A vending machine is only as good as the inventory inside. If your vending machine is running low on stock, customers will have a limited selection that may miss the mark for their hunger or thirst—and you miss out on a sale. Restocking a vending machine is a key piece of maintenance in owning a vending machine. Learn how often a machine needs to be refilled and the factors affecting this frequency.

How Often Do Vending Machines Need to Be Filled?

There is no single answer, as the frequency of restocking a vending machine depends heavily on how much traffic it gets. In a busy area with hungry people, a vending machine’s inventory can get low fairly quickly. A hungry team of teenage athletes can deplete a vending machine at their school in just a couple of days! If there aren’t people around as often, what’s inside the machine may last longer between restocking efforts. It may even be seasonal—depending on the area, the machine may get used more during certain times of the year, requiring more frequent replenishment. As a vending machine owner, you’ll have to assess your machines and determine their performance to figure out how often to refill them. If you own multiple machines, keep in mind that they may not perform the same and could require different schedules for restocking.

Machines should be restocked at convenient times, when it won’t disrupt a customer from using the machine. Ideally, refilling the machine should occur during off hours, such as after the office or business is closed for the day or before it opens. If you have the vending machine out of service to refill it, people can’t use it, and you’ll lose out on revenue. It can also be disruptive if the machine is in an office, waiting room, or other populated area.

What Other Factors Affect Restocking Frequency?

Restocking should also include monitoring for expiration dates on items. Expired foods or those quickly approaching their end date will need to be proactively replaced. Checking the products each time you restock will help you ensure nothing gets missed. If the expiration date is coming soon and you won’t be restocking the machine again before it does, remove the product and replace it with a fresher one. If your machine holds refrigerated fresh foods like salads or wraps, those items have a short life, and replenishment will have to be much more often than shelf-stable items.

How Often Are Vending Machines Restocked With New Products?

Part of restocking includes monitoring inventory levels and trends. Awareness of what sells and how quickly helps determine how much to order for replacement. Food and drinks that never get purchased should be replaced with an alternate option that may sell better. Monitor the replaced food or drink item to see how it performs, and continue to make inventory adjustments to capture items that sell regularly to improve your revenue. You may also switch out products periodically to capture popular cravings for that time of year. Consumers love special edition snacks or limited-time offerings that satisfy seasonal preferences, such as pumpkin spice or peppermint.

Do You Have to Restock Your Own Vending Machine?

If you own your own vending machine, you’ll be responsible for restocking it—or hiring someone to do it for you. This includes monitoring the machine’s inventory, tracking the performance of products, ordering replacements, and keeping track of what backfill you have on hand. You’ll want to determine how often your machines need to be refilled to set a schedule, including how often to order products from suppliers. If you have an employee or contractor hired to do this work for you, they’ll need to document anything replaced or removed for expiration and whether you’re running low on stock.

How to Own a Vending Machine

Looking to purchase a vending machine of your own? S Vending Solutions is a trusted vending machine supplier and vending service that has helped countless people around Nashville. With convenient financing options and several vending machine models to choose from, you’ll have exactly what you’re looking for without delay. We treat all our vending machine service and sales customers with top-notch service and expert advice. With the SVS difference, you’ll get prompt responses, quick delivery, and a machine that matches your needs.

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