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The Right Product Mix for Your Chicago Area Break Room Vending Machines

If you’ve decided to add vending equipment to your Chicago area break room, you’ve committed to providing your staff and guests with an extra amenity that will certainly help maintain happiness in the workplace. However, simply having vending machines is only part of the equation, businesses need to make sure they have the right mix of products to ensure the population is enjoying the equipment.

Ultimately, the key to success for the right product mix is variety. People today are much more conscience of what they are eating and drinking, and the items in the machines need to reflect that. Although people still enjoy the occasional indulgent snack or drink, many today are enjoying more health conscience options. Additionally, there are quite a few growing trends in the food and beverage industry including organic, gluten free, non-gmo, etc. that also influence a winning product mix. A successful planogram for your vending equipment should have something in the machines so that any person in the building, at any given time, will be able to find something that meets their needs.

Twenty-five years ago, if you were to take a slice of the non-alcoholic, non-coffee drinking population and asked them what they drink, approximately 90% would say soda. Of that 90%, most of them would say a cola of some sort. Fast forward to today and take that same non-alcoholic, non-coffee drinking population, and only about half of them still drink soda. Instead, many have migrated to new age beverages like sparkling waters, energy drinks, teas, isotonic beverages, etc. That remaining soda drinking population has changed as well. Although cola still dominates the category, many soda drinkers are now enjoying alternative flavors like lemon-lime, ginger ale, orange, root beer, etc.

The planogram for your beverage vending machine will want to reflect this diverse demand. Although the machine should still have traditional soda, including colas and other flavors, it should also have a variety of non-soda drinks for those that have shifted to alternative drinks. Additionally, the machine should have a couple selections of zero-calorie, zero-sugar drinks for those that are perhaps dieting or are diabetic.

The same principle applies to a successful planogram for snack vending machines. Although many folks are simply craving a traditional indulgent snack like a Snickers bar or a bag of Doritos, many are looking for a healthy alternative to sustain them between meals. In addition to traditional options like chips, cookies, pastries and candy, machines should include some alternative snacks. For those that are seeking a healthier alternative, a snack vendor can have baked chips, nuts, granola bars, fruit snacks, etc. Some of the better know brands that might fit this need include Pop Chips, Clif Bars, Wonderful Pistachios, etc. Additionally, having a small selection of organic, gluten-free items will ensure that even those with the strictest dietary restrictions will have a snacking option.

The decision to provide vending machines for your employees and guests will go a long way in ensuring people enjoy being in your building. Making sure that there is a diverse product mix for both the drink and snack vendors ensures that the population in your building will not have to leave the premises to get whatever drink or snack they are craving.