Over recent years, healthy eating has become a buzz phrase that has become more and more popular in many sectors. With media campaigns and celebrity chef’s extoling the importance of a healthier diet and lifestyle, as a nation we are certainly becoming more educated in our snacking habits.
One of the key targets of these campaigns is snacking between meals and what to snack on. So today we are going to ask how does vending fit into this new awareness and how appropriate and effective are healthy vending options compared to the more traditional confectionary and savoury snacks?
Firstly, let’s be clear that the purpose of this blog is not to negate either side. It is of course important to be health-conscious and to eat properly. It is also important however to understand the reasons that we snack and why we enjoy things like chocolate and crisps. The purpose of being educated is to be able to make informed decisions. What we are going to look at here is healthy vending as a business option compared to the more common types of vending that are available.
Why do we snack?
Light and dark german beer in big mugs and bowls with salty snacks and nuts, autumn beer festival concept, dark wooden table, top view
Stress-snacking.eu states that there are several reasons that we snack: it could be hunger, or it could be that you are low on certain nutrients, it may be triggered by stress or boredom or it could even be through a desire to celebrate or reward yourself. How often have you treated yourself to some chocolate or candy when you have finished a task or when you have felt your energy levels were low? Continually opting for unhealthy snacks when you are hungry is of course going to have detrimental effects on your health. On the other hand, having the occasional munch on some candy isn’t going to be sending you to the hospital any time soon. If a snack is available to you and convenient to acquire, you are more likely to take advantage of it.
Why do we use vending machines?
Impulse and convenience of course! Since the advent of the first vending machines such as gumball machines and bulk vendors, people have been drawn to them because they are there and they have the impulse to use them. True, vending machines that supply sandwiches, for example, are meeting a specific need to a degree but think about where they are usually placed: stations, hospitals and colleges… situations where you are likely to get hungry and it will be some time before you can get home or to a shop. If we are talking about some Skittles or a small tub of Pringles, however, you are more likely going to purchasing them on impulse.
What do you choose when looking for a snack?
At home, you have choices – you could have some cereal or a piece of fruit or you could have some chocolate! When you are out and about or at work for example, your options are more limited but let’s not blame vending for the choices that are being made. When was the last time you went out for a drink? Did you buy some peanuts or a packet of crisps across the bar? Did you really need them or did you buy them simply because you fancied a snack and they were available? We make these choices based on desire and we know that they are not the healthiest options. Have a think next time you go shopping about what snacks you put in your trolley – are you stocking up your “naughty” cupboard as well as your fruit bowl?
How effective are healthy vending products?
Starting a vending business has one key motivation behind it – to generate an income. So as with any business, you need to think about what products are going to sell the best and what opportunities you have for venues where your products are likely to sell. We have looked at appropriate venues for vending machines before and one of the most common factors is matching your products to your market. For example, you wouldn’t put a toy vendor into a site where children are never present! So with healthy vending snacks, you are going to want to place your machines where people are going to be more conscious of what they are eating and the choices that they make: health clubs, gyms, schools (the awareness in schools is going to be through official policy more than the child’s choice). Consider this: when you go for a pint, you don’t usually find yourself fancying a fruit salad or some carrot sticks.
The point here is that yes there is a market for healthy vending but that market is going to be more specific than sweet or crisp vending. You can make money from it but you would need to be very conscientious in terms of where you would be placing your machines.
There are some other important considerations if you are thinking about including healthy products in your vending machine business: for example, the shelf life, packaging and waste and the convenience of the actual product: would you need a spoon to eat it for example?
If you are starting a vending machine business and want to include healthy snacks, it would be worth finding out first what possibilities there are in your region first – try getting in touch with the local authority to see if you can offer the service to schools and colleges in the area. But never limit yourself to one thing.
And remember that it is your customer that is making the choice, not you!
