Vending machine technology has come a long way. The first recorded vending machine sold holy water in first-century Roman Egypt. Today, when one mentions the term ‘vending machine,’ snacks or drinks vending machines will likely come first to mind. Vending machines can sell a lot more than snacks and drinks, though. Manufacturers today make custom vending machines that can sell any small retail product, including hair and beauty products.
Can You Put Hair Products in a Vending Machine?
Yes, you can sell beauty and hair products in vending machines. You will need a vending machine specially made to sell such products. There are vending machine manufacturers that sell machines built to vend beauty and hair products only. Other manufacturers and retailers, such as Discount Vending, customize their popular generic machine series to vend beauty and hair products of different sizes.
What Types of Products Can You Put in a Beauty Vending Machine?
Manufacturers design most beauty machines to accommodate products of varied shapes and sizes. As such, you can sell many of the retail beauty products available for individual sale. Where beauty or hair products cannot be sold individually but in packs or bundles only, you can use a beauty vending machine with linked double columns to have twice the space of a typical vending machine column. You can also make your custom vending machine or buy a large item vending machine and make a custom branded vending machine cover.
You can buy a hair and beauty vending machine to sell products of different shapes and sizes, including:
- Hair extensions
- Wigs
- Hair bundles
- Lashes
- Hair care products
- Makeup products
- Various cosmetic products
Again, if you have beauty products that cannot fit standard beauty machines, consider reaching out to manufacturers that build custom vending machines. You will get a machine that is functionally fit for purpose and has custom branding and signage.
Read more about Feminine Hygiene Vending Machines!
Are Beauty Machines Profitable At All?
How profitable a beauty vending machine is depends mostly on how many units of beauty products you can move monthly and the profit margin per product. The demand for hair and beauty products is generally consistent throughout the year. According to McKinsey & Company, the beauty market (fragrance, skincare, makeup, and haircare) generated about $430 billion in revenue in 2022 in the US. Since the demand is assured, your number one priority is to find a location where you can have consistent buyers at the prices you intend to sell the products.
A beauty vending machine can generate more than $1,500 per month if it is in a good location. The case for a beauty vending machine is the convenience it provides. Consider, for instance, a beauty vending machine at a resort. If a traveler forgets a comb, hair gel, or flat irons at home, and they need it urgently, they will be willing to pay significantly more than the manufacturer’s recommended retail price if they can get it at the resort. You, therefore, have more leeway with markups when operating a beauty vending machine. Depending on location and product, you can markup your products by 60% to as much as 200%.
Locations: Where Do You Put Beauty and Makeup Vending Machines?
Quality of location plays an outsized role in the success of a vending machine business. A beauty vending machine will do well at a location with a lot of foot traffic, and where customers who fit the profile of the person most likely to use the products/brands congregate. You can put a beauty vending machine at the following locations:
- Malls and shopping centers
- Airports
- Bus stations
- Train stations
- Apartment complexes
- Hotels and resorts
- College campuses
- College dorms
- Grocery stores
- Beauty salons
You can find such locations yourself or outsource the job to one of the top vending scouting services available in US. Alternatively, use our service to build a list of potential locations near you plus their contact information so that all you have to do is call the property managers/owners.
Discover More Interesting Reads on Vending Locator
A vending locator is a helpful tool for small vending machine business owners. It helps them find the best places to put their machines where lots of people will see and use them. You don't have to worry about searching for these places yourself – vending locator does that for you and more. On our blog, we cover a wide range of topics related to vending businesses. You'll find everything you need to start a successful business or make your current one better. There's more useful information waiting for you.
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