71% growth... crazy, or curious?

Hello Lovely Vending People

Apologies that it’s been a while, but no worries! The thrills, spills and adventures of the Friendly Vending Geeks continue; Right here, right now!

71% growth – did that headline capture your imagination?  If not, listen up!

Health and Wellbeing are no stranger to this blog; in fact, they are no stranger to any of us, if we’re honest.   What may be strange to some reading this are the business statistics associated with some of the sectors associated with health and wellbeing, in particular the “Free From” trends..

In the UK (source Mintel), the market for Free From food grew by 109% between 2006 and 2011 and the predicted growth between 2011 and 2016 (ie now-ish!) is 71%.    Yes, 71% growth!

If some of you are less comfortable with % and prefer the more familiar GBP (£), then in value (source Kantar World Panel) UK Free From is currently approximately £240m, growing at 15.5% YOY.

The point?  Well, there are a lot of consumers out there buying foods that are free from, because those numbers are real.  Are we in vending serving those consumers because, if not, surely you recognize an opportunity when you seen one?

Some of you may scoff (in the non-eating sense of the word!) and exclaim that 24vend is frankly, crazy, with their attempts to interest the Vending Village to look more broadly, offer more choice and even consider selling what may seem to be non-core products.  Maybe we are (crazy, that is!), but would it really hurt to take a look? 

The point of our conference BEING HEALTHY2013  on 12^th June, is to offer some different perspectives.   Not only will you hear from Vending Operators who are successfully embracing change and offering healthier choices, but you will also have the opportunity to sample some fantastic new products.  Further, through our working partnership with FoodsMatter.com, we will be presenting Vending Consumer insights hot off the press.  All of this is only available if you attend – as they say, you have to be in it to win it!

So, acknowledging the first track to reach number 1 (in the UK) from downloads alone, CRAZY we are happy to be! 

See you on 12^th June, Seminar Marquee at AVEX – Being Healthy 2013

Have a fantastic week!

The Friendly Vending Geeks at 24vend

In praise of Chocolate

Hello everyone

Another week and for all our American friends, it’s a short but busy one.  First celebrated in 1621 as an autumn harvest celebration, it wasn’t until 1863 (in the midst of civil war) that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a set Thursday in November be celebrated as Thanksgiving Day.  Enjoy!

After that dose of history, let’s return to today’s topic; chocolate.  Even older than Thanksgiving, we have a great deal to thank the Aztecs for; Emperor Montezuma is long associated with this amazing product that stands the test of time and enjoys frequent innovation and reinvention.   So, in praise of chocolate, let’s start this chilly wintry week!

Some of you reading this may scratch your heads and take us aside to say, “we thought 24vend were all about health and stuff like that?”.  Indeed, you are absolutely right, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love chocolate.  The desire to be well, healthy and nutritionally positive does not negate the occasional indulgent decadence of polyphenol and flavenol rich chocolate.

Our stance is one of choice, education and responsibility (Corporate or Personal).  If we educate, inform and provide consumers with the knowledge that enables them to make good choices from the wide range of products available, then it is down to them to make a responsible decision about what they really need to consume.   I, for one, do not desire to live in a world where I’m told what to consume; we should rise to the level of responsible sellers, rather than run the risk of dumbed-down do-as-you’re-told decision-making through onerous regulation. 

No, it’s not simple, but if it were, life would be dull.  I would rather be challenged every day to be curious, learn and develop than settle for a world of monochromatic predictability.

So, can chocolate and health rub shoulders in a healthy lifestyle?  Absolutely, yes!  In the last few days, there have been a number of articles in praise of chocolate and you can read some of them here, and here!  

Nobody every said you should live on chocolate, and nobody actually makes you buy it; of course it’s marketed and advertised; if you buy into a world of consumerism (last time we looked!), then that’s business.   But, if the pre-frontal cortex drives you to a few moments of chocolate heaven, praise be!

Enjoy your week, good people of the Vending Village

Gillian and Neil

The Friendly Vending Geeks @ 24vend

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 

Healthy Vending; No Oxymoron!

Healthy Vending; No Oxymoron

With just 7 days to go before the BeingHealthy conference in Manchester (#bhealth12), we wanted to give you a (virtual) taste of the afternoon’s agenda.  Food for thought for those in the vending industry who still need persuading that consumers want to eat a range of products, both naughty and nice. No oxymoron, indeed.

We were taken aback at Vending Paris a couple of weeks ago when an industry veteran told us that what we were talking about was “b*ll**ks” (I wont translate for any of my foreign friends – just assume the more polite and usual term of "rubbish"!). Well, my friends, red rags and bulls, red rags and bulls…

We’re not talking about throwing away everything we know and love in vending, we are only suggesting that by offering more choice and products, meeting new and different needs of your consumers, your business can benefit. 

Take a look down the aisle at your nearest supermarket and there is definitely room for more, better for you, healthy, functional, different, unusual and tasty. 

Perhaps, we know the consumers we have so well that it’s very easy to overlook those we don’t?  The vending rejectors, the dieters, the foodies, the worried well… we could go on… you know the saying "familiarity breeds contempt"?

So, what we suggest is that you take only 2 hours from your day (shorter than a round of golf, we’re guessing) and join the conversation… find out how all of this brave new world can be healthy for your business…

Our Amazing presenters; 

Tracey Graham - Abercromby Vending (Scotland)

Sean Kelly - HUMAN Healthy Vending (USA)

Chris Carter - Selecta (UK)

Liz Morris – Working Families

Nathan Kulik – Innocent

Be tempted – Being Healthy on 12^th November at Imperial War Museum, North, Manchester

See you next week!

Gillian & Neil, the friendly vending geeks

24vend