What Makes Glass Front Vending Machines Popular?

With increasing demand and use of vending machines, several models have been introduced. In 1880 coin operated vending machines were first introduced followed by drop shelf and electronic drop shelf vending machines. Each of these had their own set of merits and demerits. Drop shelf vending machines use was limited to selling just one product at a time. In due course glass front vending machines have been developed.

These machines have been a huge success and were able to gain popularity within no time. The reason for increasing popularity of this machine is its benefits. Some of these benefits are mentioned below:

Increased sales: In a front glass vending machine from Planet Antares, customer can see the product which he is going to purchase. Hence it is believed increase sales and draws the attention of passers by.

• Attractive features: These machines come with illuminated motor and pull forward trays that increase the ease of dispensing. They also come with several eye catching features that give complete customer satisfaction.

• Shelf space: A glass front vending machine comes with small shelf space that can accommodate more products when compared to drop shelf unit.

• Customer interaction: Customer involvement is more in a glass front machine when compared to an enclosed one.

• Unnecessary wastage: Glass front vending machines come with electronic tracking which is used to track movement of products. This helps in tracking fast moving products and also prevents wastage.

• Wide choice: In a glass front vending machine, customer has more items to choose from.

• Branded products: Glass Front vending machines are best suitable for selling branded products.

Besides being useful to customers, these machines are also beneficial to its operator. The first benefit being, operator can market more products in lesser shelf space, reduce promotional costs by vending branded products and identify products that have crossed expiry dates. Not only this, operator can easily identify slow moving products and replace them products that have high demand.

From the above mentioned reason it is clearly evident why these machines have become so popular.

New Vending Machines Crucial For Successful Business

With increasing demand for vending machines, several new and creative machines are designed with a view to accommodate the tastes and preferences of modern customers. Purchasing one such machine can be beneficial for your business. How? This can be understood by going through this article.

Whatever may be the business you take up, a thorough and relevant market research is imperative to make it a big success. Buying a vending machine also involves a research process in it. Operators have several options when it comes to buying a vending machine. Similarly there are several factors that influence this buying decision. For instance: Placing a candy machine in the lobby of an office may not yield good results when compared to placing the same in a mall where there is heavy customer foot fall. Thus the kinds of product you dispense also influence your buying choice.

Several new and upcoming entrepreneurs are lured towards vending business due to its associated benefits. However, some of them get discouraged by the price of a new machine mostly due to monetary constraints. That is why they tend to purchase a used machine. Buying a used machine may be advantageous initially but its chances of break downs and repairs are also very high. Cheap and used vending machines cause a lot of inconvenience and will directly affect the sales of the product vended.

Secondly, it is important for the operator to remember that these used machines have already been subjected to severe wear and tear before you have purchased them. So, their performance efficiency can be low and hence they are more prone to break downs. So all money you have saved in purchasing a used machine can go away on its maintenance and repair costs.


Vending is a million dollar industry which is very simple, lucrative and highly profitable. The success of a vending business is influenced by the quality of services rendered by the operator and the manufacturer. Smooth operation of a vending machine is of utmost importance. The durability and reliability of equipment is ensured only by established and new vending machines.

On the other hand, an investment in new equipment manufactured by an established company like Planet Antares will never let you regret. The state of art technology that is inbuilt in these machines will help you in providing better services to your customers. Most importantly, the attractive and stylish appearance of a new and branded vending machine will be able to attract huge customer traffic thereby increases the sales.

Customers are in constant look out for latest products, so it is highly recommended that operator adapts himself to changing market needs and purchase machines that include latest technology. This ensures prompt and high quality services to customers.

How to Start a Vending Business?

Vending machines cater to the needs of wide range of customers at the individual front. But at a broader perspective, they can be classified into two sectors- vending machines installed in small and medium sized companies and those that are installed in big commercial complexes, malls, shops etc. When it comes to small and medium sized companies, coffee vending machines are market leaders. On the other hand a wide range of products are dispensed including dolls, toys and snacks when it comes to commercial complexes.

Operators have wide choice when it comes to choosing a vending machine. Planet Antares provides machines of various shapes and sizes which can fit almost at any location. However, it is advisable to conduct a thorough market research, gather maximum possible information about vending business, number of existing players, products offered by them, machines used by them, tastes and preferences of customers etc. All this information aids in coming up with a perfect game plan for operating your business.

Irrespective of your financial abilities, it is always advisable to start on a small scale with may be one or two vending machines as suggested by Planet Antares. Once you gain confidence in yourself and master the art of running the business, you can go in for further expansion. You can expand your business by adding in new machines to existing ones or by setting up business in new locations. This of course is left to the discretion of vending operator.

Renting exploitation is another available alternative. In this case owner or distributor will be in-charge of the vending machine and the leaseholder will earn a certain percentage of commission. Whenever you enter into such agreements, it is advisable that the operator compares prices existing in the market. It is also important that you have clear idea about terms and conditions of post renting service, maintenance cost and vending machine repair costs.

If you are looking to make some profits from your vending business, you can also go for franchise. There are several methods of making your business the best and most profitable one. However, the final decision is left to you.

Challenges in Vending Industry

Vending is no doubt a great business but operators still face some challenges when it comes to changing prices. Even the slightest variation in prices can affect the overall profitability. While fixing prices, other factors like taxes, commissions, cost of good, equipment depreciation, spoilage and other overhead costs need to be considered. All these determine the profitability of an operator.

