Hot beverage vending, one of the hardest hit product categories in vending, can rebound, according to a panel of industry experts interviewed in a State of the Vending Industry in a podcast. A vending operator, a coffee service operator, two coffee manufacturers and a product distributor all agreed that by reinvesting in quality products and equipment, hot beverage vending sales will improve. Panelists also noted that in the recession, more locations that historically provided free coffee want to offset the cost by passing it on to employees. This creates an opportunity for hot beverage vending. Panelists also addressed coffee service. They noted the improvements in manual pod brewers, and see this as a growing single-cup option.

The panel includes; Mike Nugent, general manager, Canteen Vending, Middletown, Pa.; Andy Calhoun, general manager, Canteen Refreshments, Middletown, Pa.; Gregg McChesney, corporate merchandising manager, Vistar Corp.; Jack Martin, national accounts manager, Nestle Beverage Co.; and Lauch McElhaney, channel manager, Starbucks Coffee Co.

 

 Hot Beverage Vending Has Declined, But Can Rebound: State Of The Vending Industry Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (150)

Vend food has been one of the hardest hit vend product segments in the last two years, yet it remains important to the industry’s long-term success since the food sale is typically accompanied by snack and beverage purchases. In this 25-minute State of the Vending Industry podcast, a progressive vending operator, a frozen food manufacturer and a fresh food supplier address the importance of the food category and what vending operators can do to restore this segment. The panel includes: Vic Pemberton, owner of Pepi Food Service in Bainbridge, Ga.; Vicki Reilly, director of sales and marketing for White Castle Food Products LLC in Columbus, Ohio; and John Martin, business development manager at SunBurst Foods Inc. in Goldsboro,N.C.

 

 Can Vending Operators Improve Food Sales? State Of The Vending Industry Podcast Examines Options: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (128)

The candy/snack/confection segment fared better than most other vend product sectors in 2009 due to continued operator price increases, according to the Automatic Merchandiser State of the Vending Industry Report. Matt Groff, account director for Management Science Associates, explains how different vend customer location types are faring. Dick Hanson, executive director, Buffalo Rock, a vending operation in Birmingham, Ala., notes the health and wellness demand is not translating into sales. Malcolm McAlpine, senior business manager, baked and branded snacks, foodservice and vending, notes that snacking in general is increasing. Rusty Jackson, vice president/specialty markets, Cloverhill Bakery, notes the impact of state and school regulations on vending machines.

 

 Price Increases Boost Candy, Snack And Confection Segment In Vending: State Of The Vending Industry Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (113)

The recession has driven more consumers to switch back from bottles to cans, according to the Automatic Merchandiser State of the Vending Industry Report. Traditional soda has made a comeback following years of decline to non-traditional beverages. These and other cold drink trends are examined in a 20-minute podcast interview. Participants include veteran vending operator Josh Koritz, president of Dynamic Vending in St. Louis, Mo., Joe Guith, vice president of vending operations, Coca Cola North America

 

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Cashless payment options have been around for years, but the future seems to be arriving in big way as more operators come on board. In this State of the Vending Industry Podcast, four system providers share their insights, both in “open” and “closed” cashless systems. Participants in this 20-minute podcast are: Jim Turner, vice president of intelligent vending at USA Technologies Inc., Bill Clark, general manager of Apriva POS, Terri Starnes Bryant, president of Microtronic US, and Scott Kearns, sales manager for Zipkey and Myzip at Vendors Exchange International Inc.

 

 Cashless Readers Begin To Take Hold Despite Recession: State Of The Vending Industry Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (144)

The challenging business climate has made many vending operators more interested in using remote machine monitoring, a technology that has become more established in the industry. In a 20-minute podcast interview, three system suppliers discuss how they see technology changing the vending industry. Participants in this State of the Vending Industry Podcast are Anant Agrawal, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Cantaloupe Systems, Chuck Reed, marketing director for the Americas at MEI, and Glenn Butler, vice president and chief technology officer at Crane Merchandising Systems.

 

 Technology Helps Vending Operators Survive And Prosper: Remote Machine Monitoring Players Weigh In: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (115)

Vending operators initiated a wide range of profit protection measures in 2009, according to The Automatic Merchandiser State of the Vending Industry Report. In the first in a series of State of the Vending Industry podcasts, four veteran vending operators describe how they met the challenging marketplace. In this 20-minute podcast, Elliot Maras, editor of Automatic Merchandiser, interviews Ralph Sanese Jr., president of Sanese Services, Columbus, Ohio; Ray Friedrich, general manager of Sterling Services in Canton, Mich., Scott Guardino, general manager of Paramount Automated Refreshment Services, Pompano Beach, Fla., and Jeff Parks, formerly president of a regional Midwest vending and dining operation who is now a sales and operations consultant.

 

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Kim Frauhiger, KF Pop Vending in Wasaw, Ind., was taken by the cotton machines and coffee machines at the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow in Chicago. Interviewed live on the trade show floor by Emily Refermat, managing editor of Automatic Merchandiser Magazine, Frauhiger said he is considering a cotton candy machine for one of his Laundromat accounts.

 

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Steve Hall, Sr., owner of Firelands Food Systems in Sandusky, Ohio was impressed by the Seattle’s Best Coffee machine at the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow. He said the machine, displayed at both the Starbucks and Crane Merchandising Systems’ booths, offers vending operators a branded name in coffee that people are looking for. He said the coffee tasted excellent. He was also impressed by the technology at the show.

 

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Mack Wilbourn of MWJ Vending in Atlanta, Ga. was “fired up” by the exciting things the saw at the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow in Chicago. He was most impressed by the Kraft/Crane Diji Touch machine, which features a large graphic touchscreen. Wilbourn noted this is among the tools to display the nutritional content in the machines. He was also impressed by some of the new products, namely Nathan’s hot dogs for vending.

 

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