What vending products do you offer?

[Main Street Carwash]

Hey guys, what vending products do you offer at your wash and what sells well?

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Ill upload a pic of my Shurvend and it's contents, but without doubt, ArmorAll products have been my best seller.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

Also, what vending machines are you using and how do you like them?

 

[soonermajic]

I sell Lil Trees: Black Ice, Vanillaroma, New car (those 3 BESt by far), then Coral Reef
Armor All sponge & Tire foam (surprisingly tire foam does not sell very well)
Microfiber towels (sells great)

I am about to sell my Jim Coleman Vending center: 10 vendors, all vault drop, into one vault. EASY collection!
I also have a nearly new 3 electronic vend I am going to sell.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

Are you going to a glass front spiral type vendor?

 

[Jerry]

I prolly sell everything you can think of. These are candy vending machines I bought from Amamark for $300 each(check ebay or craigslist) and built them into my chemical room of my self serve. Can't imagine spending $3k for a maxi-vend that holds 9-12 items. Each of these holds 25+ different items and at least 12-24 units of each item. Everything fits nicely except the tire foam cans.

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[Main Street Carwash]

I have thought about doing just that for a few years but I am afraid thieves will break the glass. I thought maybe bolt expanded metal over the front. Do you have many issues with jams of product?

 

[soonermajic]

I am thinking of spiral glass front, in the future.
Jerry has a good idea here.

 

[Jerry]

a few break ins. maybe once every 3 years.
a few things get stuck every once in a while but the benefit of having a bigger machine outweighs the problems

 

[Bethel Car Wash]

I have armor all wipes and big truck towels which both sell ok. That is all the vending space I have but I find lots of little trees in my trash cans. If I can make room for one of the tree machines I think it would be really profitable for me.

 

[Bigsambo]

I also just started vending at one location, switched from old drop shelves to ams outsider. I stocked it the first time with 4 different dry towels. The cheap cleanrite microfiber has sold best, also got a waffle weave one, more expensive, and selling less. And a shamwow type chamois which is also selling mediocre. The best is typically the throw away paper kleenrite truck towel. Makes less but a fast nickel is better than a slow dime.

I have 3 different glass cleaners a sprayway foaming can, mothers revision, and throw away glass wipe, again the cheap throwaway sells twice as many at least.

Armor all is always a good bet and I currently have 4 varieties. Extreme tire and wheel cleaner, 4oz armorall spray, 4oz can tire shine, and armorall sponges. I would recommend the sponges for sure and possibly the 4oz plastic spray bottle for now.

Scented trees best sellers hands down for me are in order black ice, vanilla pride, rainforest mist, and true north. I also have leather, new car, and pure steel and will be adding 3 more. However these varieties I'm sure sell differently everywhere.

I have a variety of other things in the vendor but I haven't honestly had it up long enough to tell you what's selling best.

I'm also very interested in what everyone else sells the most of.

 

[MEP001]

In highest to lowest sales order:

Jumbo paper towels, vend for $1.00 (Sold 3 times as many smaller towels at 50¢)
Armor All sponge pack, $1.00
Wet towel, 75¢
Black ice little tree, 75¢
Vanilla little tree, 75¢
Terry cotton towel, $1.00
Armor All 4 oz spray, $2.00
Armor All tire foam, $2.00

 

[chaz]

In highest to lowest sales order:

Jumbo paper towels, vend for $1.00 (Sold 3 times as many smaller towels at 50¢)
Armor All sponge pack, $1.00
Wet towel, 75¢
Black ice little tree, 75¢
Vanilla little tree, 75¢
Terry cotton towel, $1.00
Armor All 4 oz spray, $2.00
Armor All tire foam, $2.00

Your top items close to mine, though my micro fiber towel (Costco) $2.50 retail is pretty high up. Plus I’m 1.00 on all trees. $1.50 armorall sponge, $2.50 each on the A/R pump sprays. I don’t need to get rich on vending...but do need to cover freight, amortized machine cost, and the freebies for good customers. If I can’t vend for at least $1 an item...it’s not worthy a apot in my vendor

 

[MEP001]

Your top items close to mine, though my micro fiber towel (Costco) $2.50 retail is pretty high up. Plus I’m 1.00 on all trees. $1.50 armorall sponge, $2.50 each on the A/R pump sprays. I don’t need to get rich on vending...but do need to cover freight, amortized machine cost, and the freebies for good customers. If I can’t vend for at least $1 an item...it’s not worthy a apot in my vendor

I try to get 100% markup on vending, and since I order a pallet of soap at a time with free shipping and have vending stacked on top, I don't pay freight. So 75¢ on the little trees is plenty, besides I tried setting them for $1 expecting to add swipers on all the vendors and it killed sales.

 

[soonermajic]

My Little Trees are $1.25 & I sell quite a few. How do you change the price on Lil Trees 5 column vendor?

 

[chaz]

I try to get 100% markup on vending, and since I order a pallet of soap at a time with free shipping and have vending stacked on top, I don't pay freight. So 75¢ on the little trees is plenty, besides I tried setting them for $1 expecting to add swipers on all the vendors and it killed sales.[/QUOTE

I understand you fill the skid or wait for free shipping offers.....but.....Where are you getting your little trees for 37.5 cents each. The best I’ve seen is K/R at .4548@ and that’s when I buy 5 boxes or more of 72!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

The best I’ve seen is K/R at .4548@ and that’s when I buy 5 boxes or more of 72!

They often give a free box with the purchase of 10, so that would bring it down another 9%. Not 37.5, but closer.

 

[chaz]

They often give a free box with the purchase of 10, so that would bring it down another 9%. Not 37.5, but closer.

Forgot about that periodic sale...plus they sometimes offer the free K/R T-shirt

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Forgot about that periodic sale...plus they sometimes offer the free K/R T-shirt

That's pretty cool, but at one time a supplier (not K/R) would give 3% off shipping if you ordered online...wow! It's a wonder they could keep their shelves stocked with a deal like that.

 

[MEP001]

I understand you fill the skid or wait for free shipping offers.....but.....Where are you getting your little trees for 37.5 cents each. The best I’ve seen is K/R at .4548@ and that’s when I buy 5 boxes or more of 72!

You're right, I guess it's just been a very long time since I checked the cost.