Author Archives: Joseph Orsino

Vending Machines are Replacing Farm Stalls in the Netherlands

Posted on by

Farm Stand

By now you’ve probably noticed that vending machines have undergone something of a renaissance in recent years. Not only are they safe and secure, they’re also an affordable option for many vendors. And the best part? These days, you can find just about anything in them. Take this recent story from the Netherlands, for example.

As farm stalls and markets continue to grow in popularity, one company is testing a new way to bring that fresh farm produce to the masses: a vending machine!

The Lockblox is an innovative system that’s being embraced by Dutch farmers across the country, offering a convenient opportunity for growers to sell their fruits and vegetables without raising their price tags or worrying about theft.

According to an article in FreshPlaza, one farmer loads up his vending machine with strawberries and asparagus before he leaves the farm on Sundays. This way, he knows that they won’t run out by the time he returns. In the meantime, he can even check his inventory on VendingWeb, the app associated with the farm stall vending machines.

The Lockblox’s creator, Sander Sciarone, said he wanted to change peoples’ perceptions of what can be offered in a vending machine—instead of just soft drinks and snacks, why not fresh produce?

At Orsino Vending, we love hearing stories about how the vending machine industry is innovating to meet new market demands and consumer behaviors. Interesting in adding a fresh food vending machine to your office or storefront? Give us a call or contact us online today to learn more!

Benefits of Renting, Rather Than Buying, a Vending Machine

Posted on by

Vending Machine PurchaseVending machines are common features of modern office life that offer employees a convenient way to stay alert and refreshed with a variety of snacks and beverages. These machines aren’t cheap though, and they can sometimes be prohibitively expensive for budding entrepreneurs and small business owners. That’s why many business owners choose to rent their vending machines instead! Today we’ll look at just a few of the many benefits of renting a vending machine for your workplace.

Lower Up-Front Cost

Vending machines typically start at around $3,000, and high-end models can cost as much as $10,000. Needless to say, these price tags can make a vending machine a daunting investment for small businesses. Renting effectively eliminates this up-front expense by spreading the cost out over a period of months or years. You can even recoup some the cost of your rental fees with the profits you generate from the vending machine.

No Need to Stock It Yourself

The sticker price isn’t the only thing you’ll have to pay when you buy a vending machine. You’ll also have to pay to keep it stocked with food and drinks. When you rent, on the other hand, the cost of stocking the vending machine is typically included in the lease agreement. Each week, a representative from your vending machine company can come out to make sure your machine is well-stocked with everything your workforce needs to stay happy, healthy and productive.

Maintenance Is Included

Your vending machine company can do more than just re-stock your machine; they can make sure it’s properly cleaned and maintained as well. This way, if you ever have any trouble with your machine, you’ll always have a trusted partner you can call on to get it up-and-running again.

At Orsino Vending, we offer a number of affordable leasing options that are ideal for business of all shapes and sizes. To learn more about any of the vending machines we carry, feel free to give us a call or contact us online today!

 

 

Benefits of Promoting Healthy Workplace Habits

Posted on by

Healthy Snack at WorkMaintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn’t just make us feel better. It can make us happier and more productive at work as well. By exercising and eating well, we can unlock the potential of our brains and bodies to do our very best work. Today we’ll look at just a few of the many benefits of fostering healthy habits in the workplace.

Improved Morale

When people stay active and maintain nutrient-rich diets, they tend to have a more positive and optimistic outlook on life. This, in turn, can make your workplace a better place for everyone. Your employees will come to work feeling energized, alert and ready to get the job done right. It’s amazing what a difference high morale can make in a workplace setting.

Increased Ambition

Another common side-effect of a healthy lifestyle is self-confidence. This can give your employees the courage to grow and come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. When your workforce is healthy, you may notice an increase in their tendency to be motivated and ambitious.

Greater Satisfaction

Let’s face it: health and happiness go hand-in-hand. When people aren’t in good health, they may simply not have the energy to enjoy themselves at work. Although there will always be stressful times in the workplace, it’s much easier to feel a sense of satisfaction and contentedness when we’re healthy.

At Orsino Vending, we offer a diverse selection of vending machines stocked with fresh, nutritious foods. These machines can make it much easier for employees to maintain healthy habits at work. Give us a call or contact us online today to learn more!

How to Prevent Vending Machine Vandalism

Posted on by

How to Prevent Vending Machine Vandalism If you have a vending machine in a public area such as a park or outdoor recreation center, you may be concerned about vandals defacing the machine or trying to steal its contents. Unfortunately, this type of vandalism does happen from time to time, especially when vending machines are situated in easily-accessible public areas. The good news is, there are steps you can take to make your vending machine less appealing to would-be vandals.

