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I just bought bulk machines!! Can I get some advice?


tmedeiros13

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Hi everybody, 

I posted here before...and decided to purchase 5 bulk vending machines...3 heads. 1 is for my nephew (he is 11 and wants to get into vending) and 4 are for me. I currently run a full service vending company and am doing very well. I am a medium sized company in MA (14 locations, about 45 machines placed and 6 in need of a home)

I got these machines to:

1) diversify my business. I want to take over vending in my area in all aspects 

2) test to see if bulk vending is a sustainable business. The costs associated are much cheaper than full service so I thought 4 machines is a good start to track numbers, growth, etc 

3) shits and giggles. I figured if they don't make money, I will sell for what I bought for ($100 each) 

 

What advice can you guys give me about bulk vending? 

How often do you service? 

What is the average monthly income for this end of the industry? 

Where do you buy your product from?

What sells best? 

 

Basically what do I need to know in order for these machines to grow my bottom line sales figure? Also this will help me get my nephews little business off the ground! (I took him out with me last Saturday...he LOVED IT!) 

 

If this works, I would love to grow the bulk end as aggressively as I am growing the full service end, and bulk seems much cheaper to scale. 

 

Thanks for your knowledge! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow vendors! 

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I started with bulk and added full-line a few months later. Up to 60 bulk and 12 full line locations plus honor boxes as well. 

I service the bulk locations anywhere between 1-3 months depending on sales. I start with 1 month cycles until I see how the location performs (usually takes 2-3 months). 

I average about $15/location. I think I figured about $5/head. I have anywhere from 1-8 heads at locations. I have some slower locations that bring my monthly average down, but when I stretch the service cycle out it makes them worth keeping. 

Products will vary, but I like to start most places with peanut m&ms and skittles/Mike and ikes. Adding gumballs also will help your profit margins. I usually get most of my products at sams club, but some I have to source online elsewhere.

I make more with my full-line accounts, but I enjoy my bulk routes more. Especially when going in and seeing a machine that emptied completely.

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On 11/23/2016 at 11:45 PM, QuikVend said:

I started with bulk and added full-line a few months later. Up to 60 bulk and 12 full line locations plus honor boxes as well. 

I service the bulk locations anywhere between 1-3 months depending on sales. I start with 1 month cycles until I see how the location performs (usually takes 2-3 months). 

I average about $15/location. I think I figured about $5/head. I have anywhere from 1-8 heads at locations. I have some slower locations that bring my monthly average down, but when I stretch the service cycle out it makes them worth keeping. 

Products will vary, but I like to start most places with peanut m&ms and skittles/Mike and ikes. Adding gumballs also will help your profit margins. I usually get most of my products at sams club, but some I have to source online elsewhere.

I make more with my full-line accounts, but I enjoy my bulk routes more. Especially when going in and seeing a machine that emptied completely.

I see you have 73 bulk machines out now...how often do you service them? How do you determine how long to cycle the service? 

 

We are at the point now we have to print up weekly service schedules for our accounts for the full line end of the business. I have heard and read on this website they get serviced once a month? 

 

 

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I go out to service most usually every 30-40 days. I've been stretching some of them out longer to increase my pulls, but I have a few that empty full heads in 30 days.

After I service them a few times, I can get an idea of how much they'll go through and adjust accordingly. You will occasionally get that suprise of an emptied machine, but that's always a good problem.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

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