I saw Harry Martin at WCA and he asked how my Shurvend was working out since it?s been installed for 1+ years now. So, I thought I?d share my experiences with everyone else as well:
Reliability- Nothing has broken. I did replace a few fluorescent light bulbs at a cost of about $8 each.
Operation- The unit has been very good- maybe 99%. Maybe 3 times in the past year a vend item got caught and didn?t drop as it should. The ?guaranteed delivery? function recognized this and refunded the customer?s money.
Vandalism- fortunately, none.
Popularity- Sales were low at first (which I expected) but have climbed steadily.
Servicing- I wanted a rear load but didn?t have enough space. The front loader is fine although I do use a small two-step step stool to restock the upper shelves.
Vend items- Best sellers are terry/microfiber towels, window wipes, lots of trees, and Armor All bottles/wipes. I don?t offer paper towels, and I?ve gotten compliments that my wash sells ?real towels unlike that other one down the street.? I think the visibility of actually seeing the towels and other items for sale provides a better image.
Profitability- Most items are priced at double my cost. A few items are at 3x or more.
Investment- I was concerned that my small wash was ?too small? for a ShurVend. But, it penciled out and I?d do it again. I?ll vend at least $2k this year, netting maybe $1,300. At roughly $6k investment for purchase + install, that?s a 5-year payback which I am comfortable with. And, whenever I sell the wash, it will likely get valued using a gross income multiplier. At 3x GIM, (low for my area), $2k in vending sales will triple and return $6k in additional sales price?matching my initial investment.
Final thoughts- No, I don?t have ties or a financial stake in Shurvend-- even though I probably sound like a cheerleader here. Very simply, the unit has worked well for me and I think it was a good decision to add it to my wash.
Reliability- Nothing has broken. I did replace a few fluorescent light bulbs at a cost of about $8 each.
Operation- The unit has been very good- maybe 99%. Maybe 3 times in the past year a vend item got caught and didn?t drop as it should. The ?guaranteed delivery? function recognized this and refunded the customer?s money.
Vandalism- fortunately, none.
Popularity- Sales were low at first (which I expected) but have climbed steadily.
Servicing- I wanted a rear load but didn?t have enough space. The front loader is fine although I do use a small two-step step stool to restock the upper shelves.
Vend items- Best sellers are terry/microfiber towels, window wipes, lots of trees, and Armor All bottles/wipes. I don?t offer paper towels, and I?ve gotten compliments that my wash sells ?real towels unlike that other one down the street.? I think the visibility of actually seeing the towels and other items for sale provides a better image.
Profitability- Most items are priced at double my cost. A few items are at 3x or more.
Investment- I was concerned that my small wash was ?too small? for a ShurVend. But, it penciled out and I?d do it again. I?ll vend at least $2k this year, netting maybe $1,300. At roughly $6k investment for purchase + install, that?s a 5-year payback which I am comfortable with. And, whenever I sell the wash, it will likely get valued using a gross income multiplier. At 3x GIM, (low for my area), $2k in vending sales will triple and return $6k in additional sales price?matching my initial investment.
Final thoughts- No, I don?t have ties or a financial stake in Shurvend-- even though I probably sound like a cheerleader here. Very simply, the unit has worked well for me and I think it was a good decision to add it to my wash.