Revolution?

Hello lovely Vending People

From Bob to Paul, Times are not only changing, but a Revolution is upon us!  Not a violent or discomforting revolution, but one that aims to move vending from vilified to venerated (not in the Papal sense, we’re optimists, not fools!)

Vending IS changing…  in quality, taste and content.  

Listen up, read on and book your place at Being Healthy taking place on 12^th June at NEC Hall 3, during AVEX.

WHY should I do that, you ask?  Well, we know you’re all very busy and terribly smart, but we want you to be curious, to be involved in the conversation and  most importantly part of the future.  Attending Being Healthy 2013 is the ONLY place where you will…

• Hear from UK and US vending colleagues on the positive benefits of broadening your offer to include healthy and “better-for-you” options and learn how to market these opportunities
• Receive, hot off the press, a first edition copy of “Vending is Changing”; a white paper written by the AVA summarising its ground-breaking project with young chefs of the future – more choices, more potential, more opportunities
• Hear hot off the press research from vending consumers on their needs and thoughts on healthy vending – and why it’s great for business
• Sample a wide range of new and tasty healthy and free-from vendable products from some new UK based food companies

Thing is, good people, you have to be in the Seminar Marquee at AVEX on 12^th June to experience all this and be up front and centre with these discussions.

Book now – only a few places remain and we’re laying on a fantastic lunch as part of the conference.  What’s not to love?

Be momentous, not inert!  The more, the merrier.

See you next week

Gillian & Neil, The Friendly Vending Geeks at 24vend

Another day, another report?

Another day.  Another report on the state of the UK’s health.  The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents nearly ever doctor in the UK, has deemed ballooning waistlines a “huge crisis” and made a number of recommendations to drive lifestyle changes that they believe will undo the current state of affairs. Amongst their recommendations is the old chestnut close to the heart of anyone in the vending industry; a ban on vending machines in hospitals.

Let me say, straight up, that there is no denial about the situation.  26% of the adult population of the UK categorised as obese* (based on BMI**) is not good news.  But bans on vending machines?  Really?  And what of the retail outlets in the same hospitals – ban those too?   

Of course hospitals should be places of health, wellbeing and education to support all of us in a healthy lifestyle.  However, removing a few vending machines could be seen as merely window “undressing”.  There it was, gone!  Actually, would it not be better to stock machines with different products and support people through education? 

Interestingly, 24vend were involved in some research where sales from vending machines located in a busy city NHS hospital were tracked (via a telemetry system) over a period of a month.  No surprise that the peak of sales occurred consistently at 8pm and 2am when all other forms of refreshment were probably unmanned or unavailable.  Convenience is at the heart of vending and those who were hungry at 8pm and 2am (I would take an educated guess) were not unwell patients being mended and made better, but the amazing NHS staff who were working long and arduous shifts at anti-social hours.  Remove vending and then what?

The report goes some way to parallel the food environment with that of tobacco.  Whilst, we’re here to think about vending, I would just make the comment that whilst you don’t need to smoke; you do need to eat and drink.    That’s why the staff in the hospital were buying things in the dark hours of the night; they were working and needed refreshment!

So, our message today is that we know too many people in the UK are not as healthy as they ought to be and that things need to change.  However, banning without intelligent conversation on how things could be different is missing a massive opportunity.  There is huge good work going on in the global vending community supporting people on their journey to better lifestyles.  If any of you are thinking of attending AVEX this year, there will be an entire day dedicated to the topic of health and wellbeing; save the date - June 12th 2013, NEC Hall 3. Birmingham. A day that was planned a long time before this report came to light!  Get in touch if you want to know more.

So, let’s not be lazy and just ban things we think aren’t right; let’s enter into good old thrust and parry, intelligent debate and drive change.  We love to talk vending, health and innovation!

So, on that note, I’m off to the gym!

*OECD statistics 2012

**BMI is a calculation of weight/height ratio 

You'd be nuts not to read this!

Nuts!  Those of a certain age will remember the classic advert and whilst not a big fan of TV advertising, it's one of those golden oldies (a little like Smash!).

Anyway, we're not here to wax lyrical about mahoosive advertising budgets and times gone by.  We're definitely right here, right now and Fat Boy Slim is always on our playlist!

Nuts

Certainly, if you are allergic to them, life can be very tricky.  Sorry about that.  If, however, you are able to eat them, why not eat more of them..  here are a few nutty facts (strange, but true)...

Cholesterol - we all need some and many of us have too much.  Briefly, there are two types of cholesterol; LDL ("bad") and HDL ("good").  There is research to suggest that there is a relationship between eating more raw (unprocessed) nuts and a reduction in the levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.  One report showed those eating around 70g/day reduced their LDL ("bad") levels by 9.4%.  Pretty impressive (references below, OK).

Fibre - if you want a healthy digestive system and everything that goes with it (sparing you the details!), you'll need to be eating plenty of fibre.  Well, once again, raw nuts (unprocessed) are pretty nifty in this area too.  Another great thing about fibre rich foods is that they increase the feeling of fullness and satiety as well as stabilising blood sugar levels.  What's not to love?

Anyway, this is a blog about all things vending (as well as the occasional opinion!) and 24vend is delighted to be able to offer you a machine that can vend nuts really niftily.  Going great guns in the Netherlands and shown in a megascreen cinema complex not far from Amsterdam, maybe you can add it to your portfolio?

