By David Llewellyn, chief executive, the Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA)
We all know the stereotype. The hospital vending machine, seemingly tired and worn down in the corner of the waiting room: it never works, it eats your money, and it causes estate managers more headaches than they’re worth. But this is an outdated view from a bygone era. Vending has transformed in recent years, with new technology allowing for better service provision and storage of products.
From the estate manager’s point of view, the vending machine is the least of their worries, with more important and pressing priorities such as the function of healthcare equipment or the hygiene and safety of patient spaces. So, healthcare estates need a vending provision that can effectively take care of itself.
Vending then and now
New technology has advanced vending and its capabilities to meet changing customer expectations on what foods and drinks they want access to. This has transformed machines, making them safe, secure, and versatile. As we move away from cash and into contactless payment types as the norm, machines can reliably collect payments without much intervention. The recent AVA census revealed that 85% of pay vend machines are fitted with cashless payment systems, a growing trend from across the last decade. This has also allowed for telemetry and data collection to become the standard, gathering more information on what customers are buying and then informing better stocking, service and maintenance decisions.
Vending is still a dominant part of healthcare estates across the country. The AVA census found that since 2014, the machine base has risen by 4% in healthcare, now representing 8% of the entire machine base across the UK, demonstrating how the improved options and convenience of vending is impacting more healthcare estates.
Nutritional improvements
Another assumption about the contents of vending machines is that the food and drinks on offer are not ‘healthy’. Drinks high in sugar and snacks high in fat, the list goes on. However, these perceptions are no longer accurate to the current vending space. Operators are looking for new ways to capture customers and offer them a range of options when deciding what they’d like to eat and drink.
There have been several nutritional improvements in vending machine offerings over the last few years. Some standout statistics from The AVA census include:
This data shows us that vending is keeping up with the times. This year, 49% of shoppers reported eating more healthy foods, and 32% said they felt healthier than last year. These trends are expected to continue, focusing more on foods that can benefit our health in different ways, such as gut health.
The impact on healthcare environments
Having round-the-clock access to healthy and enjoyable foods is essential for patients and staff alike. For those working, having quick and fulfilling snacks is great for helping with long shifts. Patients and their families can sometimes find themselves at the hospital for longer than they’d planned, so having access to nutritious food options, both hot and cold, can make the experience more comfortable. For healthcare estate managers, having a reliable and well-stocked vending provision is a must. It allows more time to focus on the more pressing parts of the job, keeping patients and staff happy.
The future innovations for vending are endless. As customer expectations continue to evolve, vending is the catering option that can consistently adapts. Operators can add new products at any time, and with telemetry data, they can see which products sell best, and which ones sell the least, optimising the best array of products for customers.
Ending the stigma
Overall, the vending industry has gone from strength to strength in recent years as we adapt to new ways of working and keeping up with health and lifestyle trends. Healthcare estate managers should invest in vending solutions that allow for the flexibility needed for patients and staff, as well as providing a good range of healthy, accessible snacks. By adopting these new technologies, estate managers can contribute positively to patient and staff wellbeing and be sure the vending machine is always delivering the best quality goods.
