You have a great location, a lot of tourist traffic and a modern machine, but the sales results are not satisfactory? Or do you want to squeeze the absolute maximum out of your machine? Often, success in souvenir vending is determined by details that are easy to overlook in the daily rush.
Vending is an impulse business. The customer makes the decision to buy in a split second. Your job is to remove every obstacle in his way and make this impulse as strong as possible.
As experts at GW Souvenirs, we have prepared a list of 10 proven tricks, which our top partners use to increase turnover by as much as 30-40%. You can implement most of them right away, at virtually no cost.
1. move the vending machine 2 meters (Magic of „Hot Spots”)
This is the most common mistake. The vending machine stands where it „doesn't bother” instead of where it „sells.”.
- Bad location: In a corner, behind a door, behind a pillar, in the toilet area (associated with hygiene, not a souvenir).
- Good location: On the natural exit path (exit route), at the ticket counter (where people already have their wallet in hand) or at the waiting area (queue for the attraction). Council: Stand in the entrance of your facility and observe your visitors. Where are they directing their gaze? Where do they stop? Put a vending machine there. Sometimes moving it 2 meters toward the light doubles the yield.
2 Invest in a payment terminal (End of the coin era)
The modern tourist - especially a foreign tourist or a parent with a child - rarely carries cash. If your vending machine only accepts coins, you are even losing 50% potential customers.
- People pay by phone, watch or BLIK. It's fast and convenient.
- Paying by card „hurts less” psychologically than spending physical cash, which encourages impulse purchases. Council: If you have an old slot model, contact us about upgrading to a proximity terminal version.
3. turn on the light („Moth” effect).
The human eye instinctively follows the light. A dark vending machine in a dark hallway looks out of order or dirty.
- Our vending machines (such as MINI LUX) are equipped with LED lighting. Make sure it is always on and in working order.
- The light should fall on the product - the medal must shine and tempt with a golden reflection. Council: If the vending machine stands in a darker place, consider installing additional spot lighting (halogen) above it. It's a cheap investment that pays for itself in a week.
4. keep the glass clean (Purchase Psychology)
Dirty, dusty or „burnished” vending machine glass is a signal to the customer: „This device is neglected, it will probably eat my money and not release the goods.”. Council: Introduce a simple procedure for cleaning staff - wipe the front of the machine with glass cleaner once a day, in the morning before opening. A shiny machine builds confidence.
5. refresh the medal design (Novelty = Sales)
If you've been selling the same medal design for 5 years, regulars (e.g., regional residents, returning tourists) have no reason to buy it again. Council: Enter a new collection. It could be a „Summer 202X Edition,” a medal with a new exhibit that just arrived at the museum, or a series with animals (if you're a zoo). Newness always attracts attention.
6. utilize staff („Upselling”)
Your employees (front desk, cashiers) are the best salespeople. Often a tourist asks: „Do you have any souvenirs?”. If the cashier answers „No.”, you lose the customer. If he answers: „Yes, we have a beautiful collector's medal in the vending machine at the exit.”, sales are growing. Council: Train your staff. You can even set up a small „display” with a sample medal on the reception counter so customers can touch it and see the quality.
7. make a „Photo Point” out of a machine”
Children love the process of buying in a vending machine - inserting a coin, turning a crank (in mechanical models) or the sound of a medal falling out. It's fun! Council: Encourage. A sticker on the floor „Pick up your prize here” or a poster next to the vending machine „You did it! Take away your winner's medal” makes your purchase part of an adventure worth capturing on Instagram.
8. navigation inside the facility
Sometimes a vending machine stands in a good place, but tourists are so preoccupied with sightseeing that they pass it by. Council: Use simple signposts. An arrow with the words „Commemorative Medals” or „Souvenirs” taped at eye level at key points along the tour path can work wonders.
9. take care of the height (Accessibility for children)
The main decision maker for buying souvenirs at entertainment venues is the child (through pressure on the parent). If the vending machine hangs too high or is cluttered with merchandise, the child will not notice it. Council: In our free-standing models (MINI, BIG), the control panel and display window are at the child's eye level. Make sure there are no cardboard boxes, advertising stumbling blocks or trash garbage cans in front of the vending machine, which obstruct the view of the little ones.
10. eliminate failures (Telemetry)
There is nothing worse for sales than an „EMERGENCY” card stuck with duct tape. Every hour of downtime over the weekend is a real loss of cash. Council: Take advantage of the telemetry systems we offer at GW Souvenirs. With notifications to your phone, you know immediately if a vending machine has run out of stock or a coin has jammed. Quick response = continuity of sales.
Summary
Increasing sales at a vending machine rarely requires a huge investment. Usually, it's the sum of small actions: better lighting, wiping down the glass, adding card payments, and staff smiling to point the way to the machine.
Want to upgrade your vending machines with payment terminals or new LED lighting? Contact GW Souvenirs service - we can help you squeeze 100% of potential out of your location.
