are nail salons a waste for a gumball machine?

[jay22]

so i bought a bunch of single head gumball machines, and have been looking for locations this past week.  one thing i've never noticed before, because i've never paid attention, is there are a zillion nail salon/spas on every street.  it's ridiculous how many of these stores there are.  i haven't bothered trying any of them, because i figure gumballs wouldn't do well there, but am i wrong? have any of you had luck with gumballs at nail salons?

[gumball guy]

11 hours ago, jay22 said:

so i bought a bunch of single head gumball machines, and have been looking for locations this past week.  one thing i've never noticed before, because i've never paid attention, is there are a zillion nail salon/spas on every street.  it's ridiculous how many of these stores there are.  i haven't bothered trying any of them, because i figure gumballs wouldn't do well there, but am i wrong? have any of you had luck with gumballs at nail salons?

I have gumball machines in alot of nail salons. Like any other location some are great, some not so great.

[jay22]

what kind of locations do well for you? i don't really want to place locations just to place them(did that with my first location at a jiffy lube).  ideally, i want to find places where a decent % of clientele will be kids.  

[gumball guy]

55 minutes ago, jay22 said:

what kind of locations do well for you? i don't really want to place locations just to place them(did that with my first location at a jiffy lube).  ideally, i want to find places where a decent % of clientele will be kids.  

You name it....I'm in it. Don't be afraid to try any location and understand that adults eat gumballs as much or more than kids do. I have them in liquor stores, bars, adult bookstores, manufacturing plants, warehouses, breakrooms, etc... . All it takes is one person who loves gumballs to drive your sales. If after 6 -12 months you aren't happy with the sales pick it up and move it somewhere else. People tend to over think locating. One thing I can tell you for sure is that the machine wont make you a single quarter if it is sitting in the garage while you lament over where to attempt to locate it. Hit the streets and make it happen. Good luck.

[jay22]

i really find it hard to believe that adults eat gumballs as much or more than kids do, kids light up when they see the machine,(and i just got the rhino supreme, nothing fancy)though your name is gumball guy, so i suppose i should take your word for it. i know that one place i really wanted is “snip it’s”, a hair salon for kids. i placed it in there for 2 minutes, while calling the owner to see if i could keep it there, and in that time it already made $1. unfortunately, she said no... ugh.  so could you tell me what your best locations are? i will have to go more outside the box on where i put them, thanks for that advice. i only bought 10 machines, and want to buy 10 more with profit i make from these, that’s why i been picky, but yea, they make no money in my house, true.

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by jay22

[gumball guy]

3 hours ago, jay22 said:

i really find it hard to believe that adults eat gumballs as much or more than kids do, kids light up when they see the machine,(and i just got the rhino supreme, nothing fancy)though your name is gumball guy, so i suppose i should take your word for it. i know that one place i really wanted is “snip it’s”, a hair salon for kids. i placed it in there for 2 minutes, while calling the owner to see if i could keep it there, and in that time it already made $1. unfortunately, she said no... ugh.  so could you tell me what your best locations are? i will have to go more outside the box on where i put them, thanks for that advice. i only bought 10 machines, and want to buy 10 more with profit i make from these, that’s why i been picky, but yea, they make no money in my house, true.

 

      My best locations are all across the board.  A few examples ..... I have a car repair place that 1 guy eats $50 worth of gumballs a month and has for years. I have a car dealership where 1 gal eats $30 a month. I have a CPA office where a 75 year old woman eats $15 a month in gumballs. My point is most places are unique and there is no consistent "home run" location any more. Sure if you could get in a Chuck E Cheese or Walmart it would be great but corporate & chain locations (like Snip It's) rarely allow bulk vending machines so even if you get a manager to allow it odds are you will be pulling it as soon as a district manager comes in. Many Jiffy Lubes will not allow vending machines anymore but it sounds like you are in one so hopefully it does well and it lasts.  Independent restaurants can be solid but most already have equipment.  Look for newly opened independent retail places & restaurants as they have the family traffic you seem to be looking for.

