorted.
Depending on your needs and business objectives, the process can simply interface the currency sorter with the coin sorter or interface with handheld devices and bar code readers.

2007-10-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

How To Buy An Existing Vending Route?

You may buy an existing vending route for various reasons. Some people may want to start a vending business this way while others buy a vending route to expand their business. A vending route owner may sell it due to:

Retirement

Illness

Shifting to another area

Other unforeseen event

It is imperative to find out if the previous owner had a good relationship with the business owners and other location owners. The machines should also be checked for being well installed and established for at least 1-2 years.

Buying a vending route is an important decision and expensive too. The average cost of a vending route may be $100,000. Before spending thousands of dollars on purchase of a vending route, verify that it is worth your investment. Make sure that bulk of the machines is in sound condition and well maintained.

Analyze the kind of equipment you are buying through the vending route. Is it easy to service and repair? Planet Antares vending machines are very reliable and durable without frequent breakdowns. If it needs frequent refilling and repairs, you may have to spend a lot of money later on. Also, examine the sales pattern in the last few years. It may be rising or falling.

Investigate into the reasons for such performance of the vending machines or products.
Don’t forget to review the financial statements of the vending business that you are planning to buy. Take help from your lawyer and accountant for accurate estimates of business figures. Outside verification is essential to make sure that your substantial investment is not going to waste.

It is not sufficient to depend on the previous owner’s description of the vending route. You must visit the different locations yourself to check the suitability of the vending route for your business requirements and objectives. You may be a beginner or an experienced vending machine business owner. This step is a necessity in both cases.

A typical vending route will have a selling price of about 70% of the gross sales per annum. The average sales per machine will be multiplied by the number of vending machines in a vending route to get the total sales per year. A more lucrative vending route will be generally more expensive than a normal, average return generating route.

Estimate the average sales figures to be used as a reference for comparing the price quoted by the seller of vending route with the sales generated by the vending machines in that vending route.

2007-10-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Where Can You Find The Best Vending Machines For Sale?

Perhaps the best way of finding vending machines which have the required features as well as suits your pocket is to go online. With so many vending machine suppliers using the Internet to increase customer base and profits, vending operators can choose from a wide range of vending machines. On the other hand, there’s a great chance of getting ripped-off too.

You may look for new equipment or go for used or refurbished vending machines. Another alternative is to get a vending route. This means that you can acquire already located vending machines from a retiring or shifting business owner. This is by far the cheapest and fastest way to enter the vending industry.

For beginners, used vending machines are a good option. This will reduce the initial investment on your vending business. Reputed vending machine companies like Planet Antares Inc even offer financing and leasing for purchasing equipment in an easy, affordable manner. You can pay in monthly installments and avoid a lumpsum upfront payment. This allows you to put your money in vending products to be dispensed through the chosen vending machines.

Many people don’t start vending as their main business. It is mostly treated as a source of additional income. Before you purchase vending machine supplies, research for a wholesale distributor and go for bulk purchases to avail discounts. Make sure that you have some storage space as well. Used vending machines need to be thoroughly checked for any malfunctioning or broken parts.

The traditional way is to get vending machines from a vending machine company or distributor. Planet Antares Inc offers a wide range of vending machines for both starters and existing businesses. You can even get branded, high quality vending products and benefit from services such as location, restocking, repair and maintenance of equipment.

Your choice of a particular kind of vending machines depends on your business objectives and profit projections. This will determine the amount of money that can be invested in the equipment, products, advertising techniques, servicing, etc. start with a small vending machine and expand as you get used to the business.

In the end, it’s a matter of smart shopping for equipment and supplies and creative locations that ensures your vending business success.

2007-09-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

Impact Of Consumer Perception On Your Planet Antares Vending Machine Business

Like any other industry, the customer is king in the vending machine business too. All the vital decisions such as machine type, product and location are made after considering the customer demands and preferences. If you ignore consumer desires, you may end up losing a lot of existing and potential customers.

