You might be wondering what are the Best selling snacks in vending machines? whereas the one key to vending machine profitability is filling your equipment with products people actually want to buy. While tempting to guess what snacks consumers may like, utilizing sales data and insights on top performers will optimize your machine inventory.
In this article, we break down the Best selling snacks in vending machines based on trends across operators, geographies, and machine analytics. Matching your planogram to include big sellers drives better turns and maximizes your per-location earnings.
Best selling snacks in vending machines
Industrywide data on vending sales reveals useful tendencies:
- Chips rank as the top-selling single vended category accounting for over 20% of units sold in most markets. Opt for variety like regular, baked, and flavored options.
- Candy bars follow closely as the next highest selling snack type, comprising around 15% of total vending sales. Hershey’s, Snickers, Reese’s, and M&Ms are popular brands.
- Gum and mints are consistent sellers, especially near checkout areas. Dedicating 5-10% of selections to breath fresheners satisfies demand.
- Packaged cakes/donuts/pastries are growing in popularity as lunch and break-time treats. Consider units able to merchandise refrigerated bakery items.
- Protein/nutrition bars address health-conscious consumers and balance hunger between meals. Products like Clif Bars, Kind Bars, and Odwalla Bars are good options here.
Top Selling Vending Machine Brands by Category
Within snack segments, these brands generate the most consumer demand:
- Chips: Frito-Lay (Doritos, Cheetos, Lay’s), Pringles, Baked Lays
- Candy Bars: Hershey’s, Mars (Snickers, M&M’s), Reese’s
- Gum/Mints: Wrigley (Orbit, Juicy Fruit), Tic Tac Mints
- Snack Cakes: Hostess (Twinkies, Cupcakes), Drake’s (Yodels, Devil Dogs)
- Donuts: Entenmann’s, Krispy Kreme
- Nutrition Bars: Kind Bars, Clif Bars, Kellogg’s (NutriGrain, Special K)
Brand recognition and loyalty drive repeat sales, so stick to proven top names in each category.
Best Selling Flavors/Varieties
Beyond brand names, consumers gravitate toward certain flavors and varieties:
- Chips: Regular, BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion rank as top flavors. Diversify with plain, baked, and flavored.
- Candy: Focus on primary milk chocolate and crispy/peanut varieties (Snickers, Reese’s, Kit Kat).
- Gum: Spearmint and peppermint are customer favorites.
- Bakery: Provide a mix of chocolate, powdered and glazed donuts/pastries.
- Nutrition Bars: Mix protein-focused options with crunchy granola/cereal bars.
Rotate new flavors seasonally like Zapp’s Spicy Cajun Crawtator chips or Reese’s Pumpkins for Halloween. But maintain availability of proven top tastes.
Top Health-Conscious Vended Snacks
A subset of shoppers prioritizes nutrition in vending. Stock these better-for-you options:
- Protein bars (ThinkThin, Quest)
- Protein shakes (Premier Protein, Muscle Milk)
- Trail/cereal mixes (Kind Healthy Grains bars)
- Dried fruits (sunflower seeds, raisins, mango)
- Baked chips or popcorn (SkinnyPop, Veggie Straws)
- Yogurt-coated products (chocolate raisins, peanuts)
- Fresh fruit (apples, cut fruit cups)
- Squeezable fruit pouches (Mott’s, GoGo squeeZ)
Catering to health trends captures added sales from the nutrition-focused demographic.
Top Vended Snack Sizes
Consumers gravitate toward certain package sizes:
- 1-1.5 oz. for candy bars, gum, mints
- 1.5-2 oz. for chips, cheese snacks
- 2-3 oz. for nutrition/protein bars
- 3.5-6 oz. for snack cakes, muffins, pastries
Keep to smaller portion packages. Bulk boxes or bags deter impulse buys despite lower per-ounce costs.
Faqs about the Best selling snacks in vending machines
Q: How often should I change my vending machine snack selections?
A: Rotate 2-3 new products into your mix monthly to keep offerings fresh. But also maintain proven top sellers year-round.
Q: Should I do blind vending with mystery snacks?
A: Blind vending can help liquidate unsold items but consumers prefer seeing exactly what they will receive. Mystery snacks work best for low-cost capsule vending.
Q: What % of snacks should be healthier options?
A: Shoot for 20-25% of selections catering to health trends. But never eliminate traditional top brands in favor of only healthy items.
Q: How do I research popular regional snack preferences?
A: Talk to drivers servicing local vending routes. Verify your planogram matches their top sellers. Adjust to local tastes over time using sales data.
Conclusion on the Best selling snacks in vending machines
Carefully structuring vending machine inventory with optimal mix of top national brands, flavors, varieties and sizes will maximize sales. Start with proven best sellers across segments like chips and chocolate before testing niche products. Matching selection to purchasing trends and regional tastes ensures machines earn the most revenue possible.