     Keep this in mind…….bulk vending locations are fluid. Novice operators often think they will place a machine and it will be there producing income for years. While this happens occasionally it is the exception not the rule. Locations close, ownership changes, management changes, remodels, theft, slow sales, fires, floods, car running into the building …….all of these are examples of why you lose locations and I've experienced them all plus many other reasons. One of the keys to success in bulk vending is getting those machines right back out as soon as they get displaced. 

[jay22]

how about laundromats? everyone has quarters out anyway. still not consistent earners?

[gumball guy]

56 minutes ago, jay22 said:

how about laundromats? everyone has quarters out anyway. still not consistent earners?

You are right about people having change in hand plus there are generally a lot of bored kids waiting with their parents. Most are good if they have decent customer traffic. Laundromats are like any other business. If they are dirty or have junky equipment they generally will not do as well as a clean, well managed location so not all of them are going to be A+ earners. A couple of other caveats...... I never put equipment in laundromats unless they have an attendant. If there is no attendant your chances of vandalism or theft rise exponentially. A single like what you are using can be hard to secure, is easy to tear up and can walk away easily in an unsupervised environment. Many times if you are able to get your foot in the door there will be other vending equipment to compete with and that can affect sales but I would still try it. Many will want commission as well so be prepared for that if they ask. I am primarily charity but will offer 30% commission if they want a piece of the action. If I feel the place has a lot of potential (like an insanely busy laundromat) I would go as high as 50% on gumballs only.

[orsd]

I would do a rack at a laundromat.

[jay22]

On 7/5/2019 at 8:16 AM, gumball guy said:

You are right about people having change in hand plus there are generally a lot of bored kids waiting with their parents. Most are good if they have decent customer traffic. Laundromats are like any other business. If they are dirty or have junky equipment they generally will not do as well as a clean, well managed location so not all of them are going to be A+ earners. A couple of other caveats...... I never put equipment in laundromats unless they have an attendant. If there is no attendant your chances of vandalism or theft rise exponentially. A single like what you are using can be hard to secure, is easy to tear up and can walk away easily in an unsupervised environment. Many times if you are able to get your foot in the door there will be other vending equipment to compete with and that can affect sales but I would still try it. Many will want commission as well so be prepared for that if they ask. I am primarily charity but will offer 30% commission if they want a piece of the action. If I feel the place has a lot of potential (like an insanely busy laundromat) I would go as high as 50% on gumballs only.

well i have all 10 machines placed now, but last week was a stressful time due to me making a total rookie move(which makes a little sense since i am a rookie).  when i placed the orders for the machine, i guess i ordered them preset for candy(could've sworn i chose gumball), so that's how they came.  i tested out the machines, and they all worked, so i thought they were good to go, but little did i know that gumballs only vend about 60% of the time on candy wheel.  i started getting calls from locations about machines not working, and it wasn't until i looked at my spare gumball wheels that came with all the machines that i put 2 and 2 together.  having to do damage control sucked, but i managed to keep all my locations other than 1, which was by far the worst spot anyway. probably a blessing in a way, because i learned about swapping out parts of the machine, that i otherwise wouldn't have learned for awhile.  when i went back to swap out the machines for ones with a gumball wheel, i did a small collection, and all locations were on pace to do about $20 a month, except for a jiffy lube which surprisingly had $20 in there after 10 days.  ended up getting 5 laundromats, 3 oil change places, a pizza/sub shop, and an ice cream shop. few of the laundromats had a snack machine in there already, but not big ones.  

