Jack and the Beanstalk

Reading over some industry data last week, we were struck by how coffee is an integral part of life as we know it in the UK.  It's probably that way too in many other countries around the world and "coffee culture" is growing, now slowing.  Being inquisitive types, we did some digging...

1 in 5 people in the UK go to a coffee shop every day - yes, DAILY!

The main colours of UK coffee shops are Red, Green and Blue!  Not sure which is your favourite of these high street brands, but they represent around 54% (market share) of the UK coffee scene...  In terms of locations, Big Red 1500, Big Green 760 and Big Blue 530; places to drink coffee, read industry reports and chat!  It's growing; + 7.5%  (2012); impressive no matter what colour you have pinned to the mast!

What's more interesting is that in total there are estimated to be just under 16, 000 coffee shops in the UK - that includes all of the independent and small chains (great coffee!) dotted on our highways and byways.

So, 16, 000; that's a big number, right?

Well, how about I raise you to 278, 000 as a B I G number?

278, 000 is the (2012) UK vending industry estimate of the number of hot drinks vending machines dotted in our offices, hospitals and leisure centres etc; down in 2012 by around 2.5%.

Another fact that you might find interesting is that the average cup of coffee in the high street will set you back at least a  rocking £2.20 and more if  you add 'ccino, frappé, mocha, decaf, soya, skinny, sprinkles (you get our drift) into the mix.  Growth, profit, loyalty are just some of the words you can associate with the Red, Blue, Green and other colours of the coffee world in which we co-exist.

I'm not sure how many of you reading this are supping a £2.20 cup of vended coffee.  Oops, didn't make you schlurp on your crema did we?

We've talked about this before on previous blogs and not much has changed.  The Big Colours of Coffee are eyeing our playground.  They love the high street as much as the next, but closed sites such as Offices must be on their maps!

Big Red has already made serious moves into Gourmet Vending!  Just calling it Gourmet changes the emotion that we engage when we think about buying from a machine...  they can dress it up all they like, and mess with our heads and our emotions but we know, truly we do, that it's just Vending (like we do!) by any other name.  Big Green is partying with a large Operator and who knows what Big Blue are up to in their Covent Garden coffee hot house.

As you're all smart boys and girls, you'll have spotted that nowhere in this article do we use the word Quality.  Now, you all know that we can't really tell a turnip from a tea-towel without a coffee fix, but it's pretty certain the the vending equipment we use makes excellent, consistent coffee that deserves more love and attention from the sipping public.  However, if we continue to flog it for 2 tenths of not very much because we've squeezed all value from the final brew, why are we surprised when our industry is slip, sliding away rather than racing to the top?

In the age old story, Jack watered his beanstalk and took great care; maybe we should all try to be like Jack... what say you?

So riddle us this; which would you rather be ...  growing at+7.5% or declining at -2.5%?

(all our data comes from Allegra Strategies or AVA)

Thanks for listening and let us know how you're winning the hearts and minds of vending consumers through great coffee!

Back in the saddle!

Hi lovely vending people

Well, what can we say?  Procrastination is indeed the thief of time and since the flurry, excitement and overall thrill of AVEX 2013, we have been remiss!  However, we're back in the saddle with news, stories and opinions about the wacky world of vending.  So, where to start?

Mmm, healthy vending.  This one will, as they say, run and run.  You know we're passionate about being healthy, living well and doing all that in the context of vending.  As such, it's been great to be asked back to support the AVA as they run the second year of their collaboration with UCB final year BA Culinary Arts students.  Just a quick recap if you're new to this topic.

In 2012, the AVA took the bold step of challenging the final year students to create products that can be both sold through the vending channel and are "healthy".  Since there's no agreed definition (anywhere) on what is healthy, they interpreted that in a number of ways, delivering ground-breaking, innovative and great tasting foods for different vending locations.  Well, so successful was the activity, that we are again challenging the students.  This year, however, we have set a calorie challenge!  We have asked them to aim for 250 to 300KCal for the product; that's about as tight as the specification gets.

