Vending Machine Companies

If you are considering starting or expanding a vending business, you already have some knowledge of the types of vending machine companies that are available to deal with. In any case, the following information may be of help as you search for potential suppliers.

Vending machine companies basically fall into a half dozen categories. The one that first comes to mind is known in the industry as the 4 C’s with the other types delineated by product or location. 

1. 4c’s - coffee, club soda, candy and cigarettes.
2. Full-line vending -  hot food, canned soda, dairy and frozen food
3. Specialty  vending– pizza, French fries
4. OCS – office coffee service
5. Bulk Vending – gum, nuts
6. Street vending – music machines, video games, etc  

As you know, there is a lot of information regarding vending and the companies that make up the industry. Sometimes it’s helpful to remember when and where vending machines started.

When & Where It All Started

If you are already aware of the history, then you may want to skip to some of the business offerings, but if not, maybe the history will help you expand and profit from some of the things that have kept the business alive and prosperous and helped to make it what it is today.

The very earliest instance of what you could call a vending machine was way back around 215 B.C. We know this from illustrations made by Hero, a Greek mathematician. The machine he described was to sell “sacrificial water” for 5 drachmas. Evidently it was not all that successful, because we don’t hear about vending machines again until the early 1600’s when they showed up in English taverns selling tobacco and snuff. But these vending machines also had no major impact on commerce.

Even thought there were instances of new types of machines throughout the early and mid 1800’s, it was not until 1888, when Thomas Adams began selling Tutti Frutti gum in vending machines place on the platforms of the New York rail system, that vending machines became a viable form of product distribution. It may well have been the placement of the vending machines that made all the difference in the resulting success. And today, it is still recognized as the most important single factor in successful vending.

So, as you explore the vending business and some of the companies offering products and services, it may be well to remember where the vending industry came from, but more importantly …why the first machines were likely successful. As is recognized by any seasoned business owner, the three most important factors are …location, location, location.

Once you have the location for your vending machines, you’ll also want to know the reliability of the company you are dealing with. You should take some time to visit the sites of the industry leaders and do your shopping well. It will save you time and money to do your research up front. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t take the time to do it right the first time, then you surely will have to spend the time to do it over.” We wish you the best in your vending endeavors; whatever they may be.