Operating vending machines remains one of the best scalable small business opportunities.
Grand View Research projects that the vending machines market will record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7% through 2030.
To get into this growing sector, and start your vending machine business, you will need to scout more than one vending machine brand and secure a good vending machine. This post covers the list of top vending machine manufacturers and best vending machine brands you can own in 2023.
1. Crane Merchandising Systems (Crane National)
Website: Cranepi.com
Crane National is one of the top vending machine brands that offers standard as well as bespoke vending machines in the United States. You can buy their vending machines directly from their website or from third-party retailers. They have snacks and drinks vending machines as well as coffee vending machines.
Crane Vending allows customers to customize their vending machines. You can customize the features as well as the graphics of the vending machine to match your brand no matter if snack or a coffee vending machines are in question.
The machines run on the VENDMAX software whose benefits include real-time alerts, over-the-air price updates, ability to integrate with third-party software providers such as OCS Access, Vista, and popular accounting applications.
A third-party provider, Automated Service International, is selling Crane vending machine models at the following prices:
- Crane National 187 Merchant (snack) - $3,495
- Crane National 186 Merchant (snack) - $3,495
- Crane National 168 (snack) - $2,395
- Crane National 180 Merchant 4 (snack) - $2,995
- Crane National Merchant Media Combo with 3.75’’ screen - $3,795
- Crane National Merchant Media Combo with 7’’ screen - $4,295
- Crane National 780 (Combo) - $3,495
You can also request a quote directly for the latest Crane National models on their website. Unlike some other vending machine brands, they are likely to get back to you in short time. The popular models are:
Merchant Ambient Media 2
Merchant Ambient 2 is an excellent snacks vending machine that promises higher performance, higher engagement, and better sales. It features a large touchscreen measuring 9” that features a full motion video and color display.
Merchant Combo Media 2
If you need to sell both drinks and snacks, Crane’s Merchant Combo Media 2 is a great option. It is bigger than the Merchant Media 2 and has most of its features. You can expect to get suggestive selling and shopping carts to encourage and enable multiple-product purchases.
2. AMS Vending Machines
Website: amsvendors.com
AMS Vending Machines makes tough steel vending machines right here in the United States. AMS has low-temp indoor vending machines as well as rugged outdoor units that can withstand the elements. The machines accept tokens, cash, credit cards, and most University cashless systems.
Popular AMS Vending Machine models include:
The Steeley
The steeley is AMS’s designated outdoor vending machine. It is tough and built to withstand the roughest of conditions. The steeley works as a drinks vending machine (both bottles and cans) and can be put in most locations including schools, streets, hospitals, and storefronts.
Its dimensions are as follows:
- Width - 40 inches
- Depth - 35 inches
- Height - 73.5 inches
- Can capacity - 680 cans
- Bottle capacity - 300 PET bottles
The steeley is well-designed and ADA-compliant.
KlearView 20 Locker System
The KlearView 20 Locker System is specifically designed to sell non-traditional systems such as specialty snacks, industrial tools, and various equipment. The vending machine can work as a standalone locker system given its size and compartment design.
The vending machine has the following dimensions:
- Width - 39 inches
- Depth - 28 inches
- Height - 72 inches
It comes in a bright white interior with a configuration of either 2 or 18 doors. You get a 3-year warranty on electronics and a 1-year warranty on all other parts.
AMS Classic Snack Vending Machine
This is the most popular vending machine sold by this leading vending machine manufacturer. It has been in production since 1997 and has undergone a series of upgrades over the years. Vendors love this machine because of its simplicity, durability, and reliability. It has a sturdy simple construction and can carry most of the snacks your customers have come to love, including candy, nachos, pretzels, and potato chips.
The Classic Snack vending machine will work and look good in most locations. It has the following dimensions:
- Width - 35/39 inches
- Depth - 35 inches
- Height - 72 inches
- Capacity - up to 617 different units of a variety of snacks
The vending machine is available with refrigeration. It also comes with energy-saving features.
Low Temp Combo Vending Machine
When you want to offer both drinks and snacks, AMS’ Low Temp Combo Vending Machine is one of the options to consider. These beverage vending machines have been in production since 1998 and has been upgraded to include all the features modern customers love and demand.
The combo vending machine comes in the following dimensions:
- Width - 35 or 39 inches
- Depth - 35 inches
- Height - 72 inches
It can carry most of the canned and bottled beverages in the market today plus popular snacks such as potato chips, pretzels, candy, and others.
