After a quiet summer, business is slowly but surely starting to return for Vendavid, a vending machine maker. "Why is it calmer? Hard to say, but with the holiday period in June and July, companies seemed less interested in investing in vending machines. Since August, orders have started trickling in again. Even though the boom of the corona period is now behind us, there is still interest in vending machines for selling vegetables, fruit, potatoes, and a wide range of other products directly to consumers. We see growth in fresh produce, especially in Germany, but in addition, the ornamental horticulture sector is a new, notable source of demand," says managing director Christophe David.
Germany as potential
Vendavid develops robust vending machines that allow growers to offer their potatoes, vegetables, or fruit 24/7. They do this in particular for growers who want to offer a somewhat larger capacity. "For example, we build and install a robust carousel, with which we can vary on demand with 4 to 8 layers and compartments from 150 to 340 mm high. In addition, there is the option to set the number of compartments per layer from 8 to 23. This means that the vending machines can stock up to 184 products," explains the entrepreneur. Although they are mainly intended for agricultural products, they are also used for other purposes, such as the sale of chlorine tablets or pellets, thanks to their strong construction and weather resistance. Increasingly, the ornamental horticulture sector also seems to find new applications for them.
Vendavid started with customers in Belgium but has since expanded its sales area to France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and the Netherlands, with an eye also on the UK and Austria for the future. "Moreover, we have been increasingly active in Germany for about a year. There, we have already installed quite a few vending machines, particularly for potato growers, and we see great potential. The Belgian and French markets, which are still our main markets, remain fairly stable, but Germany is gaining momentum. We have also invested in it, so hopefully that will now bear fruit. There is still a world to win there."
Opportunities in floriculture
Beyond the company's traditional vending machines, Christophe is also developing a new module: a locker. "It is a smaller variant, which can be easily connected to the existing vending machine, allowing you to expand it with, say, 10 to 20 extra lockers. Conversely, it is also possible to start with a locker and later add a vending machine to it. We hope to place the first prototype at a company by the end of this year. However, we already notice demand for it. Certainly from the French market, but also in Belgium. Interestingly, it comes from a sector in which we were previously less active: ornamental plant cultivation. It remains to be seen how quickly people will embrace it, but I am hopeful. Some competitor companies already have them in Flanders, but here we see opportunities to provide more high-quality and robust vending machines, so we can compete. Direct sales through vending machines are clearly very interesting for the flower sector."
Now that the quiet period seems to be over, Christophe looks positively to the future. "The vending machine remains a popular product. Of course, it had its peak during the corona period, when in-store sales became impossible, but for many, it remains an ideal way to sell products at any time. Bringing in new customers is more challenging, but existing customers stay and expand. We find that those who have chosen it are convinced. Thirty percent of the machines we sell go to existing customers. That shows the machine delivers, and people come back for it. The other day, a customer said we are the Rolls-Royce of vending machines, so of course I gladly accept that compliment."
For more information:
Christophe David
Vendavid
Sint-Amandstraat 20
8740 Pittem, Belgium
+32 472 915 479
[email protected]
www.vendavid.be