Bulk Vending Machines Routes - Pros & Cons

If you're starting a vending route, the two mainstays of the vending industry are  a) Bulk Candy Vending Machines & b) snack and soda vending machines.

To start, today we'll look at the bulk vending business. This term also includes gumball vending machines, capsule & toy vending machines, superball machines, & sticker / tattoo vending machines. If you're going to start a business, you'll want to know all about it - the good and the bad. Some begin in one area of vending only to later learn that another area was better for them, be it their personality, schedule, investment level, etc… So, here are the pros & cons of the bulk vending business.

Pros:
- Inexpensive per unit (can start small & can grow easily as needed)
- Easy to handle / move / transport
- Product is easy to handle
- Easy to work on / maintain
- Flexible service intervals (usually once every 4 to 6 weeks - so it is easier to work around an existing job or travel farther)
- Easy to find locations (partly because most locations qualify as prospects)

Cons:
- Lower income per location
- Takes many locations to create same income (depending on accounts, 7 to 10 times as many accounts as snack & soda machines)
- This spreads the size of your service area to a larger geographic area (more driving, but this can be a pro since more locations are within reach) 
- More turnover in locations due to low income / lost accounts (must relocate machines more than snack & soda accounts)
- Accounts are not as loyal (they are doing you a favor vs. snack & soda where you provide a needed service)

Every job & every business has pros & cons; knowing them up front helps you to plan your business and future accordingly.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of the main points to consider.

When you talk to a vending machine salesperson, most will make you believe that their machine is "The Best" and the aspect of the industry that their machine serves (bulk or snack & soda) is "The Best", but don't believe it. For some people bulk candy is the best; for others, it is snack & soda. It depends on you, too.

Stay tuned for the pros & cons of snack & soda vending machine routes