JCS Vending Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I landed this great account a few months ago, 85 blue collar workers and 15 office staff. Plant runs 24 hours 7 days a week (nights/weekends light shift of 25 people or so). I had big dreams wehn I read on here the average for an account like that would be somewhere around $1.00 per blue collar worker per day. I have a pop machine, cold/sandwich machine, snack machine an (honor box in a different plant location) and am only averaging $100/week I have a "suggestions" box out. I got a few suggestions this week: Chicken wings/beer Hard candy/life savers Extra row for pepsi (Why they put this I don't know, we don't run out) My prices are good - .85 for chips, $1.00 for danishes/muffins, $.75 for cans of soda, $1.00 for juice, $2.00 for hot pockets and $2.75 for large French Bread Pizzas Each week I'm putting at least 2-3 new items to keep it interesting and fresh. They are a great account, the office staff sent out emails to all department managers notifying them they now have vending machiens and wehre they are located. They also have a nice sign hanging in the main elevator directing them to the main breakroom where the machines are with what is sold and prices. Would greatly appreciate any suggestions on how to improve sales here, I should be making more and can't figure out what I'm missing. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 You might try some 5 hour energy. You just need to get the 6 selection candy coils so they'll fit. I sell them in my blue collar accounts with swing and/or graveyard shifts and make about a buck a pop so it adds up. Aside from that, I've found items that are advertised on tv sell much faster than the others. You'd think that account would a grand a month at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I would work the account contacts, first what are there other dining options. second what are the employees doing for food now, brown bagging? fast food? do you have a roach coach competitor. did the employees have a bad experience with the vending in the past making them hesistant to use the machines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snack dude Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I have an account just like this. I feel you have done a good job of covering your bases. The only thing I think you might be missing is bottles. Alot of plants that I deal with, The employees have to have a resealable container, ( no cans in the plant). So I would check that first. Throw some bottles in the food machine and see if that makes a difference. The problem for me was you could see a Mcdonalds and Wendys out the dock door. Things were real slow until the company started making the employees swipe their badges in and out for breaks and lunch. They quickly figured out they could not get to the fast food places and back and eat in time to swipe back in. Then all of a sudden sells went nuts. So that and like Dogcow said a Roach Coach is one thing I would check into. Alot of roach coaches around here sell 24 oz bottles for a $1.25. Hang tough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Aha! Found my reading glasses and was able to see some of your selections. While it may be true that there are some regional differences in tastes, I've never been able to sell most of the snack items I could identify in your picture. Dump all the baked chips and Cool Ranch. Nacho Doritos, Cheestos and Lay's Potato Chips are the main stays of my machines. Try some Big Texas rolls (#1 product for vending machines several years) Dogcow is right in that you should get some feedback from the people at the account (lists don't work). I service my accounts during their lunch break at least 4 times a year to get direct feedback from the people who eat there (your potential customers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I would agree with moondog, if your primary customer base is blue collar then you need to ditch the baked stuff. People will tell you all day long they want healthy stuff but when it comes time to put dollars in the machine then its the junk food that sells. If you can find a way to add bottle drinks, even things like Gatorade in the food machine then you should capture additional $$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Aha! Found my reading glasses and was able to see some of your selections. While it may be true that there are some regional differences in tastes, I've never been able to sell most of the snack items I could identify in your picture. Dump all the baked chips and Cool Ranch. Nacho Doritos, Cheestos and Lay's Potato Chips are the main stays of my machines. Try some Big Texas rolls (#1 product for vending machines several years) Dogcow is right in that you should get some feedback from the people at the account (lists don't work). I service my accounts during their lunch break at least 4 times a year to get direct feedback from the people who eat there (your potential customers). theres already big texas in there u might need some new glasses LOL but yeah i agree with everyone else ditch the baked chips if u cant find enough selections in the 1.5oz put in some 1oz bags of other cheaper product like TGIF chips, always a huge seller for me. also let me ask,who are ur clients, predominantly white, hispanic, african american? men? women? it does matter. for predominantly minority accts (like laundromats) using the spicy chips like hot fries or jalpeno chips, or even platanos (if its mostly hispanic) will do good. where as in mostly white accounts the regular brands of chips do better, also if its more women chocolate will do better. just generalizing. jerky also does well in mostly white blue collar locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparta_Automation Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Baked Chips are HORRIBLE.....I could not give them away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQV Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I have a similar account that has had me puzzled - all the demographics are right but just notthe volume i expected. I added a bulk machine with 850 gumballs & dry roast peanuts along side of the full size machines and it does great and helps bring up the avg sales. i didnt think factory workers would like gumballs till i found out they cant smoke on company property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Repairman Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Are the majority clients hispanic/asian? If so your sales will not reflect White blue collar workers on the average. The hispanic /asian clients tend to bring their own Lunch/supper. You have to sell items that appeal to them to get some of their business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spdydre Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I dont know the hispanics down here in texas swarm my vending machines I guess it depends where you are at. I have a 35 person blue collar location mostly hispanics doing $230 a week with snack and soda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCS Vending Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 They are mostly caucasian male blue collar workers. A bulk candy machine is a great idea and I have one that I'm pulling from a location. Last week I pulled out the frozen sandwhiches not selling and replaced with bananas, apples, yogurt and a few other new items. We'll see how it goes, service day is tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Mt. dew is the #1 pop for me in these locations and like everyone else said big texas rolls / honey buns. Fritos and cheetos are the best selling chips for me. Jerky also does well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryChris Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I have a location with "60~" blue-collar workers and about 15 office workers that generates about $55/week between snacks and soda. This is due to the fact that many of the workers are out on-site during the day and not in the warehouse is. Another factor is that there is a convenience store literally across the street. I simply cannot compete with that... but the sales do improve when the whether gets really nasty. On the other hand, I have a location with about 8 blue-collar workers and 3 office people... it was generating $55~/week but it has dropped to about $40/week recently. This location is also a snack/soda account. The point to this is that sometimes it's just hard to tell what's going on but you may need to investigate. Trust me on one thing though... when people start saying "If you would put what we want we would buy more!" that's a big signal that splits off into two possibilities: putting what they want WILL increase sales; putting what they want won't change anything because they don't even go to the vending machine(s) in the first place and it is time to pull some machines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Sounds to me like you have done just about everything right. I have found Asian office staff to be the worst in vending sales but if they are out on the plant floor they seem to be the same. I agree that blue collar workers like bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grellopc Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 How about a change machine. They break a $5. chances are most of it will end up in your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCS Vending Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 How about a change machine. They break a $5. chances are most of it will end up in your machine. This is a great idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinnJinn Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 What about drinks? How are the drink selections selling? I know each geographical area is different, But when I was vending, If I had those items in my drink machine, They wouldn't move hardly at all. I also agree with others on the bottles.. I have worked in / dealt with over 15 different factories. And they were all the same, You had to have a sealed container while on the production floor. Plus you have to consider there is all kinds of things flying around in the air, I still yet have to be inside a blue collar place where safety glasses were NOT required... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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