If your office vending machine isn’t generating as many sales as you would like, a creative vending upgrade could be the key to boosting sales and drawing people to your machine.
From high-tech upgrades and playful customization to thoughtful inventory stocking, there are many ways to enhance a vending machine to be more tempting. Consider implementing some of these creative vending ideas to take your machine to the next level.
1. Smart Device Integration
Everything nowadays can be connected to your smartphone, and that includes vending machines. As smartphones continue to become integral to everyday life, smartphone connections to vending machines are growing in popularity.
This integration can allow customers to browse options, make purchases, and check prices without being in front of the machine. It’s sensational for office workers who might not want to leave their desks just to be disappointed by the vending machine selection.
Smart device integration also allows AI vending machine systems to collect more customer data, helping you manage inventory accordingly and hone your marketing efforts.
2. Touchless Machines
Touchless vending machines can go hand-in-hand with smart device integration. Not only can touchless machines stop the spread of germs and illnesses, but they can also engage customers more. Customers use their phones to make a selection or make voice commands.
The most high-tech touchless machines offer facial recognition and other biometric scanning. Customers can access a custom selection and personalized discounts just by walking up to the machine.
Though the customer never touches the machine, these futuristic vending upgrades make the experience more interactive and engaging.
3. Dynamic Displays
The days of staring blankly at rows of packaged snacks and drinks are ending. Dynamic product displays are one of the hottest new vending machine trends and a creative way to increase sales.
Machines with dynamic displays have screens that show videos and images of the products and other advertisements. This makes the whole experience more fun and interactive, which can increase sales.
The crinkled bag of potato chips in the machine might not be enticing enough to make a sale. However, a short clip of someone enjoying the crunchy chips might tempt someone enough to buy the chips.
4. Gaming Integrations
By far the most creative vending upgrades you can find are gaming integrations! Dynamic displays with touchscreen capabilities can also offer games for customers to play. The games can be more physical, but the digital ones are modern and fresh. What is more interactive than playing a game?
From tic-tac-toe to farming games and more, the future of vending machines will involve many fun options. Customers can win small prizes or discounts, encouraging them to come back and play again.
5. Personalized Discounts
Broad vending machine discounts can drive traffic, but personalized promotions are far more effective. For folks who don’t consume caffeine, a $1 off Red Bull won’t be appealing. However, a discount on water or apple juice might entice them to make a purchase.
You can implement personalized discounts in many ways — using smart device connections and facial recognition are excellent options. However, it can be as simple as having customers enter their phone numbers to track their purchases.
6. Specialized Nutrition
Depending on your vending machine location and customer demographic, a specialized nutrition selection might be an effective way to boost sales. If half the people in an office are lactose-intolerant, a machine stocked with chocolate milk and yogurt might not entice.
When stocking machines, dietary restrictions—such as veganism, vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, gluten-free diets, religious restrictions, and food allergies—can be taken into account.
This personalized inventory will make it easier for those with restrictions to find options and show customers that you care about their needs. A simple email survey can help you discover which dietary restrictions you should consider.
Read More: Benefits of Health Vending Machines in the Workplace
7. Eco-Friendly Machines
Many people also care about their environmental impact, making consumer choices based on carbon footprint, energy use, and other environmental factors. Eco-friendly machines are a brilliant way to encourage these individuals to buy from your machine over a competitor’s.
Sustainable and eco-friendly machines can be made with recycled materials, use energy conservation features, and feature recycled or sustainable snacks.
Market your vending machine as being kind to the planet, as this will make people feel good buying from it. Any opportunities to make your machine more sustainable can improve sales depending on your customer demographic.
8. Seasonal Selections
A fun way to keep customers interested in your machine is to offer a rotating selection based on the season.
In the fall, stock your machine with apple- and pumpkin-flavored snacks. In spring, make sure you have plenty of smoothies and fruity treats. For summer, focus on cold treats, like ice cream cups, popsicles, or cold bottled water. Winter should be all about warm drinks and cozy flavors like peppermint, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
You don’t need to limit your rotations to the seasons. You can offer special holiday selections or choose inventory based on cultural events, like a local festival. For example, you can add pretzels to your machine during an Oktoberfest celebration.
9. Artistic Designs
Don’t underestimate the power of color and art. If you want an affordable and creative vending upgrade, decorating your machine can make it more eye-catching for customers.
This could involve encouraging people to add local stickers, painting it a bright color like pink or blue, or hiring a local artist to elevate it. This idea can be as simple or extravagant as you want. Depending on what you choose, this might be a free vending upgrade!
10. Themed Machines
Themed machines are a sensational idea, especially if you have several machines in the same location. You can theme the machines based on their location or their inventory.
For example, one machine could be sport-themed, with products like Gatorade and Powerade. Another could be fruit-themed, with smoothies, fresh fruit, and fruit gummies. You could even have one machine dedicated to savory snacks and another just for sweets.
Vending machine displays can feel random and hectic, so theming machines can make them more appealing to customers. Plus, if you theme them thoughtfully based on location, they’ll feel perfectly in place.
11. Unusual Locations
Another creative way to bump up sales and upgrade your vending machine is to find a clever location for it.
People often place vending machines in similar locations, such as near an entrance or in a break room. However, if your sales are low, moving it to a more unique place could be the key to success.
For example, putting a vending machine full of electrolyte drinks inside an office gym rather than by the front desk will get more attention. Placing a machine near the office water cooler could be more lucrative than the break room. Assess your property, and look for unusual spots where a vending machine might do well.
Discover the Best Places to Put Vending Machines in Your Business
Think Outside the Box
Because vending machines are common and familiar, it’s easy for people to ignore them. Finding creative ways to elevate your office machine so that people can’t help but notice it or be curious can do wonders to improve sales.
These creative vending upgrades are ideas you can implement, or they may inspire you to experiment with other upgrades of your own.
Whether you need more machines or a new machine to execute these ideas, Prestige is here to help. We’ll provide creative vending recommendations to perfectly meet the needs of your space. With our expertise, you can easily enhance your offerings with upgraded vending services. Contact us today!
