Contents of Automatic Merchandiser - APR 2012

Automatic Merchandiser serves the business management, marketing, technology and product information needs of its readers including vending operators, coffee service operators, product brokers, and product and equipment distributors in print.

Page 17 of 47

C A N D Y AND SN ACK ST R A TE G I E S
What happened to T
By Emily Refermat, Managing Editor
Operators are offering fewer large size candy and snacks in vending due to the price sensitivity of consumers. Getting higher profi ts without increasing vend product size calls for creativity in product selection and equipment.
he higher prices of large serving size (LSS) vend products were supposed
to provide vending operators with higher profi ts. However, the recession, and perhaps the selection constraints and payment options of vending machines, caused an overall reluctance in consumers to buy LSS, delivering fewer turns for operators. LSS salted snacks are faring better than LSS candy, but lower priced, alternative items make more sense for operators. Vending operators can escape the restraints of the vending machine, noted above, by introduc- ing cashless payment options and/or using self checkout micro markets to gain product display real estate. Self checkout
Thinkstock 16 Automatic Merchandiser