Vending Machines Favorites: Choosing Your Snacks and Drinks

When it comes to snacking, vending machines offer a variety of options that can make it difficult to choose what to buy. From traditional treats like candy bars and chips to healthier options like nuts and granola bars, there are many snacks to choose from. Similarly, there are all kinds of drinks available, such as soda, juice, and energy drinks.

Businesses all across the world have long made use of vending machines as a convenient service. They give businesses a simple and efficient method to offer on-the-go snacks and drinks to workers, clients, and visitors. 

Also, by providing choices for cashless payments, vending machines nowadays are becoming even more practical. If you don’t already have one, you should think about getting one so that you can give convenience to customers who visit your establishment.

Many owners frequently ask what food and drinks they should put in their vending machines. So you should pick goods that are widely used and satisfy people’s tastes for snacks.

This article will provide helpful tips to help you make the best choice when it comes to choosing snacks and drinks for your vending machines.

Snacks

To satisfy a range of consumer preferences, it’s critical to stock your vending machine with a selection of snacks. Remember that some folks might use a vending machine to get a fast, healthy snack on the run if they don’t have time to cook or stop for lunch. 

Some people might desire a decadent treat throughout the day. Don’t forget to add your nutritional foods to the vending machine selection since healthy snack alternatives made up 7.6 percent of vending machine sales in 2018.

The most popular snacks from vending machines are listed below.

  • Chocolate Bars

Snickers bars are the most popular vending machine treat in the United States. Between lunch and dinner, many people have the mid-afternoon munchies for something sweet and chocolatey. 

Snickers bars, which generate over $400 million in sales annually, were recognized by NBC News as the most popular candy bar in the United States in 2012.

  • Clif Bars

Another popular item for vending machines is Clif bars, which offer 10g of protein and are excellent for breakfast or a lunchtime snack. These are excellent for those looking for a nutritious snack or meal replacement because they give your body the nutrients it needs to get through a demanding workday. 

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Crunchy Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chip are a few of the most well-liked Clif Bar flavors.

  • Pop-Tarts

When you’re on the run, you sometimes just wish there was a quick and easy breakfast choice available. Pop-tarts are so common in vending machines all around the country because of this. 

The most popular pop-tart flavors, according to a ton of reviews, are Frosted Strawberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon.

  • Chips

A tasty bag of potato chips is difficult to refuse. It works well with almost everything and makes a fantastic lunchtime snack. 

While Lays potato chips are a popular alternative, consumers today choose Sun Chips since they are 100 percent whole grain, lower in fat, and come in a variety of interesting flavors. They taste fantastic too!

  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Americans adore Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups—that much is obvious. You’ve probably seen Reese’s before in a vending machine. Did you know that Reese’s ranks third among national snack brands? 

Reese’s was viewed favorably by 81 percent of respondents in a YouGov study, while only 6 percent had an unfavorable opinion of the company.

  • Planters Trail Mix

Given that it is non-perishable, high in protein and fiber, and still contains a hint of sweetness, trail mix is a fantastic addition to any vending machine. Peanuts, M&M’s, raisins, and almonds are all included in the Planters “Nuts and Chocolate” Trail Mix snack bags, which weigh a respectable 2 oz.

  • Granola Bars

Because they can be consumed for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, granola bars are another fantastic flexible item found in vending machines. They’re also a lot healthier than other typical vending machine foods, which is fantastic for anyone searching for something nutritional. 

Today’s most well-known granola bars available in vending machines include Nature’s Valley, Kind, and Chewy.

  • Cheez-its

A minimum of one variety of crackers should be available in your vending machine. The most well-known cracker in the world, Cheez-its may not be the healthiest. 

For 100 years, they have been a mainstay in supermarkets and vending machines. Cheez-its snack packets in compact 1.5 oz sizes are a great option for vending machines.

  • Chex Mix Snacks

Due to their lower calorie content than other salty snacks like Fritos and Doritos, Chex Mix snacks are among the most popular vending machine snacks. Additionally, they offer a range of flavors all in one!

  • Pretzels

Pretzels are a great addition to any vending machine. Due to their minimal fat and calorie content, pretzels are a favorite snack food. 

Additionally, they offer the complex carbohydrates and energy boost that so many people require during a lunchtime dip. Rold Gold, Snyder’s, and even Goldfish Pretzels are a few well-known pretzel brands.

Drinks

Many companies use vending machines to provide snacks to workers and consumers, but many neglect to emphasize the value of providing beverages as well. Drinks account for 31.2 percent of all vending machine purchases annually, making it the most lucrative category of vending machine offerings. 

