Blog Archives
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The Era Of Big Government Is Back, So Give Me One Good Reason You Don’t Join NAMA !!
By Elliot Maras - Wednesday November 18, 2009What a bunch of cowards and cheapskates! The calorie disclosure requirement in the health care reform bill has raised interest in collective industry action as of late. If only more vending operators got the message, there might be a chance that the government will listen to us. Last week, we had a blog discussion on the calorie disclosure proposal. Some operators were quick to say that they support the industrys national and state associations. Unfortunately, too few were able to say this. (Check the blog if you dont believe me.) The time to act like a serious industry is now. The calorie disclosure rule is only the beginning of a new government initiative to regulate us to death. A new era of government activism has arrived... -
Nutrition Disclosure Is Coming; Mad About It? Enough To Do Your Part?
By Elliot Maras - Thursday November 12, 2009Yesterday I got a call from an East Coast vending operator who was mad.He was mad about the calorie posting mandate in the health insurance reform bill.He was mad that the government is trying to require vending operators to post calorie information.He was mad that the industry isnt fighting it.He was also mad at me for my October column. I suggested operators should consider video screens as a way to meet the requirement.This operator felt that a trade magazine should speak out against a proposed rule that places an onerous burden on vending operators.He had a lot of good points about the rule and the way in which the industry is responding to it. The problem: There are simply too few operators like him who will take the time and trouble... -
VMW Blog: Technology Frustrates Vending Operators, But They Need It
By Elliot Maras - Wednesday November 4, 2009Recently, I received a lengthy letter from an operator I have known and respected over the years who in this blog, I will call Bob. Bob took some exception to a feature article in our September issue on pre-kitting routes. He has been in the business for more than 30 years and runs a large regional operation on the East Coast.Bobs letter went into great detail on the scenarios that an operator faces in trying to determine how to operate routes efficiently and at the same time keep machines stocked with products that customers want. He took exception to some of the claims that technology companies have made about ways to run routes more efficiently using prekitting.No one can assure any individual operator how to use technology successfully... -
National Expo At Navy Pier: A Bust It Was Not!
By Elliot Maras - Tuesday September 29, 2009The National Expo took place at Chicagos picturesque Navy Pier under some of the lowest expectations ever for a National Expo, but a bust it was not. Attendance records werent set, but the low expectations many held going into the show gave way to pleasant surprise soon after arriving at Navy Pier. Expectations were low mainly due to the economy. Many operators felt uncomfortable going to a convention during a year they had given pink slips to some employees. Some exhibitors, anticipating low attendance, took smaller booths. Some also felt the fact that another expo will be held within the year in Chicago made this falls expo less important. The industry is undergoing some severe growing pains, and conventions are naturally... -
Obama needs to send a better, straighter message on health care
By Elliot Maras - Monday September 14, 2009(The following is the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of Automatic Merchandiser, VendingMarketWatch.com or Cygnus Business Media.) Every industry has been affected by rising health care costs, and many business owners are anxious to see something done to curb this drain on resources.The refreshment services industry has been affected in some unique ways which VendingMarketWatch.com has examined in detail, but the most immediate way in which health care costs affect our readers is the same as other businesses: rising costs.President Obama's speech last week was a big disappointment in that it demonstrated one of two things: 1) He has little grasp of how to address the problem, or 2) He does not care to be straight with the... -
Leo Fante Of Consumer's Choice Coffee Sets Unique Customer Satisfaction Benchmark At Coffee Summit
By Elliot Maras - Wednesday June 24, 2009The Coffee Summit in Cherry Hill, N.J. once again hit a bull's eye. Some thought there was no way that the 2-day education summit could repeat the outstanding success that it delivered last year, given the state of the economy, but it did. In fact, as a second-time observer, I can attest the response surpassed last years in both attendance and quality. In a challenging economic time such as the present, industry organizations have to get members to think more creatively, and the National Automatic Merchandising Association certainly accomplished this at the recent Coffee Summit. One thing that business owners have to remember is that every change brings new opportunity. Those who are embracing this today are succeeding. There is a lot to... -
Technology gives a way to fix blind vending programs and a new business opportunity
By Elliot Maras - Monday June 1, 2009Last week, I received a call from a California state official who oversees the states blind vending contracts. He was seeking input on establishing guidelines for vending operators bidding on contracts that support the blind vending program. His concerns give me reason to believe that technology will be making faster inroads in our industry in the next couple of years, despite the challenging economy. In April, I noted in this space that remote machine monitoring offers a tool for making sales reporting more credible. I was not specifically thinking about blind vending contracts when I wrote this, but this recent phone call from a California official alerted me to the role that remote monitoring can play in both improving the blind vending... -
G&J Marketing conference raised key issues and some solutions
By Elliot Maras - Monday May 11, 2009G&J Marketing in Palm Harbor, Fla. held one of its educational conferences a few weeks ago in which 60 industry members brainstormed ways to make this industry more profitable. Actually, the range of topics covered was a lot more extensive, but the underlying purpose for all attendees was to agree on what to do about this very challenging business environment.A summary of this 2-day meeting was prepared by Dr. Ron Cichy, a presenter at the conference and a director and professor at the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University, Dan Mathews, senior vice president and chief operating officer at the National Automatic Merchandising Association, and Greg Sidwell, president of G&J Marketing. Their summary is available on... -
Everyone complains about commissions; can we act?
By Elliot Maras - Tuesday April 7, 2009There are many ways technology allows our industry to become more professional. It gives our industry the ability to make giant strides as a retail channel and even surpass the performannce that competing channels provide. One improvement that needs to be made is the transparent reporting of location sales. In April of 2007, our cover story addressed this topic under the headline: Will technology catch the R factor? Some members of the industry objected to this focus since they believe it better to ignore an issue that makes our industry look bad. But the issue needs to be addressed before we can expect the same level of respect as other retail industries. The R factor is closely related to another major problem that needs to be... -
Dollar coin is a losing battle
By Tom Britten - Saturday December 20, 2008I hate to say it, after all the years of hard work our industry put in on this subject , but, I agree with this guy. The Dollar coinis a losing battle, NAMA needs to let itgo and focus their time and energyachievable bottom line issues. Friday, December 19, 2008 5:38 AM EST (excerpt) By Richard MiniterTimes Guest Columnist NAMA's members expect their operational costs to drop dramatically if dollar coins are the norm. Since coins tend to take up less room inside machines than bills, collection personnel can make fewer stops at vending sites. At a July hearing held by the House Financial Services subcommittee, NAMA president Richard Geerdes claimed a switch to dollar coins would save "the American taxpayers at least $600...