Another issue that needs proper attention is that consumers have low regard for vended products. They consider mobile catering to be far superior to vended foods. This is one of the toughest challenges to the vending industry as a whole.

Automatic merchandising is not experienced in image building and has never utilized public relations as an instrument for bringing about change. Vending operators have always equipped themselves with information and questions on how to deal with potentially difficult issues such as food contamination and many more.

With changing times, people also need to change their attitude and thinking. Retail prices are in no way less when compared to snacks vending through vending machines. Moreover, it is always the other way round. If you purchase snacks from a vending machine, you will find it cheaper than the convenience store.

Raising prices may not be as easy as it may sound. Most customers resist price hikes in the initial stages but over a period of time they may accept it. This is true in relation to products that have regular demand. Customers have no other option but to purchase them even at a higher price.

Whatever method or process you adopt, make sure you gather sufficient information about sales and demand pertaining to one particular location. Sometimes profits can be improved by improving the efficiency of vending machine. This might be easier when compared to increasing the price or concession in commission. You can relocate this machine to another location where it might work better.

You can also take the aid of latest technology and software increasing profits and thereby offer better services. Planet Antares can help you out by guiding you through the complete process.

Vending Location Importance

Vending as we all know is one of the key ingredients of marketing mix. If you think that vending is just about purchasing a machine and installing it in a good location, you are thoroughly mistaken. Vending is something more; it involves recording and regular tracking of transactions by using various techniques and management tools. For instance product turnover can be traced using handheld planograms that aid in controlling and monitoring products without any extra labour costs.

Taking up vending business is in itself one of the biggest challenges faced by operators. One thing about this business is that you do not require any special skills sets and knowledge. This is the most realistic business where you get a chance to learn from your own mistakes; however there will not be any serious damage to your business. Usually operators start with one or two machines and expand slowly by setting up new machines or by purchasing existing ones.

Business expansion is one of the most important phases in vending business. However, there are few aspects you need to keep on mind whenever you choose a vending location.

• Accessibility: Is the location easily accessible.

• Visibility: There should not be any problem in locating the machine. It is always better to place your machines in places where people wait for some time. For instance you can place your machines near rest rooms or entrance of a hotel or near the reception.

• Transport: You need to restock your machines at times so make sure that it is not too far from your regular vending route.


The aim of vending business is to attract people and create an instinct to make a purchase. To make this happen you need to make sure that your machine is in good working condition and properly maintained. An attractive and stylish machine can easily grab the attention of customers. For more information on vending business contact Planet Antares.

Benefits Associated With Vending Machines

Planet Antares Vending machines offer a wide range of snacks, candies, beverages, coffee, bottled water and many more. These machines are also capable of receiving and processing money without the necessity of any support staff. Since their introduction, these machines were mostly used in offices and schools.

What makes Planet Antares machines preferred choice among offices? The answer to this simple question can be known by looking at the benefits it offers:

• Valued services to employees: The availability of snacks at places of work keeps employees satisfied and contended throughout their shift.

• Complete satisfaction: These machines are capable of dispensing wide variety of products. These timely perks ensure complete satisfaction to employees.

• Morale: By installing vending machines in places of work employee morale and relationships can be built.

• No wastage of time: Employees tend to spend hours together in cafeteria. Installing vending machines in place of work avoids unnecessary wastage of time.

• Cleaner workspace: Installing vending machine in workplace not only offers convenience but also keeps your break room a lot cleaner and organised. Since machines dispense required products, it is lot more organised than any other cafeteria run by staff.

• Entertainment: Besides offering timely services to employees, these machines are ideal for entertaining supervisors by keeping them hydrated and fulfilled between meals.

• Profit: Besides catering to the needs of its employees, companies earn additional revenues by allowing operators place their vending machines in their premises.

So, if you are a new entrepreneur looking for an ideal location to install your machine, place one in offices. Besides being a safe place to keep your machine, it also ensures guaranteed revenue. Over the past few years it has been proved that the demand for products in schools and offices is consistent and hence ensures recurring returns.

Cleanliness in Vending Machines

Besides prompt servicing and regular maintenance of Planet Antares vending machine, regular cleaning of the machine is also essential. Hygiene plays vital role in vending especially when you are dispensing food products. Though these functions sound to be very simple, not everyone is capable of performing them. They can be gained through rigorous practise over a period of time.

National Merchandising Association has released a book that guides route drivers on how to be professional in vending operations. If you are an operator vending food products, the way you present it will definitely impact the success of your business. We often find large number of several personnel being appointed in food vending business to handle food, cups and other material required at various stages. Right from the time of production till they reach the vending machine people are involved at every stage. In such a situation, food needs to be handled properly and thoroughly cleaned.

Proper maintenance and thorough cleaning can alone curb the spread of bacteria which may cause food poising and other kinds of infections. Improper maintenance would not only affect your sales but also create bad publicity in the market thus resulting in customer rejection.

The common mistake committed by operators is that most of them are concerned only how food is handled but tend to over look the maintenance of the vehicle that is transporting the food. In case of certain food items, there are predetermined temperatures at which these need to be stored. For instance in case of cold food, 41 degree Fahrenheit or lower temperature is required and hot foods need to be maintained at 140 degree Fahrenheit or above. The operator must be aware of these requirements and see to it that they are being properly implemented.

Another aspect that which operators should ensure is to keep their Planet Antares vending machines free from insects and rodents. This is in fact the primary responsibility of every vending operator. These things if implemented properly can leave your customers satisfied and healthy at all times. And satisfied customers can boost your sales thereby making vending a successful business.