How to Choose Pricing for Products in Your Vending Machine

Posted October 17, 2014

How to Choose Pricing for Products in Your Vending Machine

vending machine pricesEvery day at The Discount Vending Store we provide some of the best vending machines for sale anywhere. We are tremendously proud of each new and refurbished used vending machines for sale in our warehouse, and confident that we will provide our customers with everything they will need to get on their feet and get started when they receive their quality snack vending machine, soda, candy, or combo vending machine. In our blog posts and FAQ page we review helpful tips & hints for vending operators who are new to the business. One of the most frequent questions new operators have about vending is how to price the product in their machine so that they will make a profit off the sale. After years of running vending routes and learning the tricks of the trade, I’ve determined that pricing your product at two to three times the price you paid allows you to collect a profit off the sale, without having to charge your customers exorbitant prices. The following is a list of some of my most popular vending products and what I pay for them locally. In vending it’s always a good idea to buy in bulk, so I’ve calculated the cost per item that I pay at our local Sam’s Club®, and then provide an example of how to price the product based on that cost:

ProductSam’s Club PricePackage SizeOur Cost / ItemWe would Charge
Lays® Potato Chips$                         10.8950 / Package$                     0.22$.50 – 0.75
Snickers® Candy Bars$                         28.3448 / Package$                     0.60$1.25 – 1.50
Grandma’s® Cookies$                         11.5836 / Package$                     0.32$0.75 – $1.00
Coca Cola® 12 oz Can$                           9.6932 / Package$                     0.30$ 0.65 – 1.00
Gatorade® 20 oz Bottle$                         15.7824 / Package$                     0.66$1.50 – 1.75

As I said, these prices reflect local costs as of October 17, 2014, and it will vary based on your location. I used Sam’s Club® as a generic example as it is one of the largest and most popular bulk retail chains in the nation. When you’re purchasing product for your vending machine make sure to do your research first. You may find better deals locally or even online, which will allow you to offer your customers better deals as well! Who do you prefer when purchasing product for your snack, soda, bulk candy, or combo vending machine?

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