What are your top selling and highest markup items?

[mission vending]

Popladys post made me realize a couple of things I learned since buying a bigger route about 3 months ago.  A couple of the names on her list made no sense to me before I bought, afterwards, they have become important.  Also, many of those same names are not available in my local Sams, BJs, etc.  Only upon ordering from Vistar have I been able to get many of them.   Grandmas mini Vanilla Creme cookies are by FAR my best selling cookie throughout all my stops.  Only available from Vistar in my area. 

Wise Ridgies Sour Cream and Onion sell very well and are probably comparable to the Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Creme.   Once again, only available from Vistar in my area.  Got Spanish/Latinos at your stops?  Plaintain chips from ARA and Pork Rinds.  Again, I can only get me at Vistar.  Now I don't want to sound like an ad for VIstar cause I don't love em or work for 'em.   However, they do have stuff I can't get anywhere else and I never even knew some of this stuff existed until I started ordering from them and seeing what other stuff is available on my expanded route. 

Lastly, every damn stop is different.  I can't sell popcorn at most my stops, but I have two where I cannot keep it in stock.  Plaintain chips seem to do well in MANY places I never suspected and they are one of the few that get asked for by name over and over.  However, there are a couple stops where they don't sell at all.  I have come to realize that EVERY stop has to be customized to the individual tastes of the clients at that stop.  And then you come to know when that the guy who buys six Devil Dogs every week is on vacation because they are still in the coils when you go back the next week!    So plan on having to customize each stop to meet your clienteles desires and tastes.  Then learn to adjust as workers change jobs or their tastes change.  Clients often make suggestions if encouraged.  Listen and act on those  suggestions, it will pay dividents!

Well said, don't think I could add anything more to that. Vistar or other wholesale supplier for vending operators is an integral component of any medium or larger size vending operator.

[Pbuckler]

Before I call Vendstar, what are their minimums? Would it be possible to use up the minimum order between 1-2 snack machines before the product expires?

[mission vending]

They usually require an order around $1,000.00 and/or 40 cases. A couple of suggestions:

1. Call the nearest distribution center, mine delivers out of Houston and they will accommodate cash and carry pickup for small orders.

2. Try some other local vendors and see if they order from Vistar and if you can piggyback a few cases on their order.

[Pbuckler]

Buckler stop being an idiot. I don't know RJT, but from his advice he knows what he is talking about.

I agree RJT has a lot of info to share with us. However, in this thread I am simply looking for the subject line of this thread. Not a laundry list of items curtailed to the demographic at this location. The reason for my original post was to help myself and others gain knowledge of products we may not know about and that are popular among other locations.

[antoniocinisi]

I have never heard of anyone requireing a 1000 dollar order to deliver.....

[mission vending]

Just to clarify. I used to order from a company called PFG` they had a min 1K order. When Vistar took them over it became 40 cases for min order. The min order is the minimum amount to order without an additional delivery charge. In my mind if I can`t make a min order I won`t order. It`s hard enough to get margins on product without having to absorb additional fees.

So if you are willing to pay the additional fee you can order but the additional expense will make it very difficult to make anything off of it. Especially very small orders, like less than 300 - 400 $$.

If you are not making money then why do it?

[antoniocinisi]

seems rather high to me.

[WillisNYC]

My minimum Vistar order is $750 or 65 cases of product.  Their chocolate and sodas are too expensive, so I don't buy those from them.  Their chips, cakes and cookies are usually as cheap or cheaper than Sam's or other wholesale clubs and offer greater variety.  Without ordering chocolate or sodas from them, I struggle to order enough product to meet the minimum every week.  So I skip a week every two or three and order a little extra to get me through the skipped week. 

[Pbuckler]

My nearest Vistar is 200 miles away. Is there anywhere else that you can get this stuff from?

[WillisNYC]

There is a large vending company in my area which I could get these things from, I suggest that you look up some of the larger vendors in your area.

[WillisNYC]

Thank you Poplady!  I just ordered the Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream chips from Vistar this week to try them.  Since I am a purveryor of junk food, I popped one package open and tried them.  WOW!  I really like these chips and it is probably the first new chip I have liked since I was a kid!  NOW I just hope my clients like em too!