When standard vending machines cannot meet the unique demands of your business, it makes sense to get one customized especially for you. You may consider getting a custom vending machine for several reasons, from better product dispensing and smart vending features to safety to industrial productivity. Whatever your reasons, you must understand that the buying process for smart custom vending machines differs from that of standard machines. In this post, we will take you through the buying process and introduce you to the best custom vending machine options in the US.
What Are Custom Vending Machines?
Custom machines are specifically built for the needs of a business, its processes, and its vending products. When you order such a vending machine - and these are usually smart vending machines - from a manufacturer, it can build one from scratch or modify its standard machines. They can add bespoke product dispensing mechanisms like custom graphics or conveyor belts, back-end monitoring, custom slots to offer product samples, company branding and signage, or even an option for chaning prices remotely.
Because of the unique requirements, the buying process for custom machine design is more elaborate than that of standard machines. Generally, you may have to go through the following steps when ordering a custom smart vending machine:
1. Clarify what you need. Before you contact a manufacturer or submit a request for a machine design quote, it helps to get total clarity on the kind of smart vending machines you want - whether it's a large item vending machine or a vape vending machine, say - including its potential features. This way, you will reduce back-and-forth communication between you and the manufacturer and speed up the project.
2. Initial communication/call. Submit a request for a quote online or get on a call to detail the nature of your project. At this stage, you will know whether the manufacturer is a good fit or if you should look elsewhere.
3. Get a Statement of Work (SOW). Before you send money over, get an SOW detailing everything that is supposed to go into the project. In the SOW, the manufacturer will explain what your custom vending machine will look like and its cost.
4. Approval and development. The manufacturer will begin building the custom vending machine based on the SOW with your permission.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Vending Machine from Scratch?
The scope of design and development and attendant costs determine the price of custom machines. You can get a custom-made vending machine from as low as $5,000 to as high as $200,000. Custom drinks and snack vending machines are on the lower end of the price scale, while industrial vending machines with sophisticated features are more expensive.
Manufacturers price a custom vending machine based on the following:
- Features and scope of development. Factors such as vending machine size, materials required, and components' complexity that influence vending machine prices.
- Engineers hours. It takes time to design and build a custom vending machine. The cost of labor is priced into the value of the vending machine.
If the customizations you are looking for are cosmetic, such as branding and signage, many vending machine manufacturers will do the personalization at no additional cost. You can, therefore, get such a custom snack and drinks vending machine at the usual price of between $3,000 and $8,000, depending on size and features. If you're looking for more affordable vending machines with custom deisgn, it's best you check vending machine covers that are usually cheaper to design.
Why Choose Custom Vending Machine Services?
Well, the only limit to customization options is either lack of budget or imagination. Choosing a custom vending machine can therefore yield several benefits for your business, including one of these pretty cool things:
- Fit-for-purpose customizations. A custom vending machine has all the features you need to meet the unique needs of your vending business. You can also add a feature such as a smart touchscreen, features that allow you to monitor sales on your cell phone, vending machine cover, built-in camera, security cage, real-time inventory management, or electronic locker.
- The latest technology. You can spec your custom vending machine however you want and fit it with the best technology available in the vending space. You can request features that are remotely allowing you access to your machines, automatic changing prices or product images, etc.
- Location suitability. If you have already found a vending location, you can design a machine to suit the specific site. Depending on location, you can go with a wall-mounted machine, ADA compliant machine, green vending machine, combo machine, cake vending machine, office machine, large-item vending machine, or even nuanced versions such as dip vending machines.
- Branding and customer loyalty. Custom branding and signage make your vending machines recognizable and encourage repeat purchases. Custom graphic design options even allow you to brand-away inside a software interface.
- Suitable size. Depending on the size of products you want to dispense and the size of the vending location, you can build a vending machine that is just the perfect size for your business. You can also request additional space for slots that allow you to offer different product samples.
While many people will benefit from ordering a custom vending machine, it is noteworthy that some may not find the venture worthwhile because of the following reasons.
- Smart custom vending machines are typically more expensive
- It takes longer than usual for the manufacturer to deliver the equipment
- You might face maintenance challenges due to the different parts and mechanisms the machine employs
If you are just starting and want to vend simple products such as most popular snacks and drinks, it is best to stick to a standard best-buy vending machine until you are familiar with the business. Ordering a custom vending machine as a beginner is okay if you are selling unique vending products.
