Concern for Healthy Vending
America’s battles with the bulge is an unending challenge, and automatic merchandising which exists as a convenience, is not a format that easily keeps track of nutritional content.
The consumer is changing
The consumers today are more cognizant of nutrition than ever before. The vending industry for the past years has been helping people eat healthier. The mid-1990s saw a push for low and reduced fat products. One difference is that the media has recently focused a lot of attention on childhood obesity. Another concern is the health of an aging population. Medical research about dangers posed by obesity has shifted media scrutiny into high gear.
Vendors mixed on consumer response
But will all this health scrutiny encourage the vending consumer to act differently? More Antares vending operators are seeing more changes taking place than at any time in the past. Most Antares vending operators believe that today’s consumer has no choice but to pay more attention to nutrition as a diet, health and obesity have become staples of daily news reports. It has also been observed that the buying habits of consumers haven’t changed dramatically. Nevertheless, as consumers become more knowledgeable about nutrition, many operators believe that in time, their habits will change.
Healthier habits take hold
When one places health products in the vending machines, the consumers will definitely buy them. So far they have been buying these products. As an Antares vending operator, you can see higher sales of low-fat and low-carb items from your vending machines. There is a trend, and you as an operator have to ride it.
If meeting consumer demand were the only issue at stake, most operators would welcome the challenge. This however, is not the case. The news reports are affecting vending in different ways. This issue has affected the thinking of many account decision makers who are lo longer willing to leave product selection up to the vending operator.
Antares vending operators are aware that there is a growing market for organic, natural and nutritionally enhanced products. Surveys that have been conducted have revealed that a large percentage of vending operators would consider placing such products in vending machines, but most have concerns about price point, shelf life, customer acceptance, profit margin and product availability.
posted by Larry Bunker @ 5:46 AM
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