What Makes a Good Vending Location

What Makes a Good Vending Location 

Chances are, you've heard the term "location, location, location" more than a few times. But if you're new to vending, you may think creating spectacular advertising for your new business or finding wholesalers for products come before the location. 

It's time to put location at the top of your to-do list. If you're preparing to dive into vending business with a new top of the line machine, putting your machine in the proper location might be the single most important thing you do at startup.  

Of course, you need a product that consumers will want, too, but how will anyone know about that product unless you get them through the door? 

Foot Traffic 

When sourcing what makes a location a good one, foot traffic should be your #1 priority. Whether its employees, customers, or both; the number of people that come through the business daily is vital.  

Typically, 25- 50 people day is considered good. 50-75 is considered very good and 75-100+ is considered great. Don’t fret if a location has lower foot traffic, because they can still be profitable. 

An office building with only 25 employees who are stationary for seven hours a day can be a good location. Employees are more likely to visit machines multiple times a day. The more times they visit the machines the more money in your pockets.  

Isolation 

The next key to a good location is making sure your place of business is isolated from other snack options. Ideally, you don’t want fast food, gas stations, and grocery stores within driving distance.   

If customers know there are other options close, they may choose another option instead of your vending machine. The less competition the better, and with vending this is no different.  Great foot traffic means nothing if there are other snack options around.  

Visibility 

Last, but certainly not least is whether your machines are easy to be seen. This is absolutely necessary for a profitable machine. If nobody knows where your machine is, then no one will buy from it.  

An example of bad visibility would be placing a machine on the third floor in the rear corner of a building.  Without signs, no one knows it’s there and many patrons are not willing to go to the third floor for vending.  

Some ideal visibility locations are near the front entrance, in waiting rooms in break rooms, near elevators. The place with the highest concentration of foot traffic is where you want to place your machines.    

Final Destination  

Once you know your needs, it’s a good idea to do some of your own research on locations. Check with your city’s business development office and get their suggestions on where to locate a registry for businesses with your need for services. 

Ideally, you want to locate areas with active patrons. Make it a point to read the area’s local paper to get a sense of the economic climate, type of businesses opening and gauge a general vibe of the area.  

No matter how good a location looks on paper, you need to visit the different locations you’re considering in person to check out the foot traffic patterns and types of customers in the area. 

Does the location portray the image you want for your business? Is the area visible? Is there a nearby anchor store to help attract customers (or a competitor to lure them away)? While "place" is often the most permanent of the four P's (product, promotion, price, place) it's also often the most overlooked, which is why finding the right location for your business can make a huge impact on its performance.  

If you're in need of vending services for your business in the Nashville, TN area reach out to Friendship Vending Company today! We are dedicated to meeting your vending needs in every way possible!