Profitability Challenges For Planet Antares Vending Machine

As time progresses, the vending machine industry will have to change along with it. The economy has experienced a good degree of growth but the vending industry has not prospered as much. There are several reasons for the same, such as:

• Work site downsizing
• Outsourcing
• Higher competition from non vending retailers

The cost of vending machine operations has been rising faster than the vending machine sales and vendors’ retail price points which greatly affect the profits. Moreover, vending machine prices are not keeping up with inflation rates or wholesale products costs. By adopting new strategies, it will be easier for vending machine operators to maintain profits.

When you become a Planet Antares vending operator, you will face unique challenges when it comes to price changes as vending prices are based on overall profitability which includes taxes, commissions, service costs, costs of goods and overhead. Usually, vending operators are reluctant to raise prices. They need to consider the impact of the consumer price index on the price environment and consumer confidence.

Consumers are aware of the increasing retail prices and they will be accommodating for price hike in vending machine products. Also, their confidence is up due to economic developments. Incentives such as price reduction on less popular products can be offered by Planet Antares vending operators.

By cutting down on commissions paid to the Planet Antares vending machine locations, you can bring about changes without any direct impact on the customers. This strategy can be used to avoid raising prices of vending products.

As a vending operator, you need to invest in employees who will be handling your Planet Antares vending machines. This is because accurate accounting is essential to determine the profitability of an account.

It will not be difficult to achieve efficiency and profitability with the help of Planet Antares vending machines incorporated with new technology. In short, you will need to enhance the efficiency of your vending machines and develop good working relationships with the customer in order to maintain and expand business profitability.

Planet Antares Vending Business Value Pricing

The Planet Antares vending operator has now become empowered to track product turns with minimal labor with the help of management tools such as handheld devices and planograms. As a result, some of the operators are evaluating their pricing strategies.

Since a long time, Planet Antares vending operators have complained about not being able to raise prices to the same level as other retail channels. Generally, vending prices are determined by competition and by consumer contracts, not consumer needs. To improve profits as well as sales, a more scientific pricing strategy will be required. In the past, only a few operators have possessed the resources to track results in a manner that would provide them with the necessary information to do this.

Several theories have evolved ways to improve product pricing. One theory states that by discounting secondary products, operators can improve customer choices and they enhance customer satisfaction. It also states that if managers considered the suggestion, it would result in higher profitability.

Planet Antares vending operators are of the view that simplicity continues to be important in pricing, in terms of driver execution and sales accountability. They think that the benefits derived by strategic planning would be minimal in relation to the risks associated with more complicated pricing strategies.

In the current economic situation, it is a good time to experiment with value pricing due to many reason, such as:

1) Greater price consciousness among customer who pay a lot of attention to special offers.
2) Decline in location sales due to downsizing, making it the ideal time for buying less from established suppliers.

Planet Antares Vending Wellness Programs

Majority of the vending operators with school accounts are familiar with the importance of delivering health and wellness products and messages, because the issue has been around for several years in the school market.

The federally-mandated school wellness programs are designed to motivate schools to create new ways to address the issue. Planet Antares vending operators carry these products and programs and will be viewed as a valuable business partner for deriving a solution to this issue.

The answer for many companies has been the introduction of company-wide wellness programs which bring a number of benefits. Wellness programs are beneficial and cut down on:

• Absenteeism
• On the job injuries
• Workers compensation costs
• Disability management costs

Moreover, they help in reducing insurance premiums and increasing productivity.

Still, all vending programs are not the same. Different accounts will want to structure different Planet Antares vending programs that are based on the buying habits of their workforce.

Certain companies may want a higher percentage of healthier choices, while others might not have the internal support necessary to make such an ambitious plan feasible due to financial constraints. As the owner of a Planet Antares vending business, you will need a flexible outlook that conveys to your account that you are prepared to work toward achieving a program that will work for them.

For many operators across the country, the good news is that manufacturers are collaborating to offer a wider range of products that can help them meet their customers’ demands, and other resources are available to help them address this issue as well.

Planet Antares vending operators who research the market and understand how to respond the dynamic landscape, are the ones who will survive and beat the competition. This implies that companies leading the way tomorrow will be the ones with the vision to recognize that health and wellness are here to stay.

Planet Antares Vending Business Software

The purpose of vending software is to make it easier for vending operators to manage a vending business. By incorporating vending software in your Planet Antares vending business, you will find it simpler to manage locations, vending machines, products and practically anything else in your vending business. There are different kinds of software available in the market, so you must pick one that is easy to use and understand. It is equally important to make sure that it fits in your budget.

When you decide to buy vending software for your Planet Antares vending operations, check whether it has a complete inventory system. It will enable you to view products by code, name or type. Such a system would automatically calculate inventory levels and inform you when you need to restock your vending machines. Moreover, it will calculate your average cost in addition to the total inventory value. You will also get to know which products were sold in which lanes, at what price and the number of items sold on your last visit.

A list of all your locations and contacts must be maintained by the vending software. This will help you know when the Planet Antares vending machines were installed at specific locations and the date that they were last serviced. You need to stock vending machines as soon as they are empty. Otherwise, you may end up losing potential sales when the customers are unable to find the products that they are looking for.

Now, it will be easy to access detailed information about locations in your Planet Antares vending business with the help of vending software. The products in your vending machines can be put in different categories. This will allow you to evaluate your business and determine which category makes the maximum or minimum revenue. If a product is not selling well, you can easily decide to replace the product for something new, since you would know about its poor performance.

Vending software can prove to a significant tool for the overall improvement of your business, be it in the beginning, growing, stagnant or declining stage. The features that can be improved include the following:

• Inventory control
• Location
• Vending machines
• Product inventory management
• Route management
In short, vending software can prove to be a great way of bringing about greater efficiency and productivity in your Planet Antares vending business.