Vandal Resistant Merchandiser
When you want to put a vending machine outside where it is exposed to the elements and bad actors, you need a strong vending machine like AMS’ Vandal Resistant Merchandiser. This machine is tough and built to last. It comes with a 3-year warranty on its refrigeration system and electronics. All other parts except the fluorescent bulbs, paint job, and glass have a 1-year warranty.
3. U-Select-It (USI) Vending Machines
Website: uselectit.com
U-Select-It (USI) is one of the vending machine brands that produces great snack, beverage, combo, and specialty vending machines in the United States. The vending machines are well-built with sturdy construction and modern features such as touch screens, cashless payment systems, ADA compliance, and the option to brand the vending machine using custom graphics.
The popular USI vending machines are:
Evoke Series Cold Drink Vending Machines
Under the Evoke line, USI vending machine manufacturer makes vending machines for soft drinks, including the Evoke Series 10 Selection Drink Vending Machine and the Evoke Cold Beverage 5W Elevator. These beverage vending machines can sell a combination of canned and bottled drinks, including national brands from Coca-Cola and Pepsi that customers love. You can also sell energy drinks, water, and juices using these vending machines.
Mercato Series Snack Vending Machines
USI has great snack vending machines under the Mercato series. Check out the Mercato 3000, Mercato 4000, and the Mercato 5000. The Mercato 5000 can carry up to 56 product selections and up to 528 items. The Mercato 3,000 and 4,000 are smaller and can carry 36 product selections with a capacity of 360 items. These vending machines can sell a variety of candy and snacks, such as chips and pastries.
Evoke 6 and Evoke 5 Snack Vending Machines
The Evoke 6 and Evoke 5 are sleek big snack vending machines with all the features you’ve come to expect in modern vending machines. The Evoke 5 comes with 6 product trays for a selection of 65 products and up to 528 items. The Evoke 6 is bigger and can carry up to 83 product selections and up to 733 items. Both of the Evoke snack vending machines have the following features:
- Single selection and shopping cart modes
- Product browsing mode
- Advertising on the display screen
- Calorie display before a purchase
Evoke Outdoor Vending Machines
The Evoke Outdoor is specially made to withstand the elements with the latest security and weather-proof features, including rain guards, vandal-resistant panels, impact-resistant window covers, and an excellent sealing system.
The Evoke Outdoor is a combo vending machine. It can carry most brands of bagged snacks as well as canned and bottled beverages. These beverage vending machines are sizable enough to serve a location with high traffic as it has the capacity for 65 different product selections. The dimensions are as follows:
- Height - 72.25 inches
- Width - 44.9 inches
- Depth - 40.7 inches
The Evoke Outdoor comes standard with the PayRange payment system. You can configure it to add your preferred card reader and mobile payment system.
4. Selectivend Vending Machines
Website: https://www.selectivend.com/
Selectivend is one of the vending machine companies that supplies a wide range of vending machines. They have one of the best in-house financing products in the vending space that can be tailored to any Selectivend vending machine. You can apply online for 100% financing and get 90 days to first pay with a flexible repayment term of up to 48 months.
Selectivend has snack vending machines, drinks vending machines, combo machines, frozen food machines, hot beverage machines, and specialty vending machines that can be used to vend special supplies, such as school supplies.
5. Seaga Vending Machines
Website: https://seaga.com/
Seaga manufactures vending machines for food and drinks, industrial supplies, and medical supplies. You can buy Seaga vending machines from third-party wholesalers or buy them directly from the manufacturer. The following are some of the popular Seaga vending machine models.
The Seaga EnVision and Infinity Line
Seaga EnVision and Infinity machines feature glass-front vending machines that are beautifully designed with modern features, including mobile wallet payment systems. The line this vending machine manufacturer makes has snack, drinks, and combo vending machines with the following features:
- Cashless payment system
- Interlock door construction for greater security
- Payment system integrations
- Energy efficiency features
- Guaranteed delivery system
- Scroll pricing digital display
- LED lighting
- Telemetry readiness.
All the vending machines under the EnVision and Infinity lines can be customized to you using branded graphics. Notable vending machines in this category are ENV4S Snack, ENV5S Snack, ENV5B Beverage, ENV5C Combo, INF5S Snack, INF4B Beverage, INF5C Combo and the INF5CX Outdoor.
