All About Water Vending

Water vending machines allow you to fill bottles, jugs or other containers from self service water dispensers. Pure water is given out by these machines in return to currency, coins, tokens or cards inserted. These can be usually found in front of gas stations and supermarkets. They may also be placed inside apartment complexes, grocery stores, hardware stores and health and beauty saloons.

You can find water vending machines in many styles like mounted equipments for walls and windows or free-standing units. Features include fill and flush, coin changer, UV sterilizer and bill acceptor. Usually, water vending machines can dispense good quality water from 1-5 gallons. The cost of drinking water dispensed from such machines ranges from $ 0.25 - $0.35 per gallon.

Some models may not have a coin or bill acceptor. In such cases, the customers have to pay the required amount at the counter to get water. These types of vending machines are suitable for in-house storage.

This is an option for people who want to start a vending machine business. The water dispensed by these machines goes through a long filtration process including heavy filters, ultra violet light and reverse osmosis filters. To keep these machines in good form, you should maintain them properly and service them at regular intervals. The quantity of water in the machine may be measured through water meters or timers.

Be careful while purchasing a water vending machine. Search for a trustworthy vending machine company like Planet Antares Inc and buy only those water vending machines which have been certified for being of the required standards. Such approval is given on the basis of a review made by the water vending operators and industry experts.

The equipment selected by you should be able to provide potable water. This means that it can be used for domestic work, drinking purposes, etc. moreover, it should fulfill the quality standards under rule R309-103 of the Department of Environmental Quality.

Check the various parts of the water vending machine such as drip pans and containers for any leakage, corrosion, dirt and breakages. The machine should be easy to clean, accessible and replaceable. You must ensure that the machine can be removed and cleaned.

Ask your vending machine supplier about the various ways to keep your equipment clean and well maintained. Also, enquire about the various local and state government regulations before starting your own business.

Don’t go for any “get rich” schemes. Research and analyze the different aspects of water vending business and then decide whether this line is right for you or not.

Sales Trend For Vending Operators

As per the 2005 Automatic Merchandiser State of the Vending Industry Report, the vending industry reported its first sales gain since the recession that began in 2001. As the economy recovers slowly, the vending industry’s total sales rose to $21.26 billion. The main drivers of this growth has been the higher product sales. Planet Antares vending operators were also faced with an increase in operating costs along with the increase in product prices.

A recent study showed that consumers are drinking more speciality coffee. The percentage of Americans who drink coffee daily is also going up. Apart from the coffee in their workplace, the consumers are also going out to buy coffee. This is a great opportunity for coffee vending machine operators to grab a larger market share and increase sales and profits.

Over the past years, vending operators had to face the challenge of pulling equipment out of large traditional industrial accounts. This resulted in a fall of the manufacturing/warehouse/fabrication accounts below 30% of the total customers in the vending industry in 2004. Such shifts in the customer base indicate the changes witnessed in the nation’s workforce.

Recently, it was reported that many vending operators retreated from accounts in schools and correctional facilities. They realized that these accounts were based on commissions and must be periodically rebid. Moreover, the school authorities consider these vending machines as direct competition to their schools and not as support service. The nutritional restrictions also compromised the school accounts to a great extent. As a Planet antares vending operator, you can place healthier food items in the vending machines.