Once Popular Carrot Vending Machine Removed From Manlius, N.Y. High School

    Oct. 25, 2011
    The once popular carrot vending machine at the lunch room at a Manlius, N.Y. high school has been removed, having dispensed 700 bags of carrots in its first month before falling to 90 in November and then 60 by last spring.

    The once popular carrot vending machine at the lunch room at a Manlius, N.Y. high school has been removed, having dispensed 700 bags of carrots in its first month before falling to 90 in November and then 60 by last spring, according to WYSR-TV in East Syracuse, N.Y. For the full story, click here. 

    Editor’s Insight: The carrot vending machines were introduced to great fanfare, but it didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off.

    Many VendingMarketWatch readers will not be surprised to learn these machines have not sustained sales. Did anyone really believe that high school kids will buy carrots every day?

    This story demonstrates the challenge the vending industry faces in educating location managers about customer behavior. Novelties draw interest, but if the products aren’t something that consumers want on a regular basis, sales will fall. 10-25-11