Different people have diverse motives for using the vending machines. These can help you to determine the right strategies to attract and retain more customers. If you can successfully increase your customer base, there will be higher sales and consequently, higher returns.

The most common reason for customers to purchase products from vending machines is the ease and convenience offered by them. There is no need to go to a convenience store or leave your work desk for getting a meal or refreshment. You should ensure that customers can access your vending machines and get the desired products easily. Your machines should function smoothly and continuously. Good vending machine suppliers like Planet Antares Inc will ensure that your vending machines are repaired promptly.

Take adequate measures to build your brand image. Customers should be able to recall your brand name instantly and keep coming back for it. Use innovative and interesting marketing strategies to enhance customer awareness and demand for your products. Stock your vending machines with branded products that can be easily recognized and instantly purchased.

Health concerns may discourage people from using vending machines. It is important that you provide healthier options for snacks and beverages to maintain brand loyalty and sales. Food items such as milk, tea, nutrition bars, energy bars and other healthy products have been introduced in schools, colleges and many other locations.

Tell your customers about the new technology used in your Planet Antares vending machines. Customized machines and cashless payment options are some of the features of updated vending machine models. These will encourage the customers to prefer your vending machine over simpler, less convenient versions.

Work towards building your customers’ trust in your products. Make sure that fresh and healthy items are stocked in your machines. Attract customers by emphasizing the quality of services, products and technology at the point of sales. New design and display options are available for effective advertising and promotion to induce impulse buying.

Use this information to make your vending machine business as customer-friendly as possible. Once your customers are satisfied, be assured of fulfilling your profitability and sales targets.

2007-09-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

Healthier Vending Products: Challenge Or Opportunity?

The vending industry is facing a new challenge in the form of health concerns regarding vending products. Many government institutions and health organizations are discouraging the conventional snacks and beverages dispensed by vending machines. This has led to a possibility of fall in customer demand for products offered by a large number of vending operators.

As a Planet Antares vending machine operator, you can choose from a vast array of healthy, fresh and good-quality products for stocking your vending machines. There are various aspects to healthier vending which make it an opportunity to earn more profits, target new market segments and keep customers happy.

For snack vending machines, the product options may include:

Bagel chips
Nuts
Pretzels
Dried fruit
Yogurt bars
Low cal cookies
Black corn chips
Veggie crisps
Meal replacement bars
Grain bars
Nutrition bars

Apart from the above list, there are many new products being launched frequently. This makes it easier for you to choose the products suiting your machine type, customer preferences and budget.

New beverages have also arrived on the block. These are much healthier and encouraged by health organizations and experts, which helps you in convincing the customers to purchase them. Such beverages include:

Soymilk
Specialty soups
Yogurt
Energy drinks
Smoothies
Meal replacement drinks
Natural dairy creamers
Tea in various flavors

These products take care of the vitamin and mineral needs of the customers and help you earning good returns. Obviously, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved. There are evermore product options, be it in snacks, soda or cold food items. There is definitely a lot of potential in healthy vending products which can be tapped by you to earn financial rewards.

2007-08-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

How To Make The Most Of A Vending Locator

If you have a vending business or plan to start one, you should be aware of the importance of the right placement of your machines for maximum customer access and sales. A good location depends on your understanding of the products, customer desires and business premises owners’ requirements. Here are a few tips to find the right location for your vending machines.

Trust your instincts

If the location selected by your vending machine locator does not appeal to you for some reason, make sure that you don’t agree to it until you are satisfied with its viability to serve the customers and your own needs. Ask questions to make sure that you understand all aspects of the locator’s services and decisions.

Be alert

Don’t leave the entire location task on your vending locator. Once you have purchased a vending machine, look for new and untapped locations which could be potential profit spinners. There may be places which you did not notice before or others which can be procured with the help of your vending locator’s professional approach.

Different locations for different vending

A bulk candy vending machine or a toy vending machine needs to be placed with heavy traffic including kids and their parents. On the other hand, a snack or soda vending machine is larger in size and usually suitable for offices with more than 20 employees.

