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| KN29049 |
| KEY NOTE AUTOMATIC VENDING DECEMBER 1999 |
| Overview |
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The UK market for automatic vending from coin- or
electronic card-operated machines had an estimated total value of £2.4bn
in 1998. This value includes all the goods and services that are supplied by
vending machines in the UK.
The markets for automatic vending machines are
based on `goods', which includes the dispensing of food and drink, and the less
tangible `services', which includes the issue of tickets from a machine. This
report concentrates on the dispensation of the goods sector of the industry,
which is believed to account for the majority of automatic vending sales. Only
passing reference is made to the services sector, as there are no firm
indicators on which a review can be based.
Beverages and food dominate
vending machine sales, and these two items long ago replaced, in their
importance to the industry, the confectionery and cigarettes which the earliest
machines dispensed. Technical innovations in heating and refrigeration, and the
miniaturisation of vital equipment, made it possible to install this equipment
inside a metal cabinet and still allow sufficient space for the storage of
goods. Further refinements were added so that the customer had a choice of hot
or cold drinks, and the introduction of the microwave oven -- either integrated
with the machine or in a separate nearby cabinet -- made it possible to offer
hot food as well. A combination of technical developments and good presentation
of the contents has made the vending machine very popular for dispensing
refreshments, snacks, complete meals and confectionery.
High standards of
machine maintenance, regular stock replacement, the use of well-known brands,
and an emphasis on hygiene, cleanliness and good appearance has made machine
vending acceptable to public and private users. Self-service food and drink
vending machines, either individually or combined in a group, are increasingly
used by all types of organisations and institutions as a substitute for
serviced catering.
The development of machines for dispensing non-food
merchandise (other than cigarettes, condoms and personal hygiene products) has
so far attracted less attention from operators and machine manufacturers. There
could be new vending opportunities to be exploited if the conditions for
attracting large volumes of customers become apparent. Living standards are
expected to continue rising, and lifestyles are changing -- at least for the
working population. Mass tourism, both domestic and foreign, is one of the
biggest contributors to impulse buying, and the number of visitors to the main
attractions in the UK will continue to grow if present trends are maintained.
This will mean that more people will be prepared to pay for the convenience of
having the readily accessible 24-hour service that vending machines
provide.
Demand for automatic vending of goods and services can be expected
to grow steadily as operators install more machines in good locations on
publicly- and privately-owned properties. Based on these judgements, the market
for automatic vending is expected to increase from £2.45bn in 1999 to
£2.86bn in 2003.
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Last updated by Jacob van Eldik 22th February 2000