Keep the Machine in a High Traffic Area

Vandals will be less likely to mess with your vending machine if it’s in a conspicuous area that gets a lot of foot traffic. Vending machines in dark, isolated areas tend to be the most vulnerable to vandalism. Keeping your vending machine in a high-traffic area can not only increase the amount of business you get from it, but also reduce the likelihood of theft and vandalism.

Install Security Cameras

A security camera can serve as a powerful deterrent to thieves and vandals. These days, you can find affordable wireless security cameras that are easy to install and maintain. Install the camera above your machine so that it’s clearly visible, but out of reach.  In the event that an especially bold vandal decides to ignore the camera, you’ll also be able to provide the police with video evidence of the crime.

Use Warning Signs

Speaking of deterrents, a simple warning sign is enough to convince many vandals to look elsewhere for their free snack. A sign that says “all cash and coins removed daily,” could make the vending machine less appealing to thieves, for example. Alarm system warning signs tend to be particularly effective as well. Even if your vending machine doesn’t have an alarm system, most vandals won’t want to run the risk of finding out for sure.

Charity Uses Vending Machines to Feed and Clothe the Homeless

Posted on by

Charity Uses Vending Machines to Feed and Clothe the HomelessWinter can be hard on the homeless populations in the U.K., but a charity called Action Hunger is employing a unique new strategy to make life a little easier for the country’s most vulnerable citizens. Recently, the charity announced plans to stock a vending machine in Nottingham, England with necessities like fresh fruit, sandwiches, toothpaste and socks that can be accessed by the city’s homeless population free of charge. Many of the food items are being donated by local supermarkets.

Key cards will be issued to homeless individuals based on their level of need by partner organizations such as counseling centers and shelters. These key cards will grant access to three vending machine items per day.

“We want our low-cost solution to complement other services that are available, as engagement with professionals and local support services is instrumental to breaking the cycle of homelessness,” says the charity’s website.

Action Hunger has only deployed one of its vending machines so far, but the charity already has plans to install more machines in Manchester, London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle as well. Homelessness has become an increasingly prevalent issue in many cities in recent years, and the founders of Action Hunger hope that their vending machine service, in conjunction with other local charities and government outreach programs, might help to alleviate homeless rates across the globe.

To learn more about Action Hunger and how you can get involved in their efforts to combat homelessness, you can visit the charity’s website here.

High-Tech Vending Machines Are Getting Pretty Smart

Posted on by

High-Tech Vending Machines Are Getting Pretty SmartThe vending machines you used just a decade or two ago were incredibly basic compared to what is available today. You might put a dollar or two into those machines, select what you wanted to purchase and pick up your change. It was a simple process, but many of today’s vending machines are able to do so much more than the vending machines of yesteryear. Some particularly high-tech options are even able to use features like facial recognition and machine learning to make recommendations based on your specific preferences.

Today’s vending machines are able to provide customers with just about any product you can imagine.

While many older vending machines only offered snacks and beverages, you can purchase everything from frozen yogurt to electronics in modern vending machines. These machines also offer a variety of different payment options. Some machines are able to accept payments wirelessly and sync with your smartphone to help you pick out what you want. Additionally, these vending machines often offer high-definition displays and touchscreens that make the purchasing process even easier.

In the future, vending machines are going to continue to get more and more advanced, according to Venture Beat. Some, like the VICKI smart vending machine, are incorporating social media and fingerprint identification to personalize the experience of using a vending machine. Others, like Coca Cola’s smart digital vending machine, are allowing people to connect to the cloud when making purchases. It’s going to be interesting to see how far vending machine manufacturers can take things in the years to come, especially when you consider just how far they’ve come already.

At Orsino Vending, we strive to offer our customers a variety of modern vending machine options to suit their unique needs. From fresh, healthy options to quick snacks and coffee machines, you can find it all right here. Give us a call or contact us online today to learn more!

Healthy Vending Machine Options are Gaining Popularity

Posted on by

Healthy Vending Machine Options are Gaining PopularityNot long ago, vending machine options were limited to candy bars, sodas, potato chips and a handful of other snack foods. These products were convenient for eating on the go, but they weren’t particularly nutritious. These days, however, it’s not uncommon to see healthier options like salads and fresh fruit in vending machines as well.

In Chicago, for example, one startup called Farmer’s Fridge specializes in stocking vending machines with fresh, nutritious snacks and even full meals. The company’s goal, according to CEO Luke Sanders, is to “make fresh food more accessible than a candy bar.” This health-conscious business model has become so successful that Farmer’s Fridge is bringing its vending machines to Milwaukee, too.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, officials in Melbourne, Australia recently installed a new 24-hour vending machine that offers organic vegan options to the city’s residents.  If the prototype vending machine is well received, Melbourne may install more of them in other high-traffic areas to make it easier for commuters to grab healthy snacks on their way to and from work.