Personal attention

You must have personal contact with the vending locator assigned to you by the vending machine supplier or locating company. The locator should preferably be from your area rather than a faraway region. Also, tell him your business goals in terms of sales and profits as well as potential locations which you have observed. You must also visit various locations with him/her to learn the locating strategies.

Do it yourself

Once you’ve learnt the ropes, you can try to secure locations yourself. Its all about being creative and convincing the business owners to install your machines.

There are no foolproof methods to find lucrative locations but it is not difficult if you follow a good vending locator’s guidelines and use a few strategies to find the right locations for placing your vending machines. Planet Antares provides vending locator services to its customers for locating their vending machines in well-performing places.

2007-08-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

Successful Vending Tips

If you are thinking of starting a vending business, you must consider various factors before taking the plunge. The most important decision is that regarding the vending machine. You must carefully analyze and compare various vending machine options before purchasing a particular one for your vending business.

Make sure that the selected machines are an asset to your business and not a liability. This means that the vending machines should contribute to the profits of the business rather than adding to the expenses. Even though there are many vending machines offered by manufacturers and distributors with attractive features and prices, you will need to do some basic research before making a decision.

Your budget also affects your choice of vending machine. Used machines are recommendable if you have a low budget but you can purchase new machines if you are ready to invest a reasonable amount of money in your vending business.

Buy vending machines which are in good condition, especially used or rented machines. Inspect the various parts of the vending machine before buying it. The coin receptacle and other parts should be in workable state.

Avoid buying a vending machine which has complicated features and is difficult to operate. Planet Antares vending machines are easy to use, especially by kids, who form a big part of the vending business clientele.

Research the kind of customers you want to target, products you want to sell and the business locations for your vending machines. Location is a critical factor for determining the success or failure of your vending business. You need to understand customer preferences, popular products and requirements of the premises owner.

Safety is another issue of concern. Make sure that there is a minimum possibility of accidents with the machine you purchase. Your customer’s safety is very important. Buy your machine from a reliable and reputed vending machine supplier.

Your work does not end after you have purchased and installed your vending machines. You must know how the machine works because you will have to refill it and even carry out repairs if the machine has minor problems. Most high quality vending machine providers like Planet Antares offer after-sale services including repair and maintenance of the vending machine.

After taking all these things into consideration, you can buy the best machine for your vending machine. The newspapers and Internet provide a vast amount of information about vending machine suppliers and the various deals available.

2007-07-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Focusing On Brand Name in Vending

With snack and beverage vending machines, there are a wide variety of products that you can place in the vending machines. The products that you place in your Planet Antares vending machines play a big role in the success of your vending business. Before you place products in your vending machine, you will need to carry out research on which products are popular with the public. This is information that you can get from moving from location to location and watching what people buy from the vending machines that are there. Asking kids questions about which products to place in the vending machines will also help you to know which products are popular.

Placing branded items in your Planet Antares vending machines will save you all the trouble of advertising your products. Branded items are already popular with the public and of course they are always being advertised on the media. When you have these kinds of products in your vending machines, they just literally sell themselves. Even though branding is one of the factors that contribute to successful merchandising, it has long been underutilized in vending.

Becoming more brand focused
Retail competitors, such as c-stores and supermarkets have long been marketing their branded products. They are way ahead of the vending industry when it comes to that. This is something that the vending industry can learn from the retail industry.

Planet Antares vending machines sell items such as sodas, juices and all types of snacks. These are products that should always be branded. For example Coke and Pepsi are branded beverages. When you place them in your vending machine, there is no doubt that someone would buy them. They have been around for a very long time and they are always being advertised on TV, radio, signboards and other forms of media. This is why you will not have any trouble selling these brands in your vending machine. All you have to do is place the machine in a strategic vending location, then let the branded products sell for themselves.

