One of the most important parts of finding success in vending machines is where you choose to place those machines. Good locations give you heavy foot traffic and high sales volume, while bad locations leave your machines full of expiring product instead of money. As you work to expand your vending machine business, the bulk of your time will be spent scouting and researching new locations rather than managing your deployed units.

However, don’t think that traffic volume is the only factor that matters when it comes to vending machine success. You must also consider the safety of your machines.

Your Vending Machine is an InvestmentWhen you search for vending machines for sale and make a purchase, you’re investing in that machine’s ability to turn a profit. A broken machine cannot conduct transactions and will cost you further capital thanks to repairs or replacement. Placing your machine in a high traffic but unsafe area is a dangerous strategy; if your machine is broken into or simply broken, you’ll lose the ability to have that investment pay off.

Understanding Your LocationIt doesn’t take much research to get a feel for your location’s overall safety. Examine the environment for litter, and the other signs that the area is in ill repair. If you see other vending machines nearby, check to see if they’ve been tampered with or damaged; battle scars will still be present on machines that have lived through tough neighborhoods. You can also look up crime statistics for the area surrounding your intended placement. An area with a high rate of assault or robbery isn’t a great location for a vending machine (unless you can secure it with safety accessories).

Risk vs. RewardHigh volume areas are often riskier bets when it comes to vending machine safety. A bus stop, for example, gives you plenty of access to hundreds of customers, but is also quite exposed. When your vending machine is effectively available to any member of the public, the risk of damage or tampering increases. It’s up to you to determine whether the reward for each area outweighs the risk.

For more information on vending machines and how you can deploy them effectively, please visit www.GlobalVendingGroup.com or contact us at 800.592.4220. We’re an industry leading provider of new and used machines with years of experience in the field and we’re happy to help you with any questions you might have.