How many can machines do I need to be efficient?

[shepherdsflock]

I've found in the bulk world that when you start off with one machine, you often have to buy way more product than you really need. You don't start moving enough product to make your purchases effective until you start getting around 10 machines on location. I assume this is also true for soda machines. With expiration dates you probably need to worry about it even more.

 

So, my question for the experienced soda venders out there is: at what point do you start moving product fast enough to have an efficient route that doesn't waste product?

[dogcow]

can soda has a long expiry. diet can soda is the exception, maybe 2 months? i have dropped diet from all my locations. bottle soda has shorter expiry i think 1 or 2 months. not sure why 

 

soda machines you can easily start with 1 and have enough product.

 

snack machines are a different animal you need at least  5 out not to have problems unless u have very high volume accts 

[moondog]

I've found in the bulk world that when you start off with one machine, you often have to buy way more product than you really need. You don't start moving enough product to make your purchases effective until you start getting around 10 machines on location. I assume this is also true for soda machines. With expiration dates you probably need to worry about it even more.

 

So, my question for the experienced soda venders out there is: at what point do you start moving product fast enough to have an efficient route that doesn't waste product?

This is a problem more closely associated with snack machines as most of your soda products (cans with the exception of diet drinks) will have a shelf life of ten months unless you're doing bottles, then it's three months.  For snack machines, five seems to be a good number (more is better) so you can spread your product out across multiple machines and allow time for the items to sell prior to expiration.  Of course this will vary depending on how good your accounts are - I like to get all products into the machines with at least one month left on shelf life.  It really helps if you have one or two machines that move a lot of product so you can transfer your short life products over - just don't waste a lot of time trying to save 5 bucks.  The waste factor should not exceed 5% but it's just part of the game.

[RJT]

If you buy product as you need it then you can do can drinks with just one machine with little issues. Like other have said snacks are the problem with just a few machines out.

 

Drinks are sold by the case and machines are stocked by the case so its easy if you will just buy as you need it at each fill till you build enough to start stocking.

[shepherdsflock]

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate it. I'm used to ordering bulk toys in bags of 250 capsules. I still remember the disappointment when I had my first machine selling toys at how painfully long it took to move all of those capsules! Things started getting a lot better when I had about 10 machines and could split bags between multiple machines.

[RJT]

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate it. I'm used to ordering bulk toys in bags of 250 capsules. I still remember the disappointment when I had my first machine selling toys at how painfully long it took to move all of those capsules! Things started getting a lot better when I had about 10 machines and could split bags between multiple machines.

 

Thats why the same applies with snacks is case count. Most snacks come in much larger case counts and to get enough variety in a snack machine you have to buy a lot of variety. Lets say you buy Lays plain potato chips in a case and the case count is 50. Most snack machines have a spiral count around 10 to 12. That is a lot of chips to move before they go out of date. Most Lays products have 30 to 45 days of date. Other products and brands can have more but I thin k you get the idea. Anytime someone starts snack vending it is tough to make it work from the start. Even buying the variety packs from Sam's can cause problems because you will have some items thats sell well and some that dont.

 

  With drinks it is just buy the cases and fill in the slots with a selection count being around 8 to 10.

 

God luck, let us know how it goes...,.

[rmorris1953]

can soda has a long expiry. diet can soda is the exception, maybe 2 months? i have dropped diet from all my locations. bottle soda has shorter expiry i think 1 or 2 months. not sure why 

 

soda machines you can easily start with 1 and have enough product.

 

snack machines are a different animal you need at least  5 out not to have problems unless u have very high volume accts 

 

 

Co2 Leaks through the plastic in a very short time. Cans will hold the CO2 for a very long time. Syrup based pop in cans will still taste fresh for several months after the expiration date. Aspartame in the diet cola breaks down and the the pop taste nasty. I can taste the out of date real quick in diets even in cans.