You can have all types of products in your Planet Antares vending machines, but always keep in mind that brand always sells, so make sure that you keep the branded products as well. Try out new products in your vending machines. Don’t think that you should only sell branded products. You never know which product can become popular with the public. You can find this out by placing new products in the vending machines. If the product is marketed well and it becomes a hit, you will end up increasing your sales profits. Nonetheless your main focus has to be on brand name products, because these are the products that always sell, even on slow days.

2007-07-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Full-Proof Ways of Protecting Your Vending Machines

Vending machines that have been placed in locations need to be protected at all times. The vending business suffers from the problem of theft and vandalism. This is something that you can keep in check so long as you protect your vending machines. Once you have placed a Planet Antares vending machine in a location, someone can easily rob or vandalize the vending machine. The safety of vending machines depends on the location that you have placed the vending machine. There are some locations that don’t have someone to supervise the location, while there are locations where there is no one around every hour of the day or night. Avoid placing your vending machines in bad neighborhoods. If it cannot be avoided, then you would need to have fool-proof ways of protecting your vending machines. Whether your vending machine is in a good area or a bad area, you will need to protect your vending machine from theft or vandalism.

Thieves and vandals have become more sophisticated in their efforts to beat the vending machine. As a Planet Antares vending operator, you should look for ways that you can curb vandalism and robbery from occurring on your vending machines. There have been cases where entire vending machines have been stolen. Full line vending machines like those provided by Planet Antares are too heavy to move, this makes it practically impossible for thieves to even think of stealing one. The damage that is done to a vending machine during robbery or vandalism is staggering. The doors are usually pried open and the dollar bill acceptors with the money intact and the products inside the vending machine are stolen. To repair the vending machine, it can cost you anything from $50 to over $1000. These kinds of extra expenses should be avoided.

Technology
New technologies such as charge card accessibility and cashless vending. With this technology, smart cards are inserted into the vending machine instead of cash. If there is no cash in the vending machine, thieves will stay away from the vending machine.

Electronic Locks
Electronic locks can also protect your Planet Antares vending machine securely. External theft and internal theft are both a major problem in a vending business. It is very hard to pick an electronic lock and to gain entry into the vending machine; it has to be a keyed entry.

Alarm Systems
Vending machine alarm systems are also available to protect your vending machine. There are those that will sound a loud siren if the door is opened without a proper code and then there are those that will sound an alarm if the vending machine is tilted or roughed up. Some systems can even take a photo of the attendant every time the door is opened without a code.

Security Cages
A security cage is designed to wrap around a vending machine, allowing access only to small openings at strategic areas. These cages are also designed to protect all sides of the vending machine. This is the best kind of protection that you can get for the full body of the vending machine. It will protect your vending machine from theft and vandalism.

2007-07-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Basics to Increasing the Profit Potential of Your Vending Business

A Planet Antares glass front vending machine has the capability of giving numerous benefits to vending operators who want to maximize their versatility and marketing capability. You can effectively market a higher number of products in a small amount of space than what a drop-shelf unit can provide. Planet Antares glass front vending machines provide a larger number of selections in a compact space.

These vending machines will also allow you to calculate sales and reduce wasted inventory through visual and electronic tracking. This will provide you information on which products are the quick sellers and the ones that are not. There are a large number of products to choose from today. Products may be popular today and not so popular the next day. You just need to find a way of keeping up with the product trends, to ensure that you only have winning products in your vending machines. A wider variety of products means more choices and a greater potential for revenue. You can also maximize your revenue by offering branded products, which customers are already familiar with.

When it comes to the methods of payment, keep in mind that vending is all about convenience. The easier the mode of payment, the more the business you’ll do. Cashless vending is the new technology that vending operators all over are installing in their vending machines. This technology makes it easy for customers that do not have cash money with them, to make purchases from vending machines using credit or debit cards. When you offer such payment options in your Planet Antares vending business, you will have more customers making purchases from your vending machines. This will of course increase the profit potential of your vending business.

