If you’re a food and beverage vending operator, your biggest nightmare is probably spoilage. You know from the start that your products won’t last forever and that you need to sell fast, but no matter how hard you try, you always have something that you need to throw away, or worse, that a customer buys past its expiration date and is requesting a refund for.
If you’re sick of spoilage, but want to stay in the automated machines field, we’ve got a great alternative for you. Amusement machines such as claw or prize machines can be extremely profitable, and the products you offer won’t spoil!
Here are some reasons why branching out into the amusement business could help boost your profitability and some tips on how to help you succeed:
1. Location
As you already know from your vending business, location is key. You’ll want to place your claw and prize machines in a high-traffic area where you know they’ll get a lot of attention. Places like restaurant entrances can be a great idea as they usually have a lot of empty, unused space. Adding a machine at the entrance will give kids (and adults!) something to do while they wait to be seated and you can share revenue with the restaurant, making it a win-win situation.
2. No Spoilage!
As we mentioned above, spoilage is won’t be a concern in the amusement business as the prizes you offer will most-likely be non-perishable. This means that you won’t need to check in on your machines all the time to remove expired products and restock them. It also means that you can buy your products in bulk and store them instead of only purchasing small amounts for fear they will expire.
3. Inventory Management
Although you won’t need to visit your prize machines as regularly as your vending machines, it is still good to visit them occasionally to track inventory levels and rotate prizes to maintain customer interest. When you rotate prizes, you can also see which ones are more popular at each location.
4. Get Customers to Play for Longer
When customers get something at a vending machine, they’re likely to buy just one or two items for instant gratification. However, prize and claw machines are different. Advanced card readers can help you encourage players to play for longer with features such as pay-as-you-go or multi-pricing.
Pay-as-you-go allows consumers to tap their card at the start of a transaction, launching the machine. You can set the price per time, and customers can press cancel at any time to stop playing. This provides a seamless experience – customers don’t need to stop and start at every turn but can just play straight through.
Multi-pricing allows you to offer up to 6 different pricing options which helps you upsell customers more easily. Say you offer them one turn for $1, and three turns for $2.50, many people are more likely to try out three turns, increasing your average transaction value. These two features are available on Nayax card readers such as VPOS Touch and Onyx, and are game changers for business owners.
In short, Amusement can be a great field to branch out into if you’ve been in vending for a while and are looking to broaden your horizons. This will help you multiply your profits and avoid many of the headaches you experience with vending. If you’re interested in learning more about Nayax’s amusement solutions, contact us today.
