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Season Change / Product Change


grumpy

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I know each region has it preferences, but what products make up the bulk of your sells?

Reading other posts I wonder if I'm the only one selling Jelly Beans. I'm looking at changing them out to Mike and Ike's and Hot Tamales with the cooler weather coming. The majority of my locations are adult oriented.

Order of popularity/use: Top 5

PMM's

Jelly Beans

Chocolate Covered Almonds

BBQ Peanuts

Zing Zaps

Other no order

Gumballs (7 Different flavors changing to one double bubble)

Skittles (dis-continuing)

Reece's Pieces (dis-continuing)

Pistachios (un-decided)

Cashews (dis-continuing)

Raisinettes (un-decided)

Peanuts (dis-continuing changing to BBQ peanuts)

NitWitz (just changed over too)

Hockey Pucks (dis-continuing)

Burnt Peanuts (tried bad idea)

Jelly Belly (4 flavours for dollar machine)

TimeBomb

Toys, Jewelry, Bouncy Balls

Others just to lazy to type anymore :)

I'm still shrinking my product choice down, takes time to move stock.

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This is what I sell in terms of candy: Mike and Ikes, PMMs ( regular and dark chocolate ), Gumballs, M&Ms ( regular and dark chocolate ), Skittles, Reeses Pieces, Hot Tamales, Nerds, Gone Fishin',

And thats the order of most popular on my routes.  It seems EVERYONE LOVES Mike and Ikes at my locations.  PMMs are a distant second.

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You're making me hungry with your top sellers Grumpy. Chocolate covered Almonds...

My top seller, hands down is Mike & Ike. It sells everywhere. Everyone seems to love them.

1. Mike & Ike

2. Peanut m&m's

3. Reese's Pieces

4. Skittles

5. Gum balls

Keep it simple, just five items.

I have never seen jelly beans in vending machines in San Diego, CA. It may be to warm for them here. M&I are good all summer. Some times they stick together but people seem to know what to do to get them un-stuck. Bang the side of the canister and they are fixed.

Gary

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I really wish I could vend the things you do grump. Those are some awesome products, but not profitable in the US, under the quarter. Things that are my great sellers, are not selling for you. Very, very interesting.

1. Gumball.

2. Gone Fishin'.

3. Reese Pieces.

4. Mike and Ike

5. M&M Regular.

Peanut M&M, I cant give these away.

 

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O, and RUNTS candy are a very good seller for me. They are a replacement for Mike and Ike.

Hot Tamale are good, only in banks. All my banks blow threw a few bags a month at 7 per vend. 

Cashews, they are only left in 1 spot (where the machine does about 50 bucks a month). I went threw a period were these little nuts sold great. Sells dwindled down to nothing.

Umm, Bouncy balls were mentioned. This is a clear foundation to fall on for me. Bouncy balls are great for me. Toys, well, thats a simple guess. Some do good, others you want to trash as soon as you get them (Porkypine Rings, ugh). Puzzle balls, Great seller! Basic Mix of: (Monkeyin Around, Blockhead, Bounce balls, Puzzle Balls, Porkypine Rings, and Flava Chains) is included in most accounts with multi heads.

Kyle 

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Interesting with what candies is working for some and not others.  For me, the demographics, people traffic and physical environment determine what products to offer - not the changing of the seasons.  Another factor to consider is the quantity being vended.  If people feel they are being ripped-off, they will not be a repeat buyer.  Kyle mentioned that PMM does not sell for him, but for me they are still my best selling candy (by volume) and I offer 8 or 9 per vend.  I used to offer 10/11 per vend but cut down after last years price increase and then my MMP volume dropped almost 50%.  Fortunately the revenue stayed the same and people started buying more of the other (higher margin) products (which is good since the margin is still bad on MMP at about 45% product cost).  Maybe my vend quantities are still too high, but I want to be fair to the consumer.

I now only offer five candy products and don't see the need to test any more - especially for charity doubles or triples (how many products does one vendor really need).  Here are the only five food products I now offer (and quantity) in order of popularity:

1. MM Peanut (8/9), 2. Mike and Ike (13/14), 3. Assorted Gumballs (1/2) and tied for #4. Skittles (15/16) and Reeses Pieces (19/20).

The Skittles are placed only in kid locations, Reeses mostly in adult locations and Gumballs everywhere!

I no longer vend the following products due to lack of revenue, consistency or just a hassle:

Hot Tamales - Very hit or miss.  If placed in 20 locations, 17 will be bad but 3 will be great - no "in between" with that product.

Runts - Mostly a kids candy and did not sell any better than Skittles.  Also fades badly in the Florida humidity.

MM Plain - The biggest Dog for me.  Can't sell it anywhere!  Very strange since it sells okay in packages in stores.  Other vendors have told me the same thing and no one can figure out why it is such a bad seller.  May have to do with competing with the MMP - don't really know.  Also very sensitive to heat and will clump up easily.  Some locations will ask for it due to peanut allergies, but I give a firm 'NO' to vending them now.

Good and Plenty - One of my childhood favorites, but now a dinosaur.  Not popular with the current generation.  Also gums up badly in the humidity.

Gourmet Gumballs - Did not outsell the assorted mix and not worth the extra cost.

All Nuts - Very high product cost.  Short shelf life - only 30 days.  Never vended them myself.  Heard too many horror stories from other vendors about bugs and their offspring hatching in the bowl!  Lost a good restaurant when a newbie placed his vendstar with cashews and then let them sit too long.  The bugs got pretty nasty and the owner kicked out all of the vendors.

Chickle Tab Gum - Did not outsell gumballs in most locations and I only want to offer one and only one gum product per location.  Force them to buy the high margin gumball!

Generic Candy.   Never had any luck with the Oak Leaf or Concord stuff.  But I have heard some good things with Bones/Bonz (on other boards) and Gone Fishin (from members here).

What works for me may not work for you (and visa-versa), but it is good to know what others are doing - I guess that's why the board is here!

Jax

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Gone fishing is a generic candy. It is hard all the way threw, no chalky centers, survives the heat, tastes great (Fruit Flavor like a runt). Biggest thing is it sells better then most products, for me.

Jay, I only do MM in singles, or doubles with GB. Don't offer cashews due to spoilage, that one location will blow threw many cans a month.

Funny, I love using chicklets. They are great sellers in the banks where HT don't sell. I can sell Chicklets no problem their, but GB don't. Some locations were GB don't sell, Chicks will.

Kyle

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Johnny did you do Mike and Ike's all summer, and how did they handle the heat and humidity?

Also you must be in countdown mode only 5 days left of 9-5. :)

Sorry Uncle Grumpy........I did not see this post.  I was in count down and now feel very relaxed.  Thank god.  Thanks for asking buddy.

I have used M&I all summer Grumps.  I even have them in a machine in a auto repair waiting room with no air conditioning.  THey vend just fine as long as you spray the inside of a baggie and mix them up well.

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