Get in touch if you want to know more about nuts or even nut vending machines

Virtually Yours in Vending

Gillian & Neil

(reference:  Jenkins DJA et al  Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors; blood lipids, oxidised low-density lipoproteins, lipoproteins(a), homcysteine and pulmonary nitric oxide; a randomised, controlled, crossover trial.  2002 106(11):1327-84)

Being Healthy 12 - separating the fat from the fiction

Despite classic British weather (wet and wet!) and Monday motorway madness, a group of motivated, interested and engaged Vending Operators trekked to the architecturally amazing Imperial War Museum in Trafford Park, Manchester for the Being Healthy Conference.  

For those who haven’t to IWM North, it’s located in an area of fabulous urban regeneration, bearing monument to a golden Industrial past whilst embracing re-invention as a business and tourist destination.

Re-invention is also at the heart of 24vend’s passion in getting the Vending Elephants out of the room!  Health and wellbeing are big agenda items however you look at them.  This conference, whilst modest in its ambition, wanted to get the dialogue open, objective and focussed on opportunity, not issue!

For those not there, you missed a fantastic line-up of speakers and some excellent conversation.  Let’s summarise:

TraceyGraham, Abercromby Vending.  This is a fantastic and heartening story of an enlightened business owner identifying an opportunity and, quite literally, making it happen.  With her knowledge of catering, Tracey oversees the creation of food and snacks that can be vended and her brother Thomas makes sure the vending operation runs like a dream.  What is so inspiring is that Abercromby Vending have won the Healthy Living Award in Scotland and are getting really positive attention from the Scottish Government.    Consumers love it and Tracey tells the story of a customer phoning from a Hospital to thank her for the fantastic, tasty and healthy products that they have bought from one of their vending machines.  Word of mouth and don’t we all want that.

ChrisCarter, Selecta UK and Ireland.  Chris told the European story of “positive living” through vending machines.  Selecta in France, Switzerland and the UK offer consumers products that can help make them achieve their healthier lifestyles.  France and Switzerland are very interesting initiatives as they are supported by their respective Ministries of Health; positive Government involvement and a mark of confidence and signposting for the products that meet certain guidelines.  This level of consumer education and information really helps; nutrition is not an easy subject even for the well informed, so anything we can do as responsible vendors to help increase knowledge has to be a good thing.

24vend gave a whistle-stop update on what’s happening in USA.  Believe us when we say, it’s a lot.   Even if it is partly driven through the requirements of Employers to support their staff on the road to better living, the growth of franchises that focus entirely on offering health, healthier and better products in vending machines is something to which we say Bravo!  HUMAN Healthy Vending is winning contracts, placing machines and making available a fantastic choice of products in vending.    Growing as a business, achieving a place in the Forbes 500 fastest growing list, HUMAN Healthy Vending is breaking records and vending stereotypes.  So, to the nay-sayers who don’t believe that health has no business in vending, perhaps it’s time to open your hearts and minds to a different perspective?

LizMorris, Working Families brought hearts and minds to life.  The pre-frontal cortices of the audience were educated and informed about how productivity and vending are both very important in a workplace context.   Savvy employers are learning how cortisol, serotonin, and circadian rhythms can help or hinder productivity.  The programming of humans to enjoy “comfort” foods is at odds with our need to eat to sustain performance.  It was fantastic to have a Neuroscientist put the facts behind the reasons why we crave certain foods in specific situations.  Of course, in moderation, comfort foods can be positive, but more frequent positive eating can make for better living.

Last but not least;

Nathan Kulik joined us to tell the Innocent story.  This was enlightening not just from the perspective that it’s a great story of 3 mates who snowboarded from holiday to global fame and a £43mio business, but also from learning about the strength of the brand and the smoothies and juices that they make.  The 7^th most loved UK company packed full of fresh, responsible, healthy goodness in a vending machine near you.  Inspirational!

The panel session for the presenters was lively and only a little contentious.  We foraged debates around commercial realities in vending, working patterns in UK businesses, the difference in culture across Europe that drive our eating habits as well as Government interventions in nudging consumers to different or better behaviours.  

There was agreement and acknowledgement that Vending Operators can learn from each other, that fresh products need to be handled differently and that consumers will phone to tell you how great your options taste – trust me, if they are telling you, they are probably telling their friends!  What a contrast from the typical image of vending (“stole my money”, “nothing for me” and “last resort”!). 

Probably the most important message from this session (aside from how passionate the vending fraternity is!) was a HUGE shout out to manufacturers to reformulate, create and deliver great tasting healthy and healthier products.  So, to any brands out there not currently in vending, get in touch.  Your vending Operator needs you!

Our plan is to run a similar conference in late Spring 2013.  We’ll build on the fantastic strides already taking place and have taken a personal challenge to find new products to bring for sampling.

Get in touch if you would like more information on this conference or any other product or service that 24vend can offer to help grow your business.

Gillian & Neil 

Welcome One, Welcome All!

Welcome Bienvenue Wilkommen Bienvenido

Thanks for taking a few moments to read our blog.  24vend is an international vending and unattended retailing consultancy based in the UK but with vending friends around the world. 

We're excited to announce that, following a meeting last week at Vending Paris, we have been accepted as members of EVA, the European vending trade association.  Add to that our membership of AVA, the UK and Ireland vending trade association, we are definitely linked to the best in the world when it comes to all things vending.  Great news!

We take our work very seriously, but do have a great sense of fun, so we promise to be less dull and more drole in our take on the world in which we operate!  We know you'll tell us if you believe otherwise.

To get the party started, we have included a few photos from our vast collection of vending photos.  If you happen by our offices, you'll see many more - the invitation is open to one and all - we can assure everyone of a warm welcome, good coffee and great conversation. 

Welcome to our world - a life in the year of Vending Geeks!

See you soon
Gillian & Neil
PS On the subject of Apples, we will will return this topic later.  No!  Not the one belonging to either Newton or the late, great Steve, but the fruit!  Catch you later.