We buy our towels at Costco, there a higher grade towel. We fold them in a way that they fit into the drop shelf vender nicely. Laurel metals has a vender shelf magazine assembly for diapers that works great for thick towels.
Problem with microfiber towels getting stuck inside Laurel Vending - single column
- Thread starter Kimberly Berg
- Start date
+1 on what Randy says....I bought the wider magazine for my Laurel vendor and the towels vend perfectly. I think it has 19 shelfs. I get the Micro-Fiber towels from Sams Club, 36 for about $15-$16...4 different colors, blue, orange, yellow, and green. I mix them up in the vendor....They come already folded in half, I fold them in half length ways again, then fold in thirds for a perfect fit in the vendor. I also wrap them in "Stretch Tite" plastic wrap that I got off Amazon for about $25 for 3000 feet. I figure a lifetime supply! Takes less than a foot to wrap each one....When I make them up, I set down and do 4 bags at a time (144) to get all the colors. That lasts me for quite a while depending on the season.
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Kimberly Berg
Well-known member
For now, I'm just taping the Big Boss towels in half (long-ways), until I get through the last 2 boxes, and then I'll purchase the 12"x16" Quick Dry towels (see updated post on 3/26/19).
Kimberly Berg
Well-known member
Are you using the Armor All Protectant Sponge Packs or other packet? When I bought my car wash 16 years ago, the Protectant Sponges came in the larger packages, and we had to fold them in half, like you described. They finally responded to the collective complaints (from other CW owners) and modified their packaging, so they would fit better in the Laurel One Column vending boxes. I sold over 2100 Armor All sponges last year and honestly don't have the time to fold each packet.
Kimberly Berg
Well-known member
Great question! Yes, I have considered a glass front vendor, but have found some drawbacks for my situation:
- Its all about location! The front of my car wash gets the most exposure, and I don't have a large area in the front for a glass front vendor. Instead I have 5 Laurel Vending (one column boxes) that fit perfectly between my wash bays. Customers see all the vending as they drive in and walk to the cash machine (to use their credit card to purchase $1 tokens). Last year I sold 11,363 (dry towels, microfiber towels, moist towels, Armor All sponge packets & Little Tree scents). I'm not sure I would sell any more if they vended out of a glass front vendor.
- Cost: average price for a glass front vendor runs about $5000 from Kleen-Rite (not including shipment)
- Vulnerability: I prefer not to put all my eggs in one basket. If the glass front vendor is jammed, or it's vandalized, I've lost a considerable amount of sales, and disappointed a lot of customers.
- Limited storage for inventory: I have a VERY small pump room and don't have much room for extra product.
- Its all about location! The front of my car wash gets the most exposure, and I don't have a large area in the front for a glass front vendor. Instead I have 5 Laurel Vending (one column boxes) that fit perfectly between my wash bays. Customers see all the vending as they drive in and walk to the cash machine (to use their credit card to purchase $1 tokens). Last year I sold 11,363 (dry towels, microfiber towels, moist towels, Armor All sponge packets & Little Tree scents). I'm not sure I would sell any more if they vended out of a glass front vendor.
- Cost: average price for a glass front vendor runs about $5000 from Kleen-Rite (not including shipment)
- Vulnerability: I prefer not to put all my eggs in one basket. If the glass front vendor is jammed, or it's vandalized, I've lost a considerable amount of sales, and disappointed a lot of customers.
- Limited storage for inventory: I have a VERY small pump room and don't have much room for extra product.
Kimberly Berg
Well-known member
Alpine Dreams
Member
Take them out of the bags. You will just be picking them up off the ground later anyways.
Kimberly Berg
Well-known member
That might be true at most car washes, but not mine. On average I sell 133 towels a month, and OCCASIONALLY pick up a clear cellophane wrapper off the ground. The packaged towels look better and my customers know they're clean and new! They vend for $2 each. When I'm at my car wash I'm so busy cleaning, making change, talking with my customers that I don't have time (or interest) to fold towels or remove them from the packaging. I'm looking for a simple solution - a high-quality microfiber towel, that is packaged to vend properly from the Laurel Vending machine!
