Nick505 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Well I am very excited about the location Rob just supplied. Tomorrow I am dropping off a double-head at an Abertsons Grocery Store. The machine is going to be in their employee break room. I was thinking Mike & Ikes and PMM. Would any of you suggest something different. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Well I am very excited about the location Rob just supplied. Tomorrow I am dropping off a double-head at an Abertsons Grocery Store. The machine is going to be in their employee break room. I was thinking Mike & Ikes and PMM. Would any of you suggest something different. Nick gumballs for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Profits Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 gumballs for sure! You know a lot of break rooms don't allow gumballs because employees have to interface with customers... management doesn't want them chewing like a cow. Doesn't exactly present the best image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 You know a lot of break rooms don't allow gumballs because employees have to interface with customers... management doesn't want them chewing like a cow. Doesn't exactly present the best image. well mr profits! I thought break room meant they were on break! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Profits Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 well mr profits! I thought break room meant they were on break! Forgive me... I completely forgot that no minimum-wage worker on this planet would ever be caught chewing bubble gum in front of customers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will.vend Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Forgive me... I completely forgot that no minimum-wage worker on this planet would ever be caught chewing bubble gum in front of customers... your forgiven! now bag my groceries and stop smacking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 I kind of guessed that they would not be allowed but I am going to show up ready to vend gumballs and M&I. If I have to change the gum to something else I will most likely switch them out with PMM. Do any of the other vendors on this forum have grocery store break rooms and if you do how well do they perform. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Very good. Just be aware that whomever the contract vendor is can get you booted just for the asking. 99% of the time their contract is inclusive of the entire store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 Keep your machines clean and fresh, be super nice to workers and leave a few quarters (when workers are present) every 3 or 4 months and you will do good. I do not have any grocery store break rooms , but I do have break rooms. Thanks Kelly!! This is a brand new double that looks very sharp I have to say! Do I offer them some candy and if they accept just hand over a couple quarters, or do I leave a couple quarters on a table in the break room? Nick Very good. Just be aware that whomever the contract vendor is can get you booted just for the asking. 99% of the time their contract is inclusive of the entire store. I'll keep that in mind. I'll just have to keep the machine in top notch condition. This is a charity location so hopefully it brings in lots of quarters and has a long lifetime. I haven't been to this Albertsons yet but I may even be able to sell them on a rack later down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEREMYTINA Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I usually just hand out a couple of quarters. Call me cheap, but if you try to pass the candy you wind up giving a lot more to them in a water cooler cup, or whatever receptacle they have handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Vending Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Well I am very excited about the location Rob just supplied. Tomorrow I am dropping off a double-head at an Abertsons Grocery Store. The machine is going to be in their employee break room. I was thinking Mike & Ikes and PMM. Would any of you suggest something different. Nick I use to have 15 grocery breakrooms and am down to one. Kroger's corporate kicked everyone out of theirs over a year ago. The others did not perform and I have changed my business model to rid my route of most candy vending. They are fickle locations and depends on employee turnover to produce. One month they will do $50 plus the next $10 usually because an employee left or quit or they just get tired of your selections. You will have to mix up your selections to find the correct mix. The location will start great and fade over time as most breakrooms with candy just get bored with the candy. There are exceptions to this and being in a grocery breakroom is as good as it gets. Give out samples or quarters and interact with the help to find out what they like; one employee can carry a location. Then ride it till it dies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Do any of the other vendors on this forum have grocery store break rooms and if you do how well do they perform. Well since you asked... I have been in grocery store break rooms for a many years. And they are at best an average producer and are very "hit or miss" just like the retail break rooms can be. I had about 10 Winn Dixie break rooms and they all sucked and all had to be removed! Of course Winn Dixie eventually went bankrupt as well and that may have also been a factor! I had 4 Albertsons' break rooms and 3 of them sucked and were removed and they also went bankrupt here in Orange county. The one Albertsons that I did have did very well at first but dropped off 70% after 6 or 8 months. But one year later the machine was stolen - yes, right out of the break room! Not to negative here, but that is the truth and my experience. Now I do have a few in another grocery store chain that do average and are still worth keeping. But every grocery store break room will be different. So I would say go ahead and place it, but have realistic expectations. But just install a two head. And definitely sell gumballs. I now only do MMP, Runts and gumballs for food products. The MMP still do very well in many break rooms. Runts are my backup candy and a substitute for "no gum policy" locations or if the MMP is slow. Also consider 2-for-1 gumballs if 1-for-quarter is slow. If those combinations do not work out, I pull the machine. I no longer mess with Skittles, RP and M&I. There is some money in break rooms, but you need to have the patience to sort through the duds and be willing to change things up a bit and ride out the "novelty spikes". It can be a 6 to 8 month "wait and see" game. I figure about 30% tp 40% of all my new break rooms in retail stores and grocery stores will eventually be pulled. Just the way it is with break rooms these days. So give it a shot and good luck with it. Now the best break rooms, if you can still find them, are in the factories. Unfortunately, you need to go to China to service many of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 Just hand out some quarters, that will get them using the vending machine. Most likely you will get those quarters back. Well I dropped it off this afternoon and there was one employee in there on break. I gave him two quarters and explained to him that this machine