Here at Orsino Vending, we’re committed to offering our customers a diverse variety of vending machine options, including healthy snacks and beverages. Our fresh food machines are carefully managed and maintained to ensure you always have access to delicious, nutritious fresh food options. To learn more about these or any of the other vending machines we offer at Orsino Vending, give us a call or contact us online today.

Vending Machines Can Help Promote Workplace Productivity

Posted on by

Vending Machines Can Help Promote Workplace ProductivityIf you own a business or manage an office, you might be under the impression that vending machines will hurt, rather than help, workplace productivity. After all, if employees are busy eating and drinking items from the vending machine, won’t it cut into the time that they should be working? But the truth is that vending machines can actually increase productivity if you install the right options. Here are a few ways they will help.

Provide employees with food and drinks.

In order for your employees to work effectively, they need to eat and drink throughout the day. If they aren’t hydrated and well fed, it could have a negative effect on productivity. By installing a vending machine in your workplace, you can give employees access to one of their most basic needs. This way, they won’t be left sitting at their desks thinking about how much they’d like a bag of chips or a cup of coffee.

Cut down on the number of times employees need to leave the workplace.

You might be concerned about how much time your employees will spend walking to and from the vending machine throughout a day, but that time will be nothing compared to the time they would spend leaving the office to grab a bite to eat or a bottle of water. A vending machine can eliminate the need to leave the office and give your employees more time to work.

Allow your employees to take a break from time to time.

You obviously want your employees to work hard throughout the day, but taking brief 5 or 10 minute breaks can actually be very beneficial for their minds and bodies. A quick trip to the vending machine will help them to recharge and get back to business once they return to their desks. This, in turn, can help your employees make the most of their time at work.

Orsino Vending can provide your company with a variety of vending machines to increase productivity and keep your employees happy. From sodas and snacks to coffee and fresh foods, we have it all. We can also repair these machines should you have any issues with them. Give us a call today at (201) 871-9286 to learn more.

Uniqlo Brings Its Clothing Vending Machines to U.S. Markets

Posted on by

Uniqlo Brings Its Clothing Vending Machines to U.S. MarketsLooking for a few basic T-shirts in an array of different colors? Thanks to Japanese clothing company Uniqlo, you could soon purchase your shirts from a vending machine in a mall or airport. Uniqlo specializes in offering casual, affordable clothing that is simple yet fashion-forward. Although the company is hugely popular in its home country of Japan, it’s struggled to gain a secure foothold in the U.S. This can be attributed in large part to changing retail habits among American consumers.

That’s why Uniqlo is trying something new—offering consumers the opportunity to buy clothes from vending machines, rather than its massive flagship stores in major cities. The “Uniqlo To Go” vending machines will be stocked with a number of the company’s most popular items, including lightweight down jackets and heat-retaining shirts. The clothes are packaged in boxes and cans, and they can be returned in store or through the mail.

Uniqlo hopes that its vending machines will strike an appealing middle ground between traditional retail options and online e-commerce sites. To begin with, the company will bring 10 of its vending machines to locations throughout the country, including the Houston Airport and Queens Center in New York. Not only will the vending machines offer consumers a new way to purchase Uniqlo garments, they will also serve as eye-catching marketing tools for the company’s products.

If the pilot program is successful, we may see more Uniqlo To Go machines cropping up in other places across the country as well. These days, it seems like there’s virtually no limit to the things you can find in a vending machine.

Vending Machines: Coming to an Uber Near You

Posted on by

Vending Machines: Coming to an Uber Near YouOne of the things that sets ridesharing service Uber apart from traditional taxi services is that its drivers often offer refreshments such as water, chips and chewing gum to their patrons. Providing these simple creature comforts helps inspire customer loyalty and give people another compelling reason to take an Uber rather than a bus or taxi. It’s a popular trend that many Uber drivers have had success with.

Now, a tech startup from New York is making it even easier for Uber drivers to serve refreshments by creating miniature vending machines for their cars. It’s called Cargo, it’s managed to generate about $1.75 million in seed funding.

Drivers can sign up for the service for free, and choose from a variety of snacks and handy travel items such as Advil and charging cables. After selecting their preferred menu items, Cargo will send them a custom display case that can be fastened to the center console in their car. Each display case has its own unique URL that passengers can visit to purchase items from the little vending machines.

Drivers receive 50 cents for each item they sell, while the rest of the profits go to Cargo. The company is also negotiating with brands to offer passengers free samples for some products as well. It’s a mutually-beneficial relationship that could make it easier for Uber drivers to provide top-notch service to their customers. The service is currently only available in New York City, Chicago and Boston, but Cargo has reportedly received interest from drivers all across the Nation.