Lots of industry experts have been on hand in the first few weeks to initiate the "Year of 2014" to the arts and crafts of vending.  A real honour and privilege to work with young chefs of tomorrow.  This week, they presented their concepts to an expert group of which I was a part - fantastic fun!  Without giving the game away, here are some headlines for me:

6 groups will present 6 unique branded, lower calorie vending products.  Awaiting the judging panel will be products that combine:

• Sensory sensations 
• Visual interest 
• Appetising aromas
• Sweet and savoury products many of which are allergen friendly or "free from"
• Fresh innovative combinations of flavours and ingredients 
• A range of  textures 
• Exciting earth-friendly packaging
• Social, Digital and Mobile brands that will engage their demographic and location

You see, I really don't want to steal their thunder and, as they hunker down in the test kitchens for the remainder of this academic term, they need to be able to perfect and develop their products for the judging panel.  I know it's a bit cheeky as I've had a sneak preview but trust me, it will be worth tuning in early in 2014 when the final products, brands and results will be known.

Get in touch and let us know what you think

Great to be on the bike again!

The Friendly Vending Geeks, Gillian & Neil at 24vend

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 

And now for something completely different!

Good morning all

Welcome to our all readers!  After all our talk of health and wellbeing, it seems fitting that we tell you what other products and services 24vend can offer.   Something completely different that we think you’ll like!

Our heartland is, you may be surprised to read, in all things technical.  Whilst we have a passionate interest in all things human, we love gadgets, gizmos and techy-geeky stuff.  We use that term in the most self-deprecating of manners; because we can!

24vend is today with a handful of other technical experts working with the EVA on all things Cashless.  Cash, in its broadest sense, will always be King, but we reckon that Cashless is actually Queen!  The Joker sits smirking as he just wants paying for his mendacity and the Ace? Those who embrace all forms of payment.

We’re proud to be members of both AVA and EVA and whole-heartedly support the development of our industry to be not just good but great!  Whilst beyond the point where it’s OK to be “down with the kids”, we do have a pretty clever mobile phone payment system that is super simple, super clever and well, super!  You might want to talk to us about this if you have any interest in being social, digital and mobile (to coin a phrase).

In the words of Fat Boy Slim, “We've come a long long way together, Through the hard times and the good. I have to celebrate you baby , I have to praise you like I should”  As the coin said to the mobile wallet!

Why not join us on your journey to cash and cashless?  Everything to gain and nothing to lose!  We’re but a (mobile) phone call away.

Get in touch

The Friendly Vending Geeks

Gillian and Neil

Oranges and Lemons (even though you were promised Apples!)

I know, I know...  nothing for years then 2 blogs in one day!  What can I say?

Whilst this a vending blog, it's a little fruity for a Friday.  Below is the lovely amazing Apple Vending machine (c1930s); no more Steve Jobs than Isaac Newton but it serves a purpose for the next few minutes.

The subject of health and wellbeing is discussed at length every day online and in the real world;  We want to focus on the world of opportunity that health and wellbeing present for vending.  Vending has had its fair share of opposition over the years with bans and restrictions in various guises across many geographies.  Vending trade associations have positioned vending as part of the solution and nothing changes there.  Let's be honest, vending machines are shops and they sell what sells.  Nobody is made to purchase from a vending machine; they just stand their, minding their own business, doing what they do.  The Apple machine below was doing that - just selling you apples.

"Well", I hear you cry, "what's your point?"

My point is that enabling consumer choice, supporting healthy lifestyles and following trends has to be at the core of any vending business.  The vending industry hasn't invested millions in making fantastic cappuccino just because it was fed up of sitting on the beach.  The consumer wanted it and we responded.  Great news and superb innovation.  Extend that thinking to the choices available in a snack machine and perhaps we will start to see a broader range of products for sale?  Sure, some may not like that affordable indulgences such as crisps (chips to my transatlantic friends), chocolate and cherry fizz will still be on sale, but small changes are probably a better way forward to encouraging people to make lifelong changes to their consumption patterns.

Which brings us back to vending apples!  24vend is hosting a conference "Being Healthy" on 12th November at the amazing Imperial War Museum North (Manchester) where we will hear from Vending Operators who are making "healthy" vending work, manufacturers offering new products for sampling and a Workplace expert on how vending fits into driving productivity.  You really should be part of the conversation if you want to get with a trend that doesn't look like it will be going away anytime soon.  Get in touch and be there!

Whatever you're doing, stay well and healthy

The Friendly Vending Geeks @24vend

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.