Variety Packs

[mcvendingservicesjax]

Hey guys.  Currently, I'm a small fish in a big pond.  I have 3 locations.  1 grosses 1400 per month, 1 1200 and 1 200.  I buy variety packs on a handful of brands because they don't offer individual products at my local wholesale club.  With these products, I rotate them in the row, so I'm not stuck with the one that doesn't sell.  I haven't had any complaints yet.  My question is "Is this ok to do" and when should I start considering buying from a distributer that can give me the exact products and sizes I want?

[mission vending]

Hey guys.  Currently, I'm a small fish in a big pond.  I have 3 locations.  1 grosses 1400 per month, 1 1200 and 1 200.  I buy variety packs on a handful of brands because they don't offer individual products at my local wholesale club.  With these products, I rotate them in the row, so I'm not stuck with the one that doesn't sell.  I haven't had any complaints yet.  My question is "Is this ok to do" and when should I start considering buying from a distributer that can give me the exact products and sizes I want?

 

If its working for you keep on doing it. If you start buying from a distributor the number of bags in the case will increase. Sam's has their Frito brand chips at 50 count, Frito products through a distributor are 104 per case. Other brands like Bob's jalapeno are available starting at 60 count. With your current volume it will be virtually impossible to meet minimum order requirements to avoid delivery charges or not have out of date issues unless you happen to be close enough to pick up smaller orders yourself.

[CajunCandy]

Even with the ten machines I have out there it is tough, to buy from Sams are Vistar! I find my Sams has way to much variety boxes to Vistar requires me to spend $300  to order with them. I don't buy from Vistar what I can get at Sams cheaper and Sams don't handle the amount of product Vistar has.  Crazy! I did manage to sell everything I ordered from Vistar except for Cheetos Puffs. If I put more than three rows of spicy stuff in a machine, too much spicy chips, cut back and we more chips with flavor?  I also try to stick with the smaller size bags instead of the 1.5 oz or larger bags of chips.

[snack dude]

been in the buisness since 2001, have close to 50 snack machines and i still buy all my stuff from sams, gordons food service, and a small local wholeseller. I have tried the big distributors only to find that their prices (IMO) are way out of line. 

I could never justify in my mind paying more upfront for some rebates somewhere down the road, and in my experience variety is way overrated. So sell them what they want and you will do find.

[AngryChris]

I think we all have a variety of opinions here but I think we all have some mutual agreements.  I agree with mission -- if it's working for you, keep doing what you're doing.  I have had customers get a little frustrated because what they WANT to have is BEHIND the item that they DON'T want to have.

 

I know plenty of convenience store owners that shop at sam's club.  I think with a company like vistar, the trick is to order the stuff that you can't get at sam's but you can sell a lot of.  Sam's is generally cheaper, but it's a competitive edge to give the customer something that the OTHER "little guy" won't give them.  I have increased prices on every new customer.  I am probably going toward $0.60 regular size chips, $1.00 chocolate candy bars, $1.00 pastries, $0.85 cookies all on my next account.  It's hard to go much higher around here, but I gotta make some money too!

 

My point is that there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying variety packs and changing things up in a vending machine.  I have found some items that sell well because I rotate selections.  I have one location that kills over salt and vinegar chips.

[mojorhino]

Personally I am not a big fan of the 50 count variety packs offered by Frito Lay, or Frito Lay chips in general, & I try to avoid them least for vending purposes for the following reasons.

1. Short shelf life. They typically have 30 to 90 days (if your lucky) depending on when during their life-cycle you get them.

2. They always have too many of that one crappy flavor that doesn't sell (for my area its regular Frito's or Sun Chips).  I try putting them in other machines & they just don't sell. When I finally did find a place that bought Fritos, the machine got vandalized.

3. There are too many other brands that have less in a box (typically 36 count) with longer dates on them.

4. The other brands just flat out sell Frito Lay in general.

 

I primarily get the chips with longer shelf life such as Cheezits, White Cheddar Cheezits, Gardettos, Chex Mix, Chex Mix Bold, Chex Mix Cheddar. TGI Fridays Cheddar & Bacon & TGI Fridays Cheddar & Sour Cream & Goldfish (I've seen these have up to a year or even longer in some cases)