Planet Antares

Inputs to make your vending business work. A special insight on Planet Antares Vending solutions

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Preference for Cashless Vending

The vending industry has changed in so many ways since it was first introduced in America. Vending has always been a cash business, but with the role of technology playing a significant role, the vending saying, “no cash, no purchase” is being replaced with “no cash, no problem!” This concept can also work well for your Planet Antares vending business.

With the public’s increased attraction to self service technologies and online applications is a growing interest in the implementation of alternative payment options for traditional cash based transactions.

There is a section of the vending industry that already accepts card payment systems. Innovative payment technologies that are designed to reshape vending transaction are being adopted at an extraordinary rate. If you have a sizeable Planet Antares vending business, this system can be very profitable for your vending business.

In the past there was a slow adoption rate for cashless vending. This can be attributed to customer reluctance to use cards for low value dollar transactions, a lack of operator experience with new technology, and its perceived high costs. This is something that is changing, as more vending operators are becoming aware of the impact that cashless transactions can have on a vending operation.

With more than 8 million machines, the vending industry can be described as the largest cash business in America and certainly the most pervasive retail in terms of number of locations.

The costs of hardware, software, and transaction processing have declined to render cashless a much more appealing payment option. This is something that is changing with each year. As the popularity of cashless payment options increase, more and more operators are trying it out, which is leading to a decrease in the costs of installing the system. If you have the system in your Planet Antares vending operation, you can be assured of making huge profits since customers have a preference for cashless vending over the traditional form of payment. At first the public were reluctant to use this form of payment, but that all changed when they realized the benefits that come with having the choice of using this form of payment.

Cashless vending on the rise
To date the vending industry, which is dependent on convenience and service, remains the only major retail channel that does not universally accept cashless forms of payment. It is estimated that 2 to 3 percent of U.S. vending machines offer a credit card payment option. This capability is projected to be 50 percent by the year 2009. This is the right time for implementing this technology in your Planet Antares vending business

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Improving the Image of your Vending Business

When acquiring new Planet Antares vending machine location, you should constantly optimize the products and pricing of your vending business. However there are vending operators out there that neglect to update their vending machine business image. Updating your image would help you secure more locations, since doing that will allow you to possess some quality which can set you apart from competitors.

One way of updating the image of your Planet Antares vending business would be by hiring professional marketing help. This takes time and money but would be very beneficial. Giving your vending business a facelift will help you win bids for new locations and of course getting more referrals. The three main goals that you should set for your Planet Antares vending business are as follows:

1. Improve and update the logo, website and brand identity of your vending business. This will make you more competitive.
2. Raise the awareness of the capabilities of your vending business.
3. Increase the locations of your vending business and the networking potential.

An easy step that you can take to improve the image of your vending business would be to create new printed materials. Printed materials are usually the first impression given to potential vending machine clients, so this means that your Planet Antares vending machine brochures and portfolio should represent your vending business fittingly. New vending machine materials should include new graphics and updated soda machine content. Try to also create a new logo for your vending business. These kinds of changes would give any vending business a more professional appearance and it will make you or your representatives more confident when going out to secure locations.

Another great way of revamping your vending business would be by creating a new business website or updating your old website. When you are doing this, you can use search engine advertising to attract potential locations.

All in all, even though you can make the changes on your own, hiring a marketing professional to make these changes would be the wise thing to do. An outside person can offer a fresh and objective point of view which would be exactly what you would need to improve the image of your vending business.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Brand, Variety and Efficiency are Key to the Success of a Vending Business

A vending business can be successful due to a number of reasons. If all of these factors work together in your Planet Antares vending business, you can be sure that success will easily come to you.

Brand
Offering branded snack and beverage items in your Planet Antares vending machine, will result in quick sales. This is because these are products that are already recognized nationally. Placing these items in glass front vending machine can increase your sales. Branding in vending can be considered as more important than in most retail; channels. You simply can’t underestimate the power of a strong brand name in a Planet Antares glass front vending machine. In the retail industry you can do different things with merchandising to draw people, but in vending you are limited with space and its brand that is the main attraction.

Variety
A wide selection of snacks and beverages is important in a vending machine. People want to find variety when they buy from a vending machine. This means that they will have more to choose from. In order for you to place variety in your vending machine, you will need a high capacity vending machine like those that are provided by Planet Antares Inc. Healthy products can also be place in vending machines so that you have a wider selection of products. By placing these products in the vending machines, you will be catering to the health conscious section of the society.

Efficiency
Improvements in technology have enabled vending equipment to offer more variety, reliability and more effective merchandising. Technology has made it easier to capture item level sales data and analyze it to maximize sales by optimizing customer satisfaction. Advances in technology have also introduced cashless payment options in vending. This of course has led to more efficient vending, where you as the vending operator will be more pleased and the customers will be more satisfied. With this kind of technology, you can keep a track of all the sales that are made from the vending machine.

When you started a vending business, you did it for it to be successful. This means that you should ensure that all the factors in your vending business compliment each other. Make sure that you have brand, variety and efficiency in your vending business and success will surely follow.