Out of your comfort zone?

Good morning to everyone in the Vending Village

It’s been a while since I hit the blogspot, but I figure that since the Jet Stream appears to be drifting away from wreaking havoc on the Great British mainland and shores, it’s time for me to spring into action!

For those that know me well, you understand that I’m not worried if you think I’m bonkers; those of you who think that will, whatever I do, believe you are right.  So, now we have that elephant out of the room, here are my thoughts for a fabulous “Fat Tuesday”!

Let’s start with some numbers (source Mintel Oxygen); The growth of the “free from” sector in UK retail between 2008 and 2012 was 61%.  Yes, you heard me right, 61%! That’s quite a rock and roll number when you consider the context of difficult economic times.  I’m not sure vending can boast those kind of double digits! 61% retail growth driven by both those with a medical need to avoid certain foods (allergies, Coeliac disease etc) and those consumers careful about what they eat; the “worried well” as many a market researcher might label them! In fact, you might call 2014, the year of the Allergenic Consumer because, by 13^th December 2014, anyone selling non pre-packed food will be obliged to inform their consumers of any allergens contained in them! (feel free to ask me what the heck that is by getting in contact via our website!)

More significantly, for the very first time, the annual Free From Food Awards has, this year, added a category for “on the go/vending” products and 24vend is the proud category sponsor.  The winners will be announced later this month at a fantastic awards ceremony in London. 

These products could fit the bill if you are being asked for innovative, healthy and allergy-friendly products by your customers.  Sure, they wont suit all of your locations, but maybe it’s time to look beyond the obvious and taste the future?  They may not be your comfort zone but (speaking personally), as the resident Coeliac in the house, seeing these types of products in a snack machine would, as Dirty Harry might say, “make my day! “   

Here's the shopping shortlist and some photos to whet your appetite:

Food to go’ and food for vending machines – Sponsored by 24Vend 

 Savoury:

1.    Nothing But Sliced beetroot & parsnip snack

2.    Clearspring Organic brown rice crackers with black sesame

3.    Clearspring Organic tamari roasted cashew nuts

4.    Everything But The Cow Mango & orange soya & fruit drink

5.    Foodamentalists Pork pie

6.    Hotch Potch Eggs Arancini

7.    Great Food Spinach & pinenut with houmous – snack pack

8.    Munchy Seeds Chilli bites

9.    Scottish Jerky Beef jerky original flavour

10.Udi’s Ancient grain jalapeno cheddar crisps

11.Voakes Free from traditional pork pie

12.Waitrose Gluten free chicken salad roll

13.Waitrose Gluten free egg watercress roll 

Sweet:

1.    9Bar Fruity

2.    Creative Nature Blissful berry superfood bar

3.    Creative Nature Heavenly cacao superfood bar

4.    Freeli Wowbutter brownie

5.    LoveRaw  Organic bar – cacao & maca

6.    Nak’d Strawberry crunch

7.    Nom Foods Ltd Nom bar (original)

8.    Perkier Tiffin bar

9.    The Frank Food Co Frank honest snacking orange & chocolate bar

10.The FreeFrom Bakehouse Chocolate ‘digestive’ biscuits

11.Udi’s Bagel chips

           12.Udi’s Strawberry flavoured toaster pastries

Loving you and leaving you with that thought; let’s get talking!

The Friendly (and only slightly allergic!) Vending Geeks @24vend

Coffee time?

Ah, belated we know but HAPPY 2014!

Is it coffee time where you are right now?  Things are definitely bubbling away in the percolator of interest in coffee, vending and big brands right now.


In case you haven't heard the latest, the Big Red has purchased a 10% stake in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters; ostensibly to create a brave new world of cold drinks via pods (that's going to be some very interesting R&D for sure!); the Keurig Cold Platform (sounds like an abandoned UK station to me….).  Not sure if that will rock, roll and rumble into the world of hot drinks, but let's watch and wait with interest…

Of course, the Big Green mermaid of coffee (or more accurately, milk!) long ago declared their interest in office coffee and is marching full steam ahead in their alliance with Selecta.  So they have definitely pinned their colours to the veritable mast of vending…  and in the technology corner we have the oft discussed and much critiqued Costa Express...

Boys and Girls of vending… the big brands "get" coffee - in fact, they have probably done as much to craft a growing global coffee habit as anyone (although coffee shops have been around a long, long time - just without the wifi, fancy sofas and complicated ordering procedures!).  Looks like they are now "getting" vending; even if they don't want to call it that…  (I'm a gourmet on the go, don't you know!) and the fact that people (mostly) buy brands means that we in vending really need to "get" coffee; with all its fancy names and swirly art… our playground is getting full and if you're not already talking like a Barista, maybe it's time you were!

To close, how about this playlist to keep you on topic!

Make good choices - and excellent coffee :)

The Friendly Vending Geeks wishing you a good day

The Winter's Tale?

Hello Vending People!

