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Vending Microfiber Towels From Sams Club?

2Biz

2Biz

Thread Killer!
Whats the best way to vend MicroFiber Towels from Sams Club in a standard drop-shelf Vendor? They don't fold up nice and tight like the Big Blue Towels. I have tried a few and they do drop, but I can see how they may hang up if not folded exactly right.

I have thought of a few solutions like wrapping in saran wrap, putting them in ziplocks, etc. But then I figure I'd be picking that up off the ground like I do little tree's wrappers!
 
I used them for a couple of years by just putting 2 rubber bands on them really tight. It was hard to do and took time, so I just raised the price and started buying the blue ones from Kleen Rite that are already wrapped. I buy them when I get free shipping and not long ago they had a buy 2 get one free on them, so I even make more money that way without the headache.
 
I wonder if you could vacuum seal them with one of the small food vacuum sealers. That should make them smaller.
 
I used to vend the cheap terry towels from Sam's - I'd launder and dry them so they'd actually work, and I built a tray I could stack them in and use a long quick clamp against another piece of wood to crush the stack overnight, then they'd slip into the vendor shelves easily. I've thought about using the same tray with cheap zip-lock bags from Uline to compress and seal a stack, and if I ever do that I'd probably make a sort of funnel out of aluminum that I could slide the towel into, then slide the bag over the end and pull the towel and bag off.
 
Now the million dollar question! What size zip lock? The Quart size is too big and the sandwich size is too small!
 
This is what I do.

- Fold the Sams Club microfiber towels by thirds, twice.

- Fold it like a taco and with the other hand pull the 6 x 8" 1 Mil Bags On A Roll out to slide the taco in. It's easier using the Poly Tubing Despenser 6" to hold the roll of bags so it doesn't walk off.

- Fold the bag in half (closed end towards open end) and place the open end in the Tabel Top Impulse Sealer with Cutter 8".

- Seal and cut the excess bag off. When the taco unfolds, it is compressed and sealed.

- When stacking in the drop shelf, I place the package close to the hinge and then raise the shelf to the locked position. It also gets a little squeeze between shelves. This helps to keep it to the side and prevents it from hanging once shelf is dropped.

If anyone would like me to take some pics or try to make a short clip how I do it, I'd be more than willing.
I like the presentation of the sealed bags and don't pick up the empty bags any more than the wrappers from other items vended.

Links to the items below:

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-161/Poly-Bag-Sealers/Tabletop-Impulse-Sealer-with-Cutter-8

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-4654/Poly-Tubing-Dispensers/Poly-Tubing-Dispenser-6

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-13589/Bags-On-A-Roll/6-x-8-1-Mil-Bags-On-A-Roll
 
Wow. Seems labor intensive, but maybe needed for drop shelf. Hope you get a good price.

I just fold in half and roll then use a rubber band .... Works great in my spiral vendor, but maybe too thick for drop shelf. (Can you use every other drop shelf?)

I vend at $2.50@
 
Other than my spiral vendor, I also sell these in 2 Laural vendors. For those, I just leave them folded in half like they come in the bag, the fold it over 4 times so that it is a rectangle. I then put it in on the drop shelf. No rubber bands, bags, or anything else. Takes 5 seconds per towel. Works perfectly and never had one get stuck. Not sure why you guys have to go through all that trouble for the drop shelf vending....
 
I'm going to fill the drop shelf completely with the MF towels and vend them all, unwrapped. If none gets stuck, slash wins the prize! I like KISS! Will let you know how it works!

BTW, MF stands for MicroFiber! Get your minds out of the gutter! :p
 
:) One small disclaimer, since I sell the most out of the spiral vendor and not the drop shelf, I only fill them about 3/4 the way up...
 
Perhaps after my second year the enthusiasm will pass.

Chaz, great idea for every other shelf for larger items. Unfortunately the skipped (dropped) shelf would lay diagonally across the intended larger shelf.
 
I'm telling ya, I fold in half & then in 3rds. place it in a sandwhich Ziploc, squeeze out the air....& it works like a champ.
 
chaz said:
Wow. Seems labor intensive, but maybe needed for drop shelf. Hope you get a good price.

I just fold in half and roll then use a rubber band .... Works great in my spiral vendor, but maybe too thick for drop shelf. (Can you use every other drop shelf?)
Click to expand...

No, because if you skip a shelf, the lowest one and the first one above the skipped shelf will drop, so if you use every other shelf they'll all drop on the first vend.
 
MEP is correct, you can't use every other shelf in our drop-shelf venders. Little known fact is we developed a 19 shelf magazine assembly that is interchangeable in our machines for the 24 shelf asemblies. Same size, same mounting pattern. 1 7/8" shelf to shelf as compared to 1 1/4" so this should be enough extra to make room for the bigger microfiber towels. We just haven't figured a way to market it so I guess it starts here?
 
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