How to Find Vending Machine Locations? 5 Factors to Consider

Looking for a place to put a vending machine and make a profit? Continue reading to learn all about how to find vending machine locations.

As famously known, vending machines are a good investment. But their success depends on one crucial factor, their place. Placing a vending machine in the wrong location is an open invitation for dust and spider webs.

So how can you find the perfect place for your vending machine?

Generally, the best locations for vending machines are often business buildings, shopping malls, tourist locations, and transportation stations. You should consider the place’s safety, the permits from property owners, the suitable products for the area, and competition.

Now that we’ve given you a glimpse into the topic, it’s time to dive into more details.

Best Vending Machine Locations

Generally, the best locations for vending machines are crowded ones with many daily visitors who spend a long time in the area.

Fortunately, these conditions apply to many places, and we’ll give you a brief idea about some of them.

1. Business and Office Buildings

Employees spend long hours in their offices daily, and they can’t do without the occasional snack or cup of coffee.

So, if you want to guarantee the success of your vending machine, business and office buildings should be at the top of your list. But beware that permits from such property owners are almost always a headache.

2. Sport Facilities

After a long workout or an exhausting football game, most people need a power drink and a protein snack. The best place to get these quickly is a vending machine.

That’s why gyms and sports courts are often ideal locations for vending machines.

3. Shopping Malls

Mall visitors often spend hours moving through stores and trying clothes on, which can be exhausting and calls for a quick snack and a cold drink.

The only place in a shopping mall that provides such service with reasonable prices and in a timely manner is a vending machine.

And when you consider the number of daily visitors and employees in a mall, you’ll find the place suitable for your needs.

4. Tourist Locations

Tourist locations like zoos and museums often buzz with customers all day long, making them ideal for placing vending machines. And although the paperwork will take a long time, it’ll be worth it in terms of profit.

5. Transportation Stations

Whether you’re thinking about train stations, bus stops, or even airports, we recommend placing your vending machine in a transportation station.

The number of daily visitors is almost always huge, and the long waiting times guarantee that they pay your machine a quick visit.

But don’t forget to make sure there are no competing machines around. Even if there are machines, check that they don’t serve the same products as yours.

6. Educational Facilities

An educational facility is another place to consider when choosing a location for your vending machine, be it a school, university, or even a library.

These places are crowded, and people spend a long time there, which calls for quick and budget-friendly snacks.

Other Suggestions

Here’s a quick list of other suggestions that are less crowded than the previous options but still good enough:

Amusement parks
Banks
Bowling alleys
Medical buildings
Hotels
Police stations
Fire stations
Community centers
Military reserves

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Vending Machine Location

Here are the most critical factors you should consider before settling on a vending machine location.

1. Safety

Ideally, you should look for a safe area with regular monitoring for your vending machine. Doing so will save you many headaches in the future, such as vandalism and robbery accidents.

Before settling on a place, check for surveillance cameras in the area, active shops that are open 24/7, and ensure the street is lit up.

2. Property Owner Permits

Placing a vending machine in any location calls for a permit from the property owner. For instance, if you decide on a business building or office, you’ll need to sign a contract written by the owner.

You’ll also need to agree on all terms and conditions, and they might ask for a percentage of the profit.

Before signing, you should read the contract carefully and ensure you’ll meet all the short and long-term requirements.

3. Competing Machines

Although competition is required in many fields of business, sometimes it’s a curse in disguise. That’s why it’s essential to check for the presence of other vending machines in your chosen location.

If the place is large enough to take two machines, then it’s okay. But if it’s small, and the machine’s profit will be significantly affected, you should look for another place.

4. Suitable Products

The products you choose to put inside the vending machine are an essential factor in its success and profit. But, unfortunately, they can also cause your investment to fail big time.

For example, you can’t put candies and sweets inside the machine and then place them in a gym.

You should first study the target audience inside the place and assess their daily needs. Then, you can choose the products accordingly.

5. Customers

The success of your vending machine business depends entirely on the presence of customers.

Therefore, before settling on a location, you should check the number of daily and monthly visitors. For instance, if you want to put your machine in an office, you should check the number of people who work there.

If the number is enough to give you an acceptable profit, then you can stop looking for other places. But if you feel like the number is a bit low, keep looking.

To Wrap Up

Finding a suitable location for your vending machine is often challenging, but we can help you with a few guidelines.

First, you should ensure that the place is safe, full of customers, and has no competing machines. Second, you should fill the machine with suitable products for the target audience in the location you chose.

Generally, the best locations for vending machines are business buildings, educational facilities, tourist locations, shopping malls, and more.

How to Find Vending Machine Locations? 5 Factors to Consider