Non-working Sundays Increased Sales of Vending Machines

While stores are allowed to operate a maximum of 16 Sundays a year, the operating hours of vending machines are usually from 0 to 24 every day of the week, making various groceries such as eggs, cheese, milk, and steaks constantly available. It is expected that sales from the machines will increase during this time, especially since stores are largely forced to close their doors on Sundays.

– There is definitely a visible increase in sales on weekends and every day after 7 PM. I believe this is partly related to the ban on Sunday work and partly to the working hours of our customers – said Branimir Galović, owner of Eko Nomad, which owns a vending machine for selling steaks and other meat products. Their steak machine, installed at the Kvatrić market in Zagreb at the end of last year, is the first of its kind in Croatia.

On the other hand, vending machines that operate within stores often have the same working hours as those stores. – Our machine is installed within our PET SHOP store, which does not operate on Sundays, so our sales have remained the same in terms of volume – states Ženja Moskaljov, owner of Dog&style store.

In almost every business space or institution, there are vending machines where money is inserted in exchange for a selected product. Initially, these were machines for drinks and sweet or savory snacks, but today there are so-called egg machines, cake machines, cheese machines, milk machines, and so on. These are self-service machines filled with products from local family farms, as well as various other producers, and they are most often found at markets and other public places with high foot traffic.

– The machines greatly facilitate sales precisely because they operate from 0 to 24, allowing people to purchase products at any time without the additional cost of a person selling the products – said representatives from OPG Zdolec.

Since there are no additional labor costs, as of January 2021, the operation of vending machines has become, after two years of adjustment, part of the fiscalization system. This system offers machine owners an application to track sales-related reports.

Global Market for Vending Machines

The adoption of smart technologies and increased demand for ready-made food products are just some of the reasons for the growth of the global market for food vending machines. It is predicted that food vending machines will show the highest annual growth rate (CAGR) of as much as 8.4 percent from 2023 to 2032, according to Yahoo! Finance.

Additionally, the largest market share belongs to beverage vending machines, accounting for more than three-fifths of global market revenue, according to data from 2022. North America is the region that accounts for just over one-third of global market revenue. According to the American Automatic Merchandising Association, vending machines in the U.S. generated nearly $25 billion in revenue. The reason for the increased demand for vending machines is the change in lifestyle and high demand for ready-made meals, also reported by Yahoo! Finance.

Not only food products are offered; vending machines can also be found with other products such as car cleaning supplies, cosmetics, or pet products.

Five years ago, Kylie Cosmetics stirred up a storm on social media. They installed a vending machine with their own cosmetic products at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Since this vending machine is located at only one airport, it is likely a marketing gimmick.

In the Croatian market, vending machines with car maintenance products are appearing next to car washes.

– It was set up as a supplement to the offer at the self-service car wash. Now users can easily clean their vehicles inside and out at affordable prices – said Vedran Mesec, owner of the car wash, adding that he is satisfied with the current traffic.

Also, in many cities around the world, vending machines for cigarettes are very popular. In 2021, the global market for cigarette vending machines was estimated at $1.3 billion, and by 2031, this amount could reach $2.2 billion, according to Digital Journal.