July 31, 2010

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Vending Machines and Socially Responsible Business

July 29, 2010 By Patrick Sanders Leave a Comment

You might be asking “What the heck to vending machines have to do with socially responsible business?” My answer: everything. Vending machines play a key role in food distribution in our country, and food is obviously an essential part of life.  That brown box down the hall from you in the break room holds more power than you think, for better or for worse….

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.
Albert Einstein

I don’t bust out Albert Einstein quotes lightly.  I only use them when I really need to drive a point home, and that point is this: everything you do as a company, down to the smallest choices you make, has an impact.  Its often the little things that get overlooked, too.  For example, how many companies out there claim to be socially responsible and yet still only provide their employees with unhealthy snack and drink options from vending machines that also have a huge carbon footprint?  While these companies may be socially responsible on a large scale, what about the health of its employees and the health of the planet?

I know what you’re thinking: “Is this guy serious? Vending machines? We have bigger fish to fry!” Well, what I’m saying is how are you going to expect your employees to perform at their peak when they are putting crap in their bodies throughout the workday? And how can you really say you’re a “green” company when you won’t replace your traditional, energy-sucking vending machines with modern eco-friendly vending machines stocked with health food?

Let me hit you with hard numbers if you’re still not convinced:

A study led by University of Cincinnati on obesity’s effects on productivity on 341 manufacturing workers indicated that health-related losses in productivity were 4.2% for moderate to obese workers, costing the company $1,800 per year in absenteeism related costs!

So let’s say your company is made up of the average distribution of people in the U.S. (30% obese).  If you have 1,000 employees then 300 are obese.  300 x $1,800 = $540,000 per year.

That’s half a million greenbacks!

While you can’t be responsible for the lifestyle decisions your employees make, the least you could do is provide them with healthy snack options while they work.


Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, Healthy Vending Machines, Philosophies & Beliefs, THE VENDING INDUSTRY, The Bigger Picture, Vending Trends

How Vending Machines In Schools Are Affected By Branding

July 23, 2010 By John Pinto Leave a Comment

Hello people, it’s Brian Knopke. Here is another video for vending machines in schools.  I have heard that many schools are filling their vending machines  half with healthy snacks and half unhealthy snacks.  What are students going to buy? Telling the students to eat better will not encourage them to buy healthy snacks or solve the childhood obesity problem.  The reason is big food companies do branding. Can we compete with the big boys? See how to avoid a losing battle against unhealthy snacks.

Filed Under: ADVICE & EDUCATION, Health & Nutrition, Healthy Vending Products, THE VENDING INDUSTRY, Vending News, Vending Tips & Tricks, Vending Trends Tagged With: healthy snacks, HEALTHY VENDING, healthy vending machine, healthy vending machines, Successful vending, vending machines in schools

The Future of Retail: Automation

February 4, 2010 By John Pinto Leave a Comment

Having face-to-face interactions in business is becoming more and more obsolete. Of course, companies still have huge call centers and high rise buildings with employees that interact daily… but how often do these company employees speak in-person to their customers? In most cases, not often.

Some may argue the need for face-to-face interaction is becoming less of a necessity. With limitless Internet access and easy-to-use search engines, like Google, consumers are becoming educated on products in a short period of time. This has allowed online retail stores to see unprecedented profits. The one problem with ordering products online, is not being able to see the item. This is a turn off for some buyers as these people would likely feel more comfortable going into a store.  Retailers, both online and in store fronts, are noticing a gap in the marketplace. What about 100% Automation?

The vending industry is being shaken up by different initiatives put forth by a few major brands.With the advancement in technology, companies like Best Buy, Apple, and Sony are breaking into the world of automated retailing. Vending machines are no longer your standard black box machines with unhealthy snacks and drinks. They are becoming mini automated retailers with interesting, eye-catching graphics that can sell anything and everything. These interactive “stores” require little servicing, no employee supervision, and can be open 24/7. What a business!

From the start, H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending has been pushing the limits in automated retailing. Not only do we have a great product catalog with over 1000 healthy snacks and drinks, but also, our machines are capable of vending just about anything that fits. Our custom, healthy vending machines are being used in locations across the country to serve customers what they want! In our gym locations, for example, we offer our nutritious snacks but also incorporate tanning goggles, lotions, head phones, workout towels, gym clothes, and much more into our location-friendly planograms!

