Originally posted by tew77:
I am considering buying 3 red bull vending machines. Does anyone have any thoughts or words of wisdom?

Yes. Have a little better look through the forums, there is planet of advice and information on the subject. If you are planning on buying the machines through Creative Concepts, you should know that they are no longer authorized or endorsed by RBNA to sell you Red Bull branded machines. Existing vendors have been doing business with RB through their local distributor since RBNA "broke up" with CC. CC is no more authorized to sell you a machine now then someone selling them on eBay. And you'll get a better deal buying them used. In fact, CC has approached many of us and asked if we would like to sell them the machines back for about half what we paid - apparently in some sort of attempt to recycle and resell the machines over and over. I would be very careful about buying a "new" machine from CC. They are no longer purchasing units from Royal, and chances are, your new machine is probably a return - and may have actually been installed somewhere at some point.

If you were asking for tips on how to go about getting setup, the best advice I can offer you is to spend time both researching vending, and doing some actual footwork to secure locations. If you don't feel you can secure good locations and contracts yourself, and plan on using a locator to do this work for you, my best advice is to consider a different business opportunity.

[ 04-28-2006, 05:51 AM: Message edited by: Veruca Vending ]

I know that Monster is allowing DPSUBG to get Vending kits at no charge in Chicago and Kansas City. We should be expecting to see these venders soon. I am skeptical about sales though. i don't think a vending machine with only energy drinks will be profitable. i just don't think you will get enough vends.

Originally posted by thechamp76:
i don't think a vending machine with only energy drinks will be profitable. i just don't think you will get enough vends.

I'm going to have to politely disagree with your assessment. That is a common misconception which I run into on nearly a daily basis when speaking with other operators. If anything, it has actually created a few opportunities that would otherwise not have been available, though I wouldn't count on it remaining viable for the long term to offer only one or two products.

Veruca is right-on about this. In addition, there is plenty of marketing one can do within an account to help boost sales if they don't come easily on their own. Not only that, but, depending on how many selections your machines will vend, you can add something like bottled water or a hybrid drink to give your sales a boost while your energy drinks catch on.

Also, offering energy drinks-only is a highly effective way to get into a location that already has soda and snack vendors on location... and that, my friends, can lead to rapid growth if the other guy screws up.

Variety for the many different people. Right. Strong drinks for the Die hards, water for the cheap, Soda for the compansation of the two, and what ever else the area would demand, that doesnt raise any conflict of interest.