Edited July 18, 2019 by jay22

[gumball guy]

10 hours ago, jay22 said:

well i have all 10 machines placed now, but last week was a stressful time due to me making a total rookie move(which makes a little sense since i am a rookie).  when i placed the orders for the machine, i guess i ordered them preset for candy(could've sworn i chose gumball), so that's how they came.  i tested out the machines, and they all worked, so i thought they were good to go, but little did i know that gumballs only vend about 60% of the time on candy wheel.  i started getting calls from locations about machines not working, and it wasn't until i looked at my spare gumball wheels that came with all the machines that i put 2 and 2 together.  having to do damage control sucked, but i managed to keep all my locations other than 1, which was by far the worst spot anyway. probably a blessing in a way, because i learned about swapping out parts of the machine, that i otherwise wouldn't have learned for awhile.  when i went back to swap out the machines for ones with a gumball wheel, i did a small collection, and all locations were on pace to do about $20 a month, except for a jiffy lube which surprisingly had $20 in there after 10 days.  ended up getting 5 laundromats, 3 oil change places, a pizza/sub shop, and an ice cream shop. few of the laundromats had a snack machine in there already, but not big ones.  

I love this update! You ran into problems right out of the gate, dealt with them effectively and learned alot. It is great to hear someone take a challenging situation and turn it into a positive. That attitude will open alot of doors for you in the vending business or any other endeavor you pursue. Here's to your continued success and thanks for sharing your experience. Hope to hear more from you (challenges and triumphs) in the future!!!

[jay22]

On 7/18/2019 at 6:43 PM, gumball guy said:

I love this update! You ran into problems right out of the gate, dealt with them effectively and learned alot. It is great to hear someone take a challenging situation and turn it into a positive. That attitude will open alot of doors for you in the vending business or any other endeavor you pursue. Here's to your continued success and thanks for sharing your experience. Hope to hear more from you (challenges and triumphs) in the future!!!

well you were right. woke up today to a voicemail from a laundromat that doesn’t always have an attendant... machine was stolen. didn’t even make it a full month. knew it was a risk, but it wasn’t in a bad area, so i thought it would be ok. never again.

[gumball guy]

On 7/22/2019 at 7:49 AM, jay22 said:

well you were right. woke up today to a voicemail from a laundromat that doesn’t always have an attendant... machine was stolen. didn’t even make it a full month. knew it was a risk, but it wasn’t in a bad area, so i thought it would be ok. never again.

Sorry to hear that happened especially with a new machine. Sometimes you roll the dice and it doesn't work out. Unfortunately machine theft is just part of the business in bulk vending.

[jay22]

3 hours ago, gumball guy said:

Sorry to hear that happened especially with a new machine. Sometimes you roll the dice and it doesn't work out. Unfortunately machine theft is just part of the business in bulk vending.

it's not a huge issue, another learning experience really.  at least i got the stand back, and the company i ordered it from is going to send me an extra flange on my next order...so it was probably about a $85 loss total.  it does bum me out because there were so many laundry mats i wanted to check out, but a lot of them likely don't have attendants at all times, so not going to bother with those now.  also, i finally put one in a nail salon lol... the first one i went to were happy to have it.  something tells me that the asian women who normally run these places will be some of the easier people to deal with when it comes to accepting machines?  

Edited July 24, 2019 by jay22

[gumball guy]

1 hour ago, jay22 said:

it's not a huge issue, another learning experience really.  at least i got the stand back, and the company i ordered it from is going to send me an extra flange on my next order...so it was probably about a $85 loss total.  it does bum me out because there were so many laundry mats i wanted to check out, but a lot of them likely don't have attendants at all times, so not going to bother with those now.  also, i finally put one in a nail salon lol... the first one i went to were happy to have it.  something tells me that the asian women who normally run these places will be some of the easier people to deal with when it comes to accepting machines?  

The nail salons can be quirky. Just like everywhere else some are easy to deal with, others are not. The tough part is communicating with them if there is a problem because of the language barrier that typically exists. Generally, if they show you the door, it will it will be "no room anymore" or "candy on floor too much" kind of explanation or just "please take" with no explanation at all. And if you push for a reason they just repeat themselves until you realize any attempt to keep the location is futile. That said I do have alot of great nail salons that I have been in for a long time and they are definitely worth trying. Understand also that if you are in an area that has cold winters the nail business slows down quite a bit. Not alot of sandals worn in the winter.

