Using a vending locating company
If you find it tough to find vending locations you can try a Vending Locating Company.
A Vending Locating Company will find suitable vending locations for your vending machine at a cost of $70 to $500 per site depending on the type of vending machine.
Some Vending Locating Companies request a minimum number of vending locations before getting started and ask for a non-refundable deposit to secure your Locator (the person who looks for the locations) for a period of time.
To improve your chances of finding good vending sites, you should make a list of places where the Locator should try first as your local knowledge will prove handy. Often Locators come from interstate and we have heard of a Locator coming from overseas!! How are they going to know where to go and who to ask??
Make sure you check each vending location they recommend before you pay them. Go to each location to see what sort of traffic flows through the venue. Better yet, go with your Locator and ask him or her why they think this location will be profitable. While you are there you should ask some of the staff how busy the location gets and when is the busiest time of the week/month/year.
To make sure you get what you pay for, request that the Locating Company guarantee all of your sites for 3 months. That is, if any of your sites asks for the machine to be removed within 3 months, the Locating Company will find a replacement site for you at no cost.
This will safeguard you against the so-called “trial period” tactic that Locators sometimes use. This is when the Locator says to the owner that they should take the vending machine for a one month “trial period” just to see how it goes. This makes it too easy for the owner to ask for your vending machine to be removed.
To save money, try finding vending loations yourself. If this doesnt' work, you can always pay for vending locations.You can buy vending locations from other vendors and Locating Companies. The price of each site depends on the vending location, the type of vending machine and how much the person thinks it's worth.
From what we have seen, prices for vending locations start from $70 for a small location to $500 for a heavy traffic location.
Remember, paying for a vending location (as opposed to finding locations yourself) increases the purchase cost for that machine and increases the time in which you make your money back.