Planet Antares scam alert blog on tips & advice on various vending scams for entrepreneurs and operators.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Technology and Vending

Technology has the potential to change the way you vend. With the increase of competition from other vending operators, you need to find ways of staying on top of your game. Having a

business, means that you have a limited space to merchandise your products. With that limited space, you would need to maximum sales. A snack and beverage vending business can be very profitable, if you use the right strategies. Snack and beverage vending remains the most popular of all the types of vending businesses. This is because Americans love snacking. Despite this kind of vending being popular, vending operators from time to time have difficulties with their achieving maximum profitability. To improve the efficiency of your Planet Antares vending business, you can implement some form of technology in your vending business.

Impact of technology
Advances in technology, have changed the vending operations of many vending operators. The sales from these vending operations increased when they implemented technology. The operators were also able to keep track of the sales that were made from the vending machine. Category management helped the vending operators select the right products for the vending machines and they were also able to restock the vending machines on time. There are all forms of technology that can improve your Planet Antares vending business. The size of your vending business is what will determine which technology would be appropriate for your vending business.

Your ability to harness technology will allow you to sell more and spend less in your Planet Antares business. You can end up saving up to two hours per day per route by employing technology. In addition to this, you will enjoy a higher percentage of sales increases from the same machines through a better understanding of location preferences. Shrinkage will be virtually eliminated by cash audit functionality.

Internet and vending
You should prepare to also use internet in your vending business, since it is increasingly being used by vending operators all over. This medium will be revolutionary in the vending industry.

Always be well informed about the innovations that are changing the way we do business. With the speed in which technology is driving our world, understanding technology and applying it to your vending business may be the most important thing that you will ever do. To continue enjoying success in your vending business, you will need an understanding, appreciation and working knowledge of what information management technology can do for your business.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Vending Machine Technicians

Vending machines technicians are mechanics who install and repair vending machines. They can transport your new Planet Antares vending machines to the locations, unload them and make the necessary connections and other adjustments. After they have completed the set up, they will make sure that everything is working perfectly. They will check out the change making mechanisms and product dispensing mechanisms. They will also check on the heating or refrigeration systems.

Since vending machines are used frequently, deterioration of the vending machine can take place. This happens with all vending machines, only just at different stages. Quality vending machines like those by Planet Antares are very durable, so if there is any deterioration that is to take place, it will be minimal.

If there is any problem with your vending machine, the technicians must determine the reasons why there is a problem with the vending machine, then repair, rebuild or replace the defective parts, so that your vending services can resume. If the mechanic is unable to immediately assert what the problem with the problem with the vending machine is, they can just troubleshoot by following procedures that have been developed by Planet Antares, since they are the manufactures of the vending machine. Usually repairs are made at the vending machine location, but if the vending machine repair involves major repairs or overhauls, the mechanics would need the vending machine back to the service shop to carry out the repairs.

When mechanics are carrying out repairs on vending machines, they usually follow technical illustrations, schematics, blueprints, diagrams and repair manuals to do their work. Mechanics use tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, pipe cutters, soldering irons and hammers to tighten, cut, adjust and solder. If the work is being done in the shop, they usually use grinding wheels, saws and drills. They can use refrigerator manifold gauges and thermometers to test the refrigeration systems of the vending machines.

Preventative maintenance is the best way that you can ensure that your Planet Antares vending machine is always in ‘tip top’ shape. You can also take care of this by cleaning and lubricating the necessary parts. These are just some of the minor things that you can do. If there is anything major that needs to be don or if you are not sure of how do carry out a repair, all that you would need to do is to call a vending machine mechanic.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Efficient Currency Handling Equipment in Vending
Vending operators have always felt the need for eliminating ‘exact change only’ situations in their vending businesses. New currency payment systems have the features to eliminate this kind of situation in your Planet Antares vending business. There are some that can even recycle bills which allows for multi vending. As currency handling technology evolves, vending operators are finding new tools to offer customers more convenient payment options.
If you give customers the ability to use whatever change that they have on them, you will find that the sales of your Planet Antares vending will increase. This ability will change the way that your customers purchase from your vending machine.
Technology is enhancing the versatility, reliability and durability of bill acceptors and changers in vending machines. There are some benefits that come with this technology, such as, reduction of consumer price resistance and at the same time wider variety of price points in the machine. This can be effectively used in your Planet Antares vending machines because they carry product variety.

Dollar coin payout expands
Most bill acceptors accept denominations over one dollar and most pay out coins as change. A five dollar bill acceptance is a customer convenience that will help sales in your business. Consumers are now getting used to putting five dollar bills in vending machines. Planet Antares vending machines come with bill changers which makes them very convenient for customers when they are looking for change.
Many vending operators feel that higher bill denomination makes cash counting easier, since there are fewer bills to count and stack. This is all thanks to the improved capacity of the new coin changers.

Five dollar bills increase bill sorting
Five dollar bill acceptance does create the need to sort 1s and 5s. This can be easily overcome with a dual pocket coin sorter. Although consumers have gotten into the habit of carrying dollar coins in their pockets, operators have nonetheless found it worth their while to offer dollar coin payouts to support higher denomination bill acceptance. This has created a need to continually restock coin changers with dollar coins.
All in all operators have given mixed reviews on how much of the dollar coins are circulating back into the vending machines. Most have also come to the agreement that consumers are spending more than they initially did.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Growth in the Vending Industry

The vending industry in the United States has evolved swiftly from a marginal, novelty business into a fast growing mainstream retailing medium in the two decades that followed World War 2. This evolution strongly depended on technology at that time. These days, everywhere you go, you are bound to come upon a vending machine. Snack and beverage vending machines like those that are provided by Planet Antares can always be found in high traffic locations while bulk vending machines can usually be found in supermarkets, retail stores and shopping malls. The presence of vending machines in all types of locations goes to show how the vending has been steadily growing over the years.

As the vending industry grew, technology advanced and retailing became sophisticated. Market sectors were defined with greater precision; while on the other hand, vending machines grew more flexible. The vending machines were now able to contain a wider variety of products that had not been specifically sized for vending. Today we have machines like Planet Antares vending machines that have high capacities, which enable them to house a large number of products.

In Japan the vending industry has expanded greatly. They offer all kinds of products in their vending machines. You can find anything from electrical appliances to a pair of jeans. In the U.S. you can mainly find basic items in the vending machines. Planet Antares offers all kinds of snacks and beverages. This kind of vending is very popular in the United States because Americans love snacking.

Cashless payment options have also changed the face of vending in the recent years. This kind of technology has always been widely used in the retail industry, but of late, the vending industry has adapted this system in vending machines. Here customers don’t need to have cash on them to buy an item that they want. All that they have to do is to insert a card and wait for the products. This technology can increase the sales of your Planet Antares vending business.

The vending industry has also changed their attitude towards healthy products over the years. There is a growing demand for these kinds of products in vending machines. Health products are already available in the retail sector, now it is being made available in the vending industry.

In the U.S. the vending industry is gradually progressing, mainly due to technology. The kind of changes that have occurred has made vending more effective. This of course leads to customers having a more pleasant experience and you making larger profits.