[vendtex]

On 7/5/2019 at 7:16 AM, gumball guy said:

You are right about people having change in hand plus there are generally a lot of bored kids waiting with their parents. Most are good if they have decent customer traffic. Laundromats are like any other business. If they are dirty or have junky equipment they generally will not do as well as a clean, well managed location so not all of them are going to be A+ earners. A couple of other caveats...... I never put equipment in laundromats unless they have an attendant. If there is no attendant your chances of vandalism or theft rise exponentially. A single like what you are using can be hard to secure, is easy to tear up and can walk away easily in an unsupervised environment. Many times if you are able to get your foot in the door there will be other vending equipment to compete with and that can affect sales but I would still try it. Many will want commission as well so be prepared for that if they ask. I am primarily charity but will offer 30% commission if they want a piece of the action. If I feel the place has a lot of potential (like an insanely busy laundromat) I would go as high as 50% on gumballs only.

What types of vends would you be willing to pay 30% on?  Racks with toys?

[jay22]

On 7/24/2019 at 3:32 PM, gumball guy said:

The nail salons can be quirky. Just like everywhere else some are easy to deal with, others are not. The tough part is communicating with them if there is a problem because of the language barrier that typically exists. Generally, if they show you the door, it will it will be "no room anymore" or "candy on floor too much" kind of explanation or just "please take" with no explanation at all. And if you push for a reason they just repeat themselves until you realize any attempt to keep the location is futile. That said I do have alot of great nail salons that I have been in for a long time and they are definitely worth trying. Understand also that if you are in an area that has cold winters the nail business slows down quite a bit. Not alot of sandals worn in the winter.

i'm in mass, our winters definitely suck, so great advice there.  hey, what do you think about trying pediatrician waiting rooms?  nervous kids going to the doctors,can't ease their anxiety much better than seeing a gumball machine when they walk in.  

[gumball guy]

1 hour ago, jay22 said:

i'm in mass, our winters definitely suck, so great advice there.  hey, what do you think about trying pediatrician waiting rooms?  nervous kids going to the doctors,can't ease their anxiety much better than seeing a gumball machine when they walk in.  

I agree with the concept but I think it would be a challenge getting an account like that. Today's concerns about childhood obesity or a transfer of germs by an inordinate number of sick kids in one place may doom landing a location like that. If you were able to get one though I think it would be very successful. I have some in common areas of professional buildings that house an array of doctors offices and some of those are good locations. I have machines in handful of daycare centers and they are great locations.

[gumball guy]

19 hours ago, vendtex said:

What types of vends would you be willing to pay 30% on?  Racks with toys?

Anything that I can still make a profit on after all costs including the commission. Peanut M & M's, M & M's or Reese's Pieces won't be on that list. Skittles, Mike & Ike's and Hot Tamales still have enough margin to use in commission situations. I also use a variety of pressed candy in those situations as well. I really push gumballs though. I just set a small 4 way rack in a laundromat that has 3 gumball heads and 1 bouncy ball at 40%. I don't do many racks anymore and most of my business is charity affiliated so commission is generally a last resort to get in somewhere that I think is worth it. The truth is bulk candy and gum vending doesn't usually generate enough revenue for a decent commission program and most locations understand that.

[vendtex]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:28 PM, gumball guy said:

Anything that I can still make a profit on after all costs including the commission. Peanut M & M's, M & M's or Reese's Pieces won't be on that list. Skittles, Mike & Ike's and Hot Tamales still have enough margin to use in commission situations. I also use a variety of pressed candy in those situations as well. I really push gumballs though. I just set a small 4 way rack in a laundromat that has 3 gumball heads and 1 bouncy ball at 40%. I don't do many racks anymore and most of my business is charity affiliated so commission is generally a last resort to get in somewhere that I think is worth it. The truth is bulk candy and gum vending doesn't usually generate enough revenue for a decent commission program and most locations understand that.