The durability of a vending machine is a factor that you should take into account when choosing a vending machine. There are factors that make vending machines prone to damage, such as vandalism, weather and general deterioration. Quality vending machines are built from galvanized steel, which has been painted with protective powder-coat paints. Choose vending machines has been designed in such a way that will make it theft and vandal proof. This will prevent financial losses in your vending business.

The location that you choose for your vending machine is very important. The first thing that you should do is carry out research on the potentially profitable locations in your area. This will help you pick the right one. The most obvious place to place the Planet Antares vending machine in the location would be a centralized position. This can be a position that can be easily seen from the entrance of a facility. Centralized positions also include areas where the foot traffic is the highest. Keep in mind that convenient access to products will mean increased sales.

Making sure that your customers know what you are offering is another way of increasing your profit level. You can do this by making it easy for customers to identify what products are for sale and at what price. Signage is a quick way of doing this.

2007-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Adoption of Cashless Vending

Cashless vending is technology that has really become popular with vending operators today. It has changed the way people buy from vending machines. In addition to the public’s increased attraction to self service technologies and online applications is a growing interest in the implementation of alternative payment options for traditional cash based transactions.

There are some parts of the vending industry that already accept card payment systems. Innovative payment technologies that are designed to reshape vending transaction are being adopted at an unprecedented rate. If you have a large Planet Antares vending business, you should think about implementing the technology in your business.

Customers favor cashless vending
In the past there was a slow adoption rate for cashless vending. This can be attributed to customer reluctance to use cards for low value dollar transactions, a lack of operator experience with new technology, and its perceived high costs. This is something that is changing, as more Planet Antares operators and other vending operators are becoming aware of the impact that cashless transactions has on a vending operation.

With more than 8 million machines, the vending industry can be described as the largest all-cash business in America and certainly the most all-encompassing retail in terms of number of locations.

The cost of hardware, software, and transaction processing has ceased to render cashless a much more appealing payment option. This is a payment option that can be considered by large Planet Antares vending operators. Since the technology is still quite expensive, you stand to gain financially, if the vending operation is large. This technology will make the vending experience more pleasant for the customer. Installing the technology in your Planet Antares vending machine will mean that you are offering more convenience to your customers and at the same time increasing the chances of having an increase in sales.

Steady rise in cashless vending
Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase in the preference for credit cards as a method of payment. Economists have pointed out the fact that credit card transaction volumes have seen a significant increase. To date the vending industry, which is dependent on convenience and service, remains the only major retail channel that does not universally accept cashless forms of payment. It is estimated that 2 to 3 percent of U.S. vending machines offer a credit card payment option. This capability is projected to be 50 percent by the year 2009.

2007-06-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

Offering Variety in Your Vending Machines

Offering variety in the Planet Antares vending machines in your business is very important in keeping your employees and customers happy. By offering variety, you are catering to different needs. For example, some people like Coke while others prefer Pepsi. On the other hand some people would prefer to have health drinks. Consumer’s preferences vary, account by account. The more people there are in a vending location, then the more the diversity in their tastes. There is no way that people can have the same tastes.

If you provide only Coke products in your Planet Antares vending machine then that means that there will be a sizeable percentage of the consumers will be excluded. If you keep a variety of soft drinks in your vending machine, it will make all the consumers happy. Contented consumers will mean repeat business for you. Branded snacks and beverages always do well in vending machines because they are easily recognizable. Placing branded products in your vending machines does not mean that you place only one kind of brand. Have a variety of branded products in your vending machines, so that you cater to everyone’s tastes.

The supplier that the vending operator has engaged should provide high quality, fresh merchandise. Make sure that all products that have reached their expiry date are removed from the vending machine in time. You would not want your employees or customers to consume something which has expired, because this might be followed by a complaint. This would have a negative effect on your vending business.

