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Cans vs. bottles


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  • 2 weeks later...

I have 3 machines in 2 locations...a red bull machine that sells red bull, monster and liquid ice energy drink, my other pepsi machine does both cans and bottles, the bottles are gatorade, and aquafina water...be careful with waters as there is a science to that! Poland springs and those soft plastic bottles get even softer when cool! I've found major jamming problems with those. So far aquafina 12oz bottles work great! I'm still afraid to stack them too high, I don't want to make them too heavy for the next vend. In New York, we can afford to raise prices to $1 a vend..good profit of about .70 per vend. Cans cost .27 and waters and gatorade .37. Most machines can be configured with the motor cam settings to vend both cans and bottles.

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  • 2 months later...

Pricing depends on your market and the location you're in.  You can charge whatever you want and or need to achieve your desired profit margin.  You will generally see the highest prices in transient, public and hotel locations, or in any location that requires a high commission rate be paid to them.

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That is not the type of account you should expect to get $1 per can for, unless that is standard in your market.  What do you see soda selling for at similar blue collar accounts?  You have to remember you want the employee business there too, and they aren't getting rich at those jobs.  The people who just dropped $400 on tires probably didn't plan to do that and may not be in the mood for a $1 soda.  Now if there isn't any other place nearby for those waiting or for the shop guys to run to, and if you're in a warm part of the country, that cold soda for $1 has more value.

 

On the flip side, the biggest objection to the $1 could be the shop management themselves.  But if they are interested in making some kind of outrageous commission from the machine (because you are getting rich in vending, remember?) you can tell them that commission means the price of soda will be $1.  You can then negotiate from there.

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Just keep that $1 idea in your back pocket.  There are accounts out there where you can get that kind of pricing, especially where the location doesn't care about the prices but cares more about the service (yea!) or the commission (yuk).  It all comes with vending.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

I am in Phoenix AZ and have an account that is requesting I change all soda to bottle. I currently buy everything at Sams, and they don't sell bottles except Coke and diet. Besides Vendsource any ideas where I can buy bottles?

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I am in Phoenix AZ and have an account that is requesting I change all soda to bottle. I currently buy everything at Sams, and they don't sell bottles except Coke and diet. Besides Vendsource any ideas where I can buy bottles?

Be real careful how you stock those bottles as they usually have a shelf life of only three months and be prepared to deal with a lot more jams.

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Call Coke and or Pepsi Directly They have a minimun but as long as you have a business address even a storeage address they will ship to you...

 

That is the best option, the minimum in my area is 10 cases and they will deliver to any commercial address including storage units.

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Anyone know if pepsi/coke products are CHEAPER if you do NOT use their 3rd party equipment?  Does it even make a difference?  I'm getting to the point where I could order directly but I am afraid that it will be cheaper for me to go directly through them.

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Bottler product pricing is dictated by the volume purchased. Your best price will be for truckloads though you can probably order small deliveries of less than a pallet. You might be limited to a maximum of two flavors per pallet if you order in pallet quantities.

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In Middle Georgia I try to stay away from bottlers. The Pepsi bottler is Buffalo Rock they are also do full line vending I will not buy from my completion. RC is with a beer company and do not offer any drink machines and Double Cola you can not give away so that leaves Coke the king of the hill in Georgia and they know it. The prices are thru the roof and you have to beg for refurb 10 year old Royals and forget ever having a Coke repair man ever work on a machine and GOD forbid if they catch you with a can of Mountain Dew in that 10 year old machine. I go about it this way buy a machine on line or from a vending machine sales man you can use it as a  write off on your taxes. The Indian grocers in your area can tell you where they buy there drinks you can buy the bottles a lot cheaper and you can sell Coke Pepsi Yoo Hoo. I sell a lot of Faygo for a dollar a bottle the profit margin is good and it sales out very fast.

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  • 8 months later...

I like cans easier, less jams, bottle jam all the time especially water, I'm in ky and have all kinds of diff cultures here to tend to, they like variety here, I can get s Pepsi machine from Pepsi but I have to buy their products which is higher but they do all repairs on there machines so sometimes it works out,

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