Modern marketing is such that you can go and buy what you believe is a sport nutrition product only to discover it is nothing of the sort. In fact, that's one of the problems that plagues our industry. With such loose marketing standards there are a lot of sport nutrition products that really should be sold as something else.
So what constitutes a sport nutrition product? Perhaps a better question for those of us in the vending business is what constitutes a profitable sport nutrition product. In our humble opinion, there are five characteristics to look for...
The Five Characteristics:
1. It Offers Some Sort of Supplementation
It has been our experience that those most likely to buy sport nutrition products from a vending machine want snack foods that offer some sort of supplementation. By supplementation we mean dietary ingredients that supplement what customers normally eat. We are talking vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, etc. Supplements can boost energy, speed up recovery, or enhance performance. For the record, we do not endorse dangerous or illegal performance-enhancing supplements.
2. It's Low on Calories and Sugar
Next, a profitable sport nutrition product is low on calories and sugar. Calories and sugar are not bad in moderation, but vending machine customers looking for the kinds of products we carry want to minimise their exposure to both. We get that. The last thing they want after a good workout is a mouthful of sugar and empty calories that go straight to the waist.
3. It is Legitimately Nutritious
Customers who buy from our vending machines also want snacks and beverages that are legitimately nutritious. They aren't fooled by fancy packaging that claims high nutritional value when, in fact, the actual nutrition is hard to find in that product. The truth is that sport nutrition fans are very sophisticated about what they eat. They are not easily fooled.
4. It is Appropriate to the Environment
Next, a profitable sport nutrition product is one that is appropriate to the environment. For example, a lot of our vending machines are placed in gyms and leisure centres. An appropriate beverage option in these environments is the energy bar. Put a couple of different energy bars in a vending machine and gym guests will buy in droves.
5. It Has To Be Appropriately Priced
As we talk about this last characteristic, remember the point here is to determine those sport nutrition products that are profitable. In light of that, we figured out long ago that the products in our vending machines have to be appropriately priced if we expect them to sell. Customers are sophisticated enough to know when they are being done. They won't stand for it.
There's a big difference between foods labelled as sport nutrition products and those that are actually profitable. With more than two decades in the vending business, we know a thing or two about profitable vending. The products our machines dispense make money because they are the products your guests want.