Product variety strongly depends on the location that the vending operator has chosen to place the vending machine. There are some products that would be popular in one location and not so popular in the next location. For example the products you vend in a school successfully may not be as profitable in a shopping mall. The same products cannot work in all location in the same way. Having a Planet Antares vending machine in your business, means that you are catering to your employees, as well as guests of your business. A vending operator will let you choose the snacks, beverages and food items you would want in the Planet Antares vending machine. The right product mix in the vending machines would keep your employees happy.

Branded products in vending machines always work. This is because customers are already familiar with these vending machines, so they are more compelled to buy them from the vending machines.

2007-06-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

All about the Popularity of Snack and Beverage Vending

Snacks and beverages in vending machines have become main meals for many people these days. This is all because of changing lifestyles, where people are so busy that they actually don’t have the time to sit down for a meal. They can only eat in a hurry. This is what has made Planet Antares snack and beverage vending machines more popular than other vending machines.

Customers demand a product that they can munch on when in the car or maybe when walking from place to another. As a result of this trend, consumers have become less concerned with eating junk food and more concerned with convenience.

Snack and beverage vending machines are usually in demand in most locations because of the consumer’s need to have a snack or a beverage at any point of day or night. If you place a Planet Antares vending machine in an office or a business, you can be sure of having sales being made from the vending machine. If the vending machine has been placed in a lunch room, people would prefer to buy a snack from the vending machine, rather than go out of the offices premises to look for a place to eat. The vending machine allows them to save on time. If the vending machine is in a location that is frequented by youngsters, you can be assured of good sales. This is because youngsters love snacks and sodas more than anybody else, so if your vending machine is ideally located, you will get maximum sales.

The kind of snacks and beverages you place in your Planet Antares vending machine really matters. Different locations have different tastes, so you need to understand what the location wants. You can never go wrong with branded snacks and beverages. These are items that people are already familiar, thus if they love the product, they would not waste time in buying the product. Snacks with bold flavors have become quite popular with the public. On the other hand healthier snacks have also grown in demand. Consumers want healthier snack choice but at the same time they still demand full flavor and good value for their money.

Snacks and beverages are definitely popular in vending machines and that is what will make Planet Antares vending machines continuously profitable. Profitability depends mainly on the locations that have been picked for the vending machine and the products that go in the vending machine. The locations and products that you pick need to work for your vending machines.

2007-06-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

An Independent Vending Machine Operator

An independent vending machine operator would be the right person to engage for your business. All that you would have to do is keep the vending machines in your facility and the vending operator will take care of the servicing of the machine. A Planet Antares vending operator would be ideal for your vending business if you have a good number of employees in your business, because this is a snack and beverage vending business. If you get guests or customers in your business, then having a Planet Antares vending machine would be an added advantage.

When looking for an independent vending operator, the best place to look for one would be the Internet. This is a place where you will find most of the vending operators listed. Some of them have websites where you can look up information on the kind of vending services that they are providing. The websites of these vending operators have to be updated periodically. If you come across an independent vending operator with an outdated website, then that means that the vendor probably provides poor vending services. This is of course not what you would want for your business. A Planet Antares vending operator with quality vending services can be located online. Reading other customer reviews would help you in knowing more about the standard of vending services that these vending operators provide. Once you have found one that you deem suitable get in touch with the operator.

An independent vending operator will provide you with the vending machines that you require for your business. If you require only one vending machine, you will also be provided with that. A Planet Antares vending operator for example, will then install the vending machines in your location. The responsibility of the vending operator would be to restock the vending machines and generally maintain the machine. Restocking of the products would be conducted according to how the vending machine empties. If the vending machine is in your business, then it would probably need restocking several times in a week. The vendor should make sure that the vending machine is also cleaned, so that the vending machine is hygienic.

Having a vending machine in your location, would mean that you will also get a share of the profits along with the vending operator. You will just need to work out a commission percentage that you would require. Agree on a percentage only when you are satisfied with the figures.

The vending operator should also keep only the products that are in demand. An independent vending operator will allow you to choose the menu so that the vending machine can only have the products that your employees would want. Popular products are important because these are always sure sellers. With the financial success of the vending business, you will also get a share of the profits.