Vending machines are more than the sum of their parts. They’re a way for us to recharge during the day, to sustain our energy when we are busy or far from restaurants or stores, and they provide a beacon when we find ourselves ravaged with hunger or thirst in the middle of the night when we’re out in the world.
Keeping your machines in top condition is essential to making a profit and providing reliable service to the snackers of the world, so vending machine repair in Dallas, TX should be one of your top priorities. If that isn’t reason enough, here are some facts about vending machines that you might not know.
There’s a vending machine for nearly everything
Snacks and sodas are the most widely known, but did you know there are vending machines for underwear? Live crabs? Fresh milk? The ease and simplicity of vending machines is appreciated by both seller and buyer, beyond traditional packaged foods for enjoying on the go.
While traditional vending machines can be tweaked to sell just about anything, there are ones made for specific purposes, such as dispensing liquid or providing mini “lockers” for larger items like sandwiches, baked goods or retail items. Some are even able to make hot food like French fries or hot dogs. Beverage machines can be altered to dispense other things as well—even live bait for fishermen. That’s great for businesses that need to sell goods at all times of the day or night.
There are “smart” vending machines
It started with smart phones, then the Internet of Things gave us smart homes. Now there are smart vending machines, too. Some of them have simple but useful features, like turning on and off automatically. This device is called a vend miser, and it uses a motion sensor to turn on when people use the machine. It also maintains temperature to keep items cool, but turns off when possible to conserve energy. Some of these “smart” vending machines take more than cash. Many offer purchase options like Apple Pay, Google Wallet or swipeless, touch transaction with your credit card. Some companies like Coca-Cola even offer apps that allow customers to purchase items using artificial intelligence.
More than 5 million vending machines exist in the country
There are vending machines outside of many big box stores like Target, Walmart and more, but did you know that there are far more vending machines than chain stores, fast food restaurants and grocery stores combined? There are 5,100 supermarkets, 100,000 chain restaurants and 200,000 fast food restaurant locations in the United States. That total of 305,100 doesn’t even come close to the number of vending machines in the country, which totals over 5 million! Perhaps that’s not surprising, though, when you consider that each one of those locations can have one or more vending machines and the fact that vending machines can be placed just about anywhere.
Interested in hiring a vending machine service or need vending repairs in Dallas, TX? ABC Vending Co. can help—call us today!