Vending and the Covid-19 Pandemic

/

How does Covid-19 affect the vending industry? Just as the pandemic has forced us to make adjustments in many aspects of our lives, as vending operators, we need to adapt to the changing needs of customers and our host businesses. Sanitation and logistics, always important, have become even more crucial for operating a successful vending route. 

Locations are not  affected equally, with some impacted by the work from home trend while other industries, like those who supply the growing e-commerce market and provide services in health and wellness, are busier than ever. Universally, the demand for safe vending practices has increased and vending operators need to incorporate these new concerns into their service plans.

Communications

The most important component in the your strategy to meet the changing needs of your clients is communication. As changes in policy and procedure take place, you don’t want to wait until those changes affect you before taking action. Contact your locations and discuss how your service can meet their specific needs.

Does your client require you to service your machine at particular times to limit interactions? Have they implemented new safety protocols? Explain your sanitation practices, including sanitizers and PPE and how you plan to use efficient inventory practices to reduce your time servicing their location. Let them know that you can be an important part of their safety plans.

Image by jamesoladujoye from Pixabay

Remote Monitoring Technology

As locations attempt to protect their customers and staff by limiting interactions, as a vending operator, you will discover  that proper planning is key to meet this need. Using remote sales monitoring and inventory tools allows you to efficiently plan your visits in a way that minimizes trips to locations. Without these tools, operators will be forced to make extra visits, often carrying unneeded items based on guess work or, even worse, run the risk of their machines running empty; something that should never happen with proper remote monitoring. At all times, efficiency is one of the keys to keeping your clients happy and running a profitable route; in our current situation, it is even more essential. 

Cleaning and Sanitation

Sanitation has become a concern of every business. Vending machines are one of points of contact in a location. One solution is to offer your customers hand sanitizer at the vending machine. At Vive Vending, we believe that only a mounted hand sanitizer is an effective solution; bottles and portable dispenser will have a tendency to disappear. All Vive Vending machines come with a hand sanitizer dispenser permanently installed. This offers the client peace of mind and removes an important objection to the presence of vending machines in a business. But providing hand sanitizer is not the end of a proper sanitation and cleaning strategy. Employees and management will be observing you as you service the machine. You should be very conscious of your cleaning routines and let the location know what your procedures are. These could all be part of a formal safety plan if that is required or desire by the location. Each time you service your machine, you should be cleaning all surfaces that come in contact with customers but also those surfaces that you interact with as you service your machine. Always wear a mask and use gloves for cleaning. Use cleaning products from Health Canada’s list of approved disinfectants and cleaning products for Covid-19 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/disinfectants/covid-19/list.html. Handle your vending product with gloves and remove from the enclosing box at the location if possible.

The Future

With increased rates of covid vaccination and efforts to restrict the spread of the virus, we are seeing hopeful signs that businesses can safely open up and many employees and employers now feel that it is safe to go back to the office. This doesn’t mean that we can go back to normal operating procedures, though. Epidemics don’t end overnight and safety concerns will linger long after the virus has spread away. Many of the changes society has made in response to the epidemic will be permanent and our operating practice as vending route operators will also be changed. Although we can all look forward to the easing of restrictions, the tools and strategies we have developed through these unusual times will be required for the indefinite future.

 Image by iXimus from Pixabay 

Choosing Locations

Should the pandemic affect the locations we are targeting for building our route? Not necessarily or a least the pandemic should only be one factor. Many locations that have been affected most seriously are now opening up as restrictions decrease and employers and employees determine that the current environment makes their workplaces safer. Office buildings, gyms and recreation sites are opening throughout Canada, sometimes at reduced capacity but increasingly at full capacity for vaccinated visitors. Many of those locations have been closed for many months or even over a year and will be looking for new vending solutions and will be looking for operators who can meet their revamped plans. This can represent a valuable opportunity for a prepared vending operator with a remote-monitoring enabled vending machine, premium and healthy snacks and beverages and a detailed safety plan.

On the other hand, those businesses and organizations who thrived during the pandemic are also an important source of new locations. Factories and facilities catering to the burgeoning e-commerce business, transportation hubs and health facilities are examples of some of the industries that have seen record increases in business during the last year. The trends that propelled the profits of these businesses predate the current situation, although undoubtably accelerated by the pandemic, will continue into the future. These businesses also represent key opportunities for the savvy vending operator.

Keys to a proper Covid response

  • communication

  • remote monitoring and inventory tools

  • hand sanitizer dispenser

  • machine cleaning and safe product procedure

  • evaluate long term trends that may affect locations