jerrybrecko Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Ok I got a vending newsletter from someone in the industry. In the article they wrote if you think your saving money buying from Sams and Costco YOU ARE WRONG. Vistar blows their prices away but you have to buy more. So I contacted Vistar last week and got their price list today. I just looked at a couple items, a few things they matched Sams price but most were more expensive. Here is one example. Reeses peanut butter cups Sams: $0.55 Vistar: $0.69 Vistar says that there service is better and costs more because they deliver. Well my vending delivery drivers can just as easily pick up an order thats already put together paid for and waiting in Sams club just as easy and cheaper. Having food delivered to us is not a convenience since we have our own deliver drivers passing sams club every day. I would like to hear from someone that uses Vistar and gets pricing like the newsletter pointed out.(cheaper than Sams Club). Is it true? Is there anyone? If it is true I will push my Vistar rep to give me better prices. If not I just wont buy from them. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfdogs Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I've never ordered from Vistar since their listed prices are higher than what I pay at SAMs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherdsflock Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Yep, that's the same thing I found when I was doing research about snacka and soda vending. Vistar seemed attractive until I saw the prices. Sam's is definitely cheaper on most things I would buy. The only advantage to Vistar is a wider product choice. They do carry some things that my local Sam's club does not; but that probably wouldn't be enough of an advantage to make me buy from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvending Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Part of being in business is shopping for best pricing. We order from both. In Ohio, Sam's club charges .55 for Nestle candies, Vistar is .519. Sam's also runs specials. Snickers 72 count boxes are "sometimes" at only .41 where Vistar is .55. You just need to constantly check before ordering. If you are looking for soda..... Sam's is usually cheaper by far. Snacks are closer in prices but Sam's does not carry the variety or sizes that Vistar does. Again, check before ordering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Part of being in business is shopping for best pricing. We order from both. In Ohio, Sam's club charges .55 for Nestle candies, Vistar is .519. Sam's also runs specials. Snickers 72 count boxes are "sometimes" at only .41 where Vistar is .55. You just need to constantly check before ordering. If you are looking for soda..... Sam's is usually cheaper by far. Snacks are closer in prices but Sam's does not carry the variety or sizes that Vistar does. Again, check before ordering. Exactly, I use Vistar primarily to get the variety that is not available at Sam's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Never tried vistar seemed more expensive. Sams fluctuates alot. For example yesterday the mnm 72ct are only $21 which was about. 29c each. They expire in like 3 months so I bought 4 boxes. Just right there I saved about $60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I only buy chips at Vistar because I can get LSS bags and bigger quantities (64 ct boxes typically). I pick my product up from Vistar because I operate from my home and they won't do home delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I always felt it would depend on your route size and the need for variety. We did both each week. We picked up from Sam's and Vistar delivered every Monday. When we first started we picked up drinks anywhere they were on sale. Of course there comes a time when that doesn't make any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdistro Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 We buy from EVERYWHERE! Sam's for candy like chocolate bars, skittles, bulk candy, pop and such... Vistar for LSS chips, Ice cream sandwiches, trail mix, coffee products, cups and lids.... BJs for Lil Bites, Fruit by the Foot and Gushers Ice Cream Specialties for most of our ice cream AND Avalon foods for reduced fat items for our school and health center accounts... Not to mention the grocery stores that have pop on sale: giant eagle, drug mart, marcs... It's a full time job just stock the trucks, fun fun fun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tc vending Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Sams for most things they are cheaper. Vistar is the place for variety they are supplying most of our pastries plus things Sams doesn't sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunCandy Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Sams for most things they are cheaper. Vistar is the place for variety they are supplying most of our pastries plus things Sams doesn't sell. What tc said! The Sams here in Lafayette handles mostly variety packs of chips. When I go to Sams in BR I find a better selection of chips. I always put notes in suggestion box at Sams for a better variety of chips for us vendors. After weeks of asking for Zapps regular chips, they started putting a few cases on selves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spdydre Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I only go to sams and a street market here. The street market has the lowest prices lol they sell cokes 20 oz 15.99/Vistar 23.99. You can also just buy the chips there by the bag they have all the chips available in large open boxes you just choose as many as you want and go to the next box or just tell a guy how many of each you want and he will run and grab all the chips for you and place them nicely in a box. Most vendors just keep a credit with them and drop off a bag of money or coins for the week/months orders and just pick up their orders when ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 What tc said! The Sams here in Lafayette handles mostly variety packs of chips. When I go to Sams in BR I find a better selection of chips. I always put notes in suggestion box at Sams for a better variety of chips for us vendors. After weeks of asking for Zapps regular chips, they started putting a few cases on selves. You sure that suggestion box wasn't hooked up to a paper shredder? That's what I used to use in my office Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tc vending Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Well cajun we are getting a Costco too so maybe more variety there as well. As for the sams br cortana store they have the best dates on stuff I just tell the manager what I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfdogs Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I very rarely buy any vending items from Costco. Their chips are all variety packs and I must DIG through them to find any worthwhile dates. Their canned soda also tends to be shorter dated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunCandy Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 After searching Costco web site, it looks like it will not have much for vendors to be thrilled about! maybe I'm wrong, time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 After searching Costco web site, it looks like it will not have much for vendors to be thrilled about! maybe I'm wrong, time will tell. Costco usually has better soda prices than Sam's but sucks for snacks - sometimes you can find Snickers on sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunCandy Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Costco usually has better soda prices than Sam's but sucks for snacks - sometimes you can find Snickers on sale. I just talked to the Zapps rep. at Walmart today and he will send me a price sheet, maybe I can get a better price from him instead of Sams. Hope he does not expect me to buy in major volumes, told him I was a small vendor, with less than 20 machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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