Best Custom Machines on the Market
Digital Media Vending
Digital Media Vending (DMV) manufactures custom indoor and outdoor wall-mounted, free-standing, and giant vending machines according to customer specifications. They have a showroom in Sebastopol, California, ship to all states, and have been around for many years. Their office locations where you can meet their staff physically are in Sebastopol, San Francisco, and Sanford.
DMV builds a wide range of smart custom vending machines, including:
- Salad vending machines
- Hair vending machines
- Cupcake vending machines
- Digital Narcan Naloxone vending machines
- Can and bottle vending machines
- Protein powder vending machines
- Hot drink vending machines
- Wine bottle vending machines
They can also build custom locker vending systems, such as heated and refrigerated grocery lockers, cellphone charging stations, laundry lockers, and luggage lockers.
Prices for custom DMV machines start from as low as $3,000 and may exceed $200,000, depending on project complexity and order volume.
Vending Design Works
Vending Design Works is an established custom vending machine manufacturer that has built machines for well-known brands, including Pepsi and Dell. Their custom machines start from around $10,000 and may top $300,000 depending on the specification and project scope.
Their design team can create suitable vending machines for you from scratch or customize existing machines. The following are some of the industries they serve.
- Mini-markets (automated retail)
- Wall-mount machines
- Locker-based vending for inventory control
- Salad vending machines
- Hair/hair extension vending machines
- Hot food vending machines
- Frozen food vending machines
Vending Design Works is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. If you are in the US or Canada, they can help bring your vending machine idea to life.
Discount Vending’s OMNI Vending Machines
Discount Vending produces the OMNI Series, their custom vending machine line that promises to help you vend anything. They can customize the machine’s interior and external graphics to suit the specific products you want to sell for many years on end. Every OMNI vending machine comes with professionally designed custom vinyl graphics.
The OMNI series is popular in several vending markets, including snacks and drinks, CBD, hair and hair extensions, beauty products, feminine hygiene products, laundry, and T-shirts. Some of the features you can request to come with your custom machine are:
- Custom configuration to suit your unique product
- An elevator delivery mechanism for safe product delivery
- Custom vinyl graphics
- A mix of coils and conveyor belts to dispense products
- Vend sensors
- Vending management technology
- Gamification to promote customer interactions
- 7- or 22-inch touchscreens
You can request a quote online. The company is based in Fountain, Colorado, and serves all states.
Innovative Vending Solutions
Innovating Vending Solutions offers custom-built vending machines with no minimum order requirement. They can build a new custom-built machine in as little as three weeks. Complex machines take longer to make, sometimes up to 12 weeks.
You can request Innovating Vending Solutions to include good portion of features in your custom vending machine. Their machines include following features:
- Custom configuration to suit your product
- Fluorescent or LED lighting
- Touchscreens of varying sizes
- Email receipt capability
- Ability to accept cash in $1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations
- Coin change - $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $1
- Dollar bill change return
- Guaranteed vend laser sensor
- Debit and credit card acceptor
- Outdoor machines
- Remote management capability through cell phone
- Elevator dispensing system
Innovative Vending Solutions can deliver machines to all states. The company has its headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.
VendWeb
Operating out of Charlotte, North Carolina, VendWeb ships throughout the USA and Puerto Rico. They build smart custom vending machines that can help you sell your unique product. Aside from the custom product configuration that allow pretty cool things, you can also request the following features:
- Cashless payment methods
- Online monitoring and remotelly allowing management
- Back-end monitoring in real-time
- Unique vending applications
- Adjustable shelves
- Security systems, including alarms
- Tool or industrial vending
- Touchscreens of various sizes
- Custom graphics
You can request a quote online on their website. They may ask that you send samples of what you want to vend.
Betson (for Custom Branding)
Betson sells snacks and drinks vending machines and offers one of the best branding customization services for smart vending machines. Betson's machines are a good choice if you want a standard drink or snack machine but need custom graphics.
Betson’s machines are equipped with the latest technology in the vending space. Their vending machines include remote management and cashless payment methods. Their sales reps can help you secure financing to buy their machines.
TSA Vending
TSA Vending is a notable vending machine company serving the entire country, mostly out of West Chicago, Illinois. It has branches in Wisconsin and Indiana. The company has a custom retail vending service to help businesses vend unique products.
Some of the vending markets the company customizes machines for include promotional products, laundry products, office supplies, fish bait, pet supplies, inventory control, books, magazines, tobacco products, baby products, medical supplies, pizza, and t-shirts, among others.
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