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Healthy Vending Machines, Lifestyle, The Bigger Picture, Vending News, Vending Trends

Nutrition Matters: Schools Revamp Vending Machine Programs

February 1, 2010 By John Pinto Leave a Comment

In most instances, people choose the  easiest, cheapest, and closest things to eat. People are obsessed with fast options that give them a “quick fix.” What happened to that good ol’ home cooking? It seems to be a lost art.

The problem with these “quick fix” food/drink options is that they are usually unhealthy. An even bigger problem is that a large percentage of these fast and convenient options are being purchased from vending machines in schools. This sets the precedent at an early age for children to develop unhealthy eating habits. The federal and state governments are taking action to stop this trend.

Massachusetts is the most state to pass a school nutrition bill that requires public schools to serve healthier meals to students, and to overhaul vending options. A Massachusetts news articles reads, “The measure would ban candy and sodas from vending machines on school property and encourage the sale of non-fried fruits or vegetables, whole grains, nonfat and low-fat dairy products.”

What a coincidence! H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending will customize a machines planogram, or product mix, to meet any nutritional requirements put in place by state and local governments. With a product list of over 1,000 healthy snacks and drinks, H.U.M.A.N. has the necessary products to meet your specific dietary requirements. We can create a plan that is 100% Organic, SB-19 compliant, Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free, Low-Fat, Low-Carb, or No Sugar-Added!

According to the Chicago Tribune, President Obama has asked for an additional $1 billion in funding for school lunches. This is a valuable addition to the battle against childhood obesity. I suggest President Obama allocates a portion of this billion dollars to a healthy vending initiative! Most kids who bypass the cafeteria altogether and head straight to a vending machine end up with a bag of chips and a can of soda for their lunch meal. H.U.M.A.N. can and wants to help. Making school lunches healthier, will not help these rebellious students who spend their lunch money on honey-buns and a soft drinks from the vending machines. If we can’t change the kids, let’s change the food options! Surrounding these kids with healthy vending machines is a beneficial step in changing purchasing options at a young age. Why not buy a bag of  Stacy’s Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips and Hansen’s Natural Soda instead of a Snickers bar and Cherry Coke?

Checkout a couple articles about school nutrition in:

The New York Times

Patriot Ledger

Filed Under: Health & Nutrition, Healthy Vending Products, Vending News, Vending Trends

Why Healthy Vending and Healthy Vending Machines Work: 3 Unassailable Trends

July 6, 2009 By amack 1 Comment

Healthy vending and healthy vending machines work because they’re built on the foundation of three of today’s strongest trends.
Big Bay Boom 2009
1) Health and Nutrition
The U.S. nutrition industry grew 11% in 2007 with total consumer sales of $94 Billion.  I guess you could call that a huge industry!  Additionally, 61% of employed individuals in America prefer better health care to increased pay.

What does this mean? It means health, healthy vending, and healthy vending machines are gaining importance in everyone’s mind. People are increasingly realizing the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and are proving it by spending more on healthy goods than ever before.  h.u.m.a.n. has the most innovative healthy vending machines and provides the healthiest, tastiest foods & drinks that consumers love.

2) Convenience
Fact:  In today’s hectic society, less meals are being consumed at home.  People simply have less time to eat due to our increasingly fast-paced society.  By bringing health and nutrition products directly to customers through healthy vending machines, we’re making it easier than ever before to eat more nutritiously and achieve a healthy lifestyle. To improve upon the already convenient nature of vending, we provide features such as credit card readers to make purchasing from our vendors as easy as possible. Since 2003, h.u.m.a.n. has been the leader in “convenient nutrition!”

3) Digital Advertising and Technology

Have you seen those bright ads displayed on big digital billboards yet? If you haven’t, you will very soon. They’re popping up everywhere, and they make a whole lot of sense. Why? Because they display targeted ads, look really sharp, & generate significantly more revenue when compared to old-school static advertisements. This is why the “Out-of-Home Digital Advertising” is already a $1.7 Billion industry with a rapid 23% annual growth rate. Our healthy vending program capitalizes on this booming digital advertising trend, allowing YOU to profit from it!

These unassailable trends point to where the world is heading and HUMAN is uniquely poised to benefit from all three.  We couldn’t be more excited!  Not only are we doing a lot of good for the world, we’re also making our vending operators and partners wealthy in the process!

Learn about HUMAN’s premium healthy vending program and attractive healthy vending machines.
Vending Entrepreneurs: Healthy Vending Machine Business
Premium Locations: Free Healthy Vending Services

Filed Under: Health & Nutrition, Vending Trends Tagged With: HEALTHY VENDING, healthy vending machine, healthy vending machines