Since the pandemic interest in vending machine ownership has increased substantially. But just how lucrative can owning a custom vending machine be? It’s estimated that roughly 33% of the world’s vending machines are located in the United States. It’s estimated that around 2 million of these machines in operation are bringing in $7.4 billion in annual revenue.
What makes the vending industry so unique is the variety of opportunities and open market. It’s composed of thousands of independent operators with no single entity owning more than 5% of the market. This means anyone can join the vending industry and succeed, making it an attractive side business, or full-time business.
Vending Machine Operators
Big corporations like, Pepsi and Coca-Cola own arsenal of custom vending machines. However, the numbers show that the vending machine market is better suited for small operators with the ability to minimize overhead costs.
A 2020 IBISWorld report show that of the nations two million in-use vending machines owned by nearly 20K small businesses, the majority of these businesses employ just a few people.
The vending industry is broad and includes everything from $.50 candies to COVID-19 essentials like hand sanitizers and masks.
Vending Machines by Types of Good Sold
- 38.7% include Snacks and Food: A mix of candy bars, chips, pretzels, sandwiches, etc.
- 33.7% include Beverages: Cold drinks like water and soda, and hot drinks like coffee.
- 12.6% include Bulk Candy: Dedicated to just candy.
- 7.9% include Health-conscious items: Apples and other fruit.
- 7.1%: Other
What Attracts New Operators to Vending Machines?
- Low Startup Costs: Operators can find a good machine and buy inventory for less than $2K in some cases.
- Scalability: Quick revenue can be reinvested to expand and leverage economies of scale.
- Passive Upkeep: Restocking and cash collection can be as little as a few times per month depending on demand and sales.
- Flexible Schedule: Vending free operators to set their own hours.
Vending Machines By Location
The best places to put a vending machine is a place with heavy foot traffic, or large worker populations. Here’s a breakdown of where you’ll find most vending machines today:
- Manufacturing: 30.2%
- Offices: 25.4%
- Hotels: 12.7%
- Schools: 9.9%
- Retail: 7.3%
- Hospitals: 6.2%
- Military Bases: 4.7%
- Bars and Clubs: 3.6%
Custom Vending Machine Manufacturers
Technik MFG. INC. has years of experience designing, engineering, and producing top-of-the-line vending machines and vending kiosks. We help you every step of the way to get you exactly what you need and then partner with you for the life of your machine, so you never have to worry about any technical issues. Call us today, and let’s discuss how we can help you with design from start to finish, then engineer and manufacture your custom kiosks.
Call Today (800) 795-8251