To conclude The Winter's Tale, we just wanted to let you know that our letter, representing love's labour's lost has turned to being love's labour's won.

For whilst those of the yellow arches might have felt that it was all much ado about nothing, it really has been a case of all's well that ends well.

If our moment of Shakespearean wandering has you confused, the McCafé YouTube video to which so many (but particularly the BDV (German Vending Trade Association) and the EVA (European Vending Association)) took exception to has been taken down from the internet and will not be aired on German TV again!

So whilst we may not still be lovin' it, we thank them for doing the right thing... eventually.

Thought you might be pleased to hear this!

The friendly vending geeks @24vend

Not quite a letter to Santa!

Good morning lovely Vending people

Having told you all that we "weren't lovin'" the golden arches take on vending, we decided to put digital pen to paper...

In case you haven't seen it elsewhere, then read our open letter to the folks in charge

Not quite a letter to Santa, but at least there's no ambiguity about our thoughts!

Tell us what you're thinking on this Merry Monday!  Ho! Ho! Ho!

The Friendly Vending Geeks

What a difference a day makes...

24 little hours...

Hello Again!

Yesterday we were "Outraged of Oxford" by an advert from the famous yellow arches that portrayed our industry in very poor light.

Well, 24 hours later, what do you think of this little gem (no, we're not vending lettuce, just yet!)

A world of difference - I guess we're "Happy of Hampshire"

Have you had your cup of coffee today?

Let us know what you think

The Friendly Vending Geeks at 24vend

We're not "lovin' it"

Good morning lovely vending people

We're not sure if you've come across this advert yet, so we wanted to share it with you.  

Watch this clip

Thing is, we really thought that the clever people in the creative industries were done with lazy stereotypes and cheap jibes.

Seems not!

We're drafting a few words to the owners of the yellow arches, because frankly we're not"lovin' it"

We can add your name to that letter if you want; just get in touch with us and let us know

The Friendly Vending Geeks at 24vend

Jack and the Beanstalk

Reading over some industry data last week, we were struck by how coffee is an integral part of life as we know it in the UK.  It's probably that way too in many other countries around the world and "coffee culture" is growing, now slowing.  Being inquisitive types, we did some digging...

1 in 5 people in the UK go to a coffee shop every day - yes, DAILY!

The main colours of UK coffee shops are Red, Green and Blue!  Not sure which is your favourite of these high street brands, but they represent around 54% (market share) of the UK coffee scene...  In terms of locations, Big Red 1500, Big Green 760 and Big Blue 530; places to drink coffee, read industry reports and chat!  It's growing; + 7.5%  (2012); impressive no matter what colour you have pinned to the mast!

What's more interesting is that in total there are estimated to be just under 16, 000 coffee shops in the UK - that includes all of the independent and small chains (great coffee!) dotted on our highways and byways.

So, 16, 000; that's a big number, right?

Well, how about I raise you to 278, 000 as a B I G number?

278, 000 is the (2012) UK vending industry estimate of the number of hot drinks vending machines dotted in our offices, hospitals and leisure centres etc; down in 2012 by around 2.5%.

Another fact that you might find interesting is that the average cup of coffee in the high street will set you back at least a  rocking £2.20 and more if  you add 'ccino, frappé, mocha, decaf, soya, skinny, sprinkles (you get our drift) into the mix.  Growth, profit, loyalty are just some of the words you can associate with the Red, Blue, Green and other colours of the coffee world in which we co-exist.

I'm not sure how many of you reading this are supping a £2.20 cup of vended coffee.  Oops, didn't make you schlurp on your crema did we?

We've talked about this before on previous blogs and not much has changed.  The Big Colours of Coffee are eyeing our playground.  They love the high street as much as the next, but closed sites such as Offices must be on their maps!

Big Red has already made serious moves into Gourmet Vending!  Just calling it Gourmet changes the emotion that we engage when we think about buying from a machine...  they can dress it up all they like, and mess with our heads and our emotions but we know, truly we do, that it's just Vending (like we do!) by any other name.  Big Green is partying with a large Operator and who knows what Big Blue are up to in their Covent Garden coffee hot house.

As you're all smart boys and girls, you'll have spotted that nowhere in this article do we use the word Quality.  Now, you all know that we can't really tell a turnip from a tea-towel without a coffee fix, but it's pretty certain the the vending equipment we use makes excellent, consistent coffee that deserves more love and attention from the sipping public.  However, if we continue to flog it for 2 tenths of not very much because we've squeezed all value from the final brew, why are we surprised when our industry is slip, sliding away rather than racing to the top?

In the age old story, Jack watered his beanstalk and took great care; maybe we should all try to be like Jack... what say you?

So riddle us this; which would you rather be ...  growing at+7.5% or declining at -2.5%?

(all our data comes from Allegra Strategies or AVA)

Thanks for listening and let us know how you're winning the hearts and minds of vending consumers through great coffee!