benefits the NCCS and he went straight for the gumballs. I hope I have me a gumball junkie here!!! Well since you asked... I have been in grocery store break rooms for a many years. And they are at best an average producer and are very "hit or miss" just like the retail break rooms can be. I had about 10 Winn Dixie break rooms and they all sucked and all had to be removed! Of course Winn Dixie eventually went bankrupt as well and that may have also been a factor! I had 4 Albertsons' break rooms and 3 of them sucked and were removed and they also went bankrupt here in Orange county. The one Albertsons that I did have did very well at first but dropped off 70% after 6 or 8 months. But one year later the machine was stolen - yes, right out of the break room! Not to negative here, but that is the truth and my experience. Now I do have a few in another grocery store chain that do average and are still worth keeping. But every grocery store break room will be different. So I would say go ahead and place it, but have realistic expectations. But just install a two head. And definitely sell gumballs. I now only do MMP, Runts and gumballs for food products. The MMP still do very well in many break rooms. Runts are my backup candy and a substitute for "no gum policy" locations or if the MMP is slow. Also consider 2-for-1 gumballs if 1-for-quarter is slow. If those combinations do not work out, I pull the machine. I no longer mess with Skittles, RP and M&I. There is some money in break rooms, but you need to have the patience to sort through the duds and be willing to change things up a bit and ride out the "novelty spikes". It can be a 6 to 8 month "wait and see" game. I figure about 30% tp 40% of all my new break rooms in retail stores and grocery stores will eventually be pulled. Just the way it is with break rooms these days. So give it a shot and good luck with it. Now the best break rooms, if you can still find them, are in the factories. Unfortunately, you need to go to China to service many of them. Jax! Thanks for the words of wisdom. I can deal with the location being a dud or loosing sales after a few months but I don't think i would want my machine stolen!! I don't think this will happen being it is in a good part of town. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Jax! Thanks for the words of wisdom. I can deal with the location being a dud or loosing sales after a few months but I don't think i would want my machine stolen!! I don't think this will happen being it is in a good part of town. Nick No problem Nick. Just glad you took the info in a positive manner. Sometimes personal experiences are not so rosie. I have only ever had 2 machines stolen from a break room and rarely get kicked out of them. But those novelty spikes can be brutal. I would be curious how it does in a few months and also in another 8 months if it dropps off like most break rooms tend to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 No problem Nick. Just glad you took the info in a positive manner. Sometimes personal experiences are not so rosie. I have only ever had 2 machines stolen from a break room and rarely get kicked out of them. But those novelty spikes can be brutal. I would be curious how it does in a few months and also in another 8 months if it dropps off like most break rooms tend to do. Of course! Ya I assume every location is different and it is ultimately up to the employees in this situation. Yea, I will keep everyone posted each month. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 Of course! Ya I assume every location is different and it is ultimately up to the employees in this situation. Yea, I will keep everyone posted each month. Nick Just an update for those of you who are interested. I have now serviced this location twice. The first servicing was after 10 days and it produced about 7 dollars. The latest service was a 30 day cycle and contained 11.25 from the gumball head and .25 cents from the M&K. Someone broke off my chute door and tore off the coin mech. The chute door was gone and the coin mech was on the counter. The candy and quarter tray were both empty. It has now been another 30 days and I am currently out of town and will not be able to service for 7-8 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agrantha Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Just an update for those of you who are interested. I have now serviced this location twice. The first servicing was after 10 days and it produced about 7 dollars. The latest service was a 30 day cycle and contained 11.25 from the gumball head and .25 cents from the M&K. Someone broke off my chute door and tore off the coin mech. The chute door was gone and the coin mech was on the counter. The candy and quarter tray were both empty. It has now been another 30 days and I am currently out of town and will not be able to service for 7-8 weeks. I no longer do break rooms. I do restaurants only. Although the profit margin is not high on plain M&M's, they usually are my best sellers. I tried to get away from them and only go with gumballs and Runts, but we have some real chocolate junkies around here. People who are hooked on chocolate don't get tired of it. Nick what type of machine do you have that customers are having a field day with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 I no longer do break rooms. I do restaurants only. Although the profit margin is not high on plain M&M's, they usually are my best sellers. I tried to get away from them and only go with gumballs and Runts, but we have some real chocolate junkies around here. People who are hooked on chocolate don't get tired of it. Nick what type of machine do you have that customers are having a field day with? Ya I am thinking the break rooms are not very good locations for a couple reasons. 1. Mostly the same customers on a daily basis. 2. Generally only adult traffic. 3. Dis-honest employees. The machine is a LYPC. One of the first machines that I bought to get started. Although I like the looks of the LYPC and Beavers, I do not like the prices. I will most likely start using Northwesterns or A&A Machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick505 Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Well it has been six months of lousy results. Its kind of neat to read back on some of my old posts and see the enthusiasm I had pertaining to candy vending. Anyways this location will be removed in a couple weeks. Its averaging $8.00/month...That is not even worth my time! Jax nailed it perfectly! The sales were around 16-19 average per month at the start. Now $8.00 if I am lucky. Time to move on to toy vending! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Most of my breakrooms have been trending downward for the last 3 years. Some have dropped 70% to 80%! Many breakrooms have been pulled or will be pulled out soon. At one time I had many that rocked. Now I no longer pursue them. Industrial, factories and many blue-collar places have taken a big hit in this area, with many locations either closing or laying off in high numbers. Even big box retail stores are sucking wind in terms of vending. Funny how things have changed. Well at least my expense in camouflage clothing has gone down! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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