Quote

I pulled out of a purchased site in which the guy wanted 20% and cashews.  Then he complained when I pulled it out.  Some people have unrealistic views.  

 

[jay22]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:51 PM, gumball guy said:

I agree with the concept but I think it would be a challenge getting an account like that. Today's concerns about childhood obesity or a transfer of germs by an inordinate number of sick kids in one place may doom landing a location like that. If you were able to get one though I think it would be very successful. I have some in common areas of professional buildings that house an array of doctors offices and some of those are good locations. I have machines in handful of daycare centers and they are great locations.

I will have to try daycare centers.  nail salons have ended up being the easiest locations for me to get a "yes" at, mainly due to the fact most of them have decision makers present, unlike almost every other place i go to. the quick dopamine hit of getting a location to accept my machine is nice, but i do hope i'm not selling myself short by putting my machines in a bunch of these nail salons though. i know what you mean when you say it won't make anything sitting in a garage, but sitting in the garage for awhile longer only to eventually land a great home would be better than feeling obligated to keep a machine in a crap location for 3 months('d feel too guilty to pull a machine sooner than that).   i guess i'll know in a month. one thing i like is that no nail salon has asked about commission.  once i tell them it's free, they're cool with it.  the majority of my locations that aren't nail salons say something along the lines of "what's in it for us?"

[gumball guy]

You can always keep one or two machines in the garage to have on hand if you are actively looking for locations that you feel may have a higher probability of success than locations you are already in. Most new vendors struggle to get equipment out but you don't seem to have any issues doing it so having an extra machine on hand shouldn't be an issue for you. Generally it is great to have all of your equipment out earning money as you scout for new locations then pull your slowest location and relocate immediately. Unfortunately you just don't know how good a location is going to be until it's been there for a cycle or two so patience is necessary early on. You seem to be off to a great start so hopefully you have some solid numbers in the months to come.

[jay22]

On 8/2/2019 at 7:40 PM, gumball guy said:

You can always keep one or two machines in the garage to have on hand if you are actively looking for locations that you feel may have a higher probability of success than locations you are already in. Most new vendors struggle to get equipment out but you don't seem to have any issues doing it so having an extra machine on hand shouldn't be an issue for you. Generally it is great to have all of your equipment out earning money as you scout for new locations then pull your slowest location and relocate immediately. Unfortunately you just don't know how good a location is going to be until it's been there for a cycle or two so patience is necessary early on. You seem to be off to a great start so hopefully you have some solid numbers in the months to come.

oh believe me, i'm still struggling lol... i've gotten plenty of rejections, and zero callbacks/returned emails, actually one returned email saying they weren't interested. .  how did you get the daycare centers anyway? did it require a big pitch? how many kids are usually at those places anyway?

[orsd]

3 hours ago, jay22 said:

oh believe me, i'm still struggling lol... i've gotten plenty of rejections, and zero callbacks/returned emails, actually one returned email saying they weren't interested. .  how did you get the daycare centers anyway? did it require a big pitch? how many kids are usually at those places anyway?

Don’t wait for people to return calls or emails. Follow up. In person, or by phone.

[gumball guy]

20 hours ago, jay22 said:

oh believe me, i'm still struggling lol... i've gotten plenty of rejections, and zero callbacks/returned emails, actually one returned email saying they weren't interested. .  how did you get the daycare centers anyway? did it require a big pitch? how many kids are usually at those places anyway?

The daycare locations I am in are all in the hood and are owner operated. I even have one at an "in home" daycare. You're not going to walk into Kinder Care or The Goddard School and have any chance at getting in there. I was able to get into a United Way affiliated daycare and placed a machine in the teacher's lounge. Worked great for about 6 months until the dreaded district supervisor showed up and showed me the door.