Seaga Cold Beverage Vendors
Soda Pop soda vending machine manufacturers have a lot of brands. The typical vending machine doesn’t have the capacity to offer all the products available in the market. When you want soda vending machines made specifically for soda pop brands, Seaga Cold Beverage Vendor is the best option.
Seaga’s LV2018 Stack Vendor comes with 20 columns, enough to stock all the soft drink brands offered by a company such as Pepsi. Seaga offers multi-beverage vending machines by product lines: PepsiCo Lean Vendor, The Prosper, Starbucks, and Hello Goodness. These vending machines, especially the PepsiCo Lean Vendor are of great value. With 18 product selections in 20 columns, you can give your customers a greater variety of soda pop than all the competitors on your street.
Seaga’s Glass Door Merchandiser
The range of Glass Door Merchandising vending machines from Seaga is one of the best in the market. The design optimizes the beauty of the presentation which attracts customers at the point of sales and even encourages impulse buys. The merchandisers are available for brands such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, 7Up, and Keurig Dr. Pepper.
6. Necta’s Melodia Vending Machines
Website: https://necta.evocagroup.com/en/products/impulse-dispensers/melodia
Necta’s Melodia vending machines are relatively slender vending machines that will work great for vendors with limited vending space. The vending machines Necta vending machine manufacturer is making are elegantly designed in black and silver. A standard Melodia vending machine will come in the following dimensions:
- Height - 1,700 mm
- Width - 713 mm
- Depth - 813 mm
- Depth when open - 1360 mm.
The vending machines come with a maximum of 6 trays and can carry up to 36 product selections.
7. TCN Vend
Website: https://www.tcnvend.com/
TCN Vend is a Chinese vending machine manufacturer that supplies new vending machines to wholesalers and retailers globally, including the United States. They have drinks, snacks, and combo vending machines.
You can order a vending machine via website of this vending machine company. Being one of the biggest vending machine manufacturers in the world, TCN Vend’s selection is quite big. Consider browsing the website to get a clear picture of the product offerings.
8. Royal Vendors
Website: https://www.royalvendors.com/
Royal Vendors vending machine manufacturer makes quality beverage vending machines out of West Virginia. They also refurbish used vending machines in their facility. Consider this brand when you want an American-made beverage machine with reliable support and part sales.
The flagship vending machine for this brand is the Royal Vision Vendor Next Generation which comes with a host of features, including
- Five individual pull-out shelves
- ENERGY STAR® rating
- Ability to accommodate 40 product selections
- First In First Out dispensing
- Enhanced reliability with mechanical simplification
- Products are delivered while upright because of its precision delivery system.
How to Start a Vending Machine Business
A vending machines will provide you with a steady passive income stream. The business is not entirely passive, though. You will need to know how to start properly and constantly restock your vending machines and do maintenance to ensure they are in tip-top shape. There are also factors that affect your profitability - the factors you can actually calculate in advance.
To run a successful vending business, pay attention to the following:
- Offer several payment options. Vending customers now expect you to accept the payment systems they use, including mobile money wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet.
- Eliminate instances of spoilage. Keep track of your sell-by dates and ensure that your machines are refrigerated at all times. Spoilages cost you money and may lead to legal liability if a customer’s health is put at risk.
- Avoid stockouts. You don’t want a customer to come to your vending machine and not find their favorite product. Modern smart vending machines now allow you to keep track of your stock remotely.
- Offer a diverse range of products. The greater your product selection, the more people you’ll serve. People have different tastes when it comes to drinks and snacks. This should explain why there are so many different products and flavors in the market today.
Because of the semi-passive nature of this business, an entrepreneur with capital can easily scale by adding more locations. Finding great locations or even buying vending routes is one of the most important aspects of this business. A great location with high foot traffic ensures you have customers throughout the year.
A good location is one which has high traffic and is secure. You can put your vending machine indoors or outdoors. If you find an outdoor location, it helps to install an outdoor vending machine as they are specifically designed to withstand the elements.
You can scout for locations yourself or hire a vending locator to help. A vending locator can take over the entire location scouting job. This service may not come cheap as they may have to visit the locations physically to talk to the property managers and owners.
Some vending locator services, like the one we provide, can give you a list of potential locations in your area with their contact information. All you will have to do is visit the locations on the list or call the provided numbers to confirm if they are accepting new vending machines. This service is affordable and starts from as low as $19 for a list of 50 potential locations.
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