You should make sure your vending machine is filled with a range of drink alternatives, including caffeine and non-caffeinated, carbonated and non-carbonated, and sweet and non-sweet drinks. This is similar to the snack selections you offer. 

The most popular beverages for vending machines are shown below.

  • Water Bottles

Water bottles should be available in any vending machine that sells beverages. Even while it may seem like water is always available for free, many customers who frequent your establishment may have left their water bottles at home and need to stay hydrated while working or traveling. 

Evian, Dasani, and Aquafina are a few popular bottled water brands that may be purchased through vending machines. By the way, you might want to think about a water service if you wish to provide water to staff and consumers outside of a vending machine.

  • Energy Drinks

Undoubtedly, there are moments when you just need a little additional vigor to get through the day. Energy drinks are often available at business vending machines because of this. 

They are appealing to those who dislike coffee yet still require caffeine. Red Bull and Monster are two well-known energy drinks to have on hand in your vending machine. These days, there are also healthier energy drink substitutes like Yerbamate.

  • Cold Coffee

Americans’ preferred workday beverage is coffee! Due to its widespread use and advantages, coffee is now available in workplaces everywhere. 

However, you could wish to add cold coffee substitutes to your vending machine if you don’t provide your staff and visitors with boiling hot coffee. People frequently miss their morning coffee because they are running late. 

These people probably want cold coffee at the press of a button when they’re on the road! Cold brew and iced coffee blends are two possibilities for cold coffee. 

By the way, you might want to think about a coffee service if you want to provide staff and clients with coffee outside of a vending machine.

  • Vitamin Water

These drinks are popular vending machine commodities because they taste better than plain water and help you stay hydrated all day. They are also better for you than soda and other sugary drinks. 

Because it contains vitamins and electrolytes and is available in a variety of delectable flavors, vitamin water is a popular sports beverage for vending machines.

  • Sodas

In vending machines, carbonated soda is an absolute necessity. According to a Gallup survey, approximately 50 percent of Americans enjoy drinking soda at least once every day.

When it comes to soda, there are several options available. You can also decide whether to supply cans or plastic bottles. Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, and Mountain Dew are the most widely consumed sodas sold in vending machines.

  • Diet Sodas

Don’t forget to offer diet sodas as well! Some fans of the sweet, carbonated beverage choose the healthier, lower-calorie variety. 

Even while fewer Americans choose diet soda over regular soda, Gallup researchers discovered that more women and older persons did. 

It’s best to offer both types of preference alternatives. Pepsi or Diet Coke should be added to your machine.

  • Sports Drinks

Another well-liked sports beverage sold in vending machines is Gatorade. It is well-known and an excellent electrolyte replenisher. It’s understandable why a lot of people anticipate finding Gatorade in a vending machine. 

There are numerous flavors of Gatorade, including Orange, Lemon-Lime, Fruit Punch, and others. You can also include Gatorade Zero, a zero-calorie variation of the well-known beverage, as a healthy substitute.

  • Iced Tea

Keep in mind that not everyone enjoys fizzy drinks. Some people favor cold, energizing beverages like iced tea. There are a variety of iced tea options that will sell well from your vending machine. 

You might provide sweet tea, unsweet tea, and green tea, for instance. You might think about Gold Peak Tea, Lipton Tea, and Honest Tea as brands.

  • Sparkling Water

Seltzer is a drink that is rising in popularity right now. Sales of seltzer had increased by 42 percent as of 2017 and were continuing to rise. 

Many companies are producing new flavored seltzers, which is one of the reasons seltzer is so well-liked right now. La Croix, Polar, and Schweppes are a few popular seltzers you might want to add to your vending machine.

  • Lemonade

Another sweet and cooling vending machine favorite is lemonade. You can choose from traditional sweetened lemonade, diet or low-sugar lemonade, pink lemonade, and even raspberry lemonade when it comes to loading your machine with lemonade items. 

Minute Maid, Simply Lemonade, and Newman’s are a few popular lemonade brands available in vending machines.

Conclusion

Vending machines offer a wide variety of snacks, beverages, and other products to suit the needs of a wide variety of consumers. It is evident that certain products are more popular than others, with chocolate bars, crisps, and carbonated drinks being some of the most popular choices. 

Although it is difficult to determine which specific brands and flavors are the most popular, the data collected from various studies suggest that there is a clear preference for sweet, crunchy, and sugary snacks. This is likely due to their quick and convenient nature, as well as their affordability.

Chomp Vending offers vending machine services in Philadelphia! We provide free vending machine delivery, installation, and service—where you have a wide variety of snacks and drinks to choose from. Contact us today to find out more!

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