5 Vending Machine Statistics You Should Know About.

At some point during the day, it’s likely that you may have bought your favourite snack, drink, or lunch from a vending machine. As there are different types of vending machines available, from micro markets to hot drinks machines and fresh food, there is a vending solution that’s right for your workplace or leisure facility.

There are many interesting vending machine statistics from around the world that you may have never heard of until you’ve read this piece. Some of the statistics may shock or surprise you about how big the vending sector is. With there being lots of facts and figures around the industry, we’ve whittled it down to five.

Japan is known for its technological innovation, and this is no different when it comes to vending. The Land of the Rising Sun has an estimated five million vending machines, which works out at one vending machine for every 25 to 30 people. If you are visiting Japan, it’s likely that you’ll bump into a row of vending machines in the sprawling metropolises of Tokyo or Yokohoma.

Though the UK’s vending industry is growing, we are still some way behind the Japanese when it comes to innovation. Japanese vending machines accept many different types of payments – the most popular form of which is a commuter pass. It’s a pass that’s bought by the employer, which enables them to get to work and back using the country’s public transport system. The commuter pass enables a person to buy their favourite snacks and beverages by using their pass to buy it from the machine.

As far as cutting-edge tech goes, Japan and the USA are the countries to keep your eyes on.

With a population of over 67 million people, the United Kingdom has one vending machine for every 55 people. From these machines, approximately seven billion items are dispensed from each year across the four home nations.

Cashless payments are fast becoming a popular form of vending machine payment in the UK. In 2018, 45% of all vending machine transactions in the UK were cashless. That figure has risen to more than half at 55% in 2022, which means that more people are moving away from cash towards cashless vending machines.

Drinks have played a major part in the success of vending machines. Nearly a third (31%) of all vending machine sales every year come from people buying their favourite drinks from a machine. Whether that’s a bottle of Lucozade from the gym or a bottle of water from the train station, it’s important that you stay hydrated throughout the day with a refreshing drink.

Some of the most popular vending machine drinks brands include the likes of Pepsi and Sprite to Monster and Red Bull. As there is a major shift towards more healthier lifestyles, consumers continue to buy their favourite canned and bottled soda drinks from a vending machine every day.Consumer behaviour has been evolving over the past 10 years, with consumers now having a clear view of what they want before they interact with the machine – this means fewer consumers deciding whether to be healthy or have a naughty treat on a whim.

Growth in the vending sector shows no signs of slowing down. Looking at the latest vending industry statistics, its projected to be worth $146.6 billion by 2027. While the pandemic has had a major impact on vending businesses globally, the industry is estimated to have an annual growth rate of 1.3% between 2020 and 2027.

Europe has nearly three-quarters of a million people living in 26 countries across the continent. The European Vending Association found that there are 3.8 million vending machines in Europe, which is over a million machines less than Japan.

Over 90 million food and drink items are dispensed from European vending machines every day. If you’ve visited a country in Europe, it’s likely that you may have bought your favourite snack or drink from a vending machine.

There are lots of interesting vending industry statistics, which show how big and innovative the industry is. If these five statistics have convinced you to consider a vending solution for your business, check out our range of solutions we currently offer.

Once you’ve decided on buying a vending machine from us, you’ll get frequent machine servicing and maintenance. Our fully managed vending machine service can be tailored to suit you, which is great if you want to take the hassle out of restocking and maintaining your vending machine.  

If you’re thinking about installing a vending machine in your workplace and not sure where to start, give our expert sales team a call on 01865 341011. You can also drop us an enquiry – we’d love to hear from you.