15-04-2004 - Vendia leads the way with Healthy Options range
One of the most rapidly growing vending companies in the
UK and France, Vendia, is taking strides to make health foods a viable
option in vending machines in schools.
A recent consumer insight report by the Institute of Grocery Distribution*
(IGD) said that vending machines could be used as a way to encourage consumers
to eat more healthily as most consumers welcome the choice of health options
in vending machines. Vendia's new Healthy Options range matches this demand
by offering healthy alternatives to crisps and chocolate, such a dried fruit
and cereal bars.
Vendia trialled their Healthy Options range last year and are now rolling it
out across the country after the welcome it received from customers, including
schools and the offices of two major UK airlines.
Group Operations Development Director, Philip Blayney, explains the nature
of the market: "Vending is an impulse market - we want to change this and make
it a retail experience by giving consumers some real choice about what they
can buy through a machine.
"Vendia is responding to demand in the market. We are investing in our machines
and in our products. We will soon be branding the outside of machines to make
people aware that vending machines can really offer good, tasty, nutritious products.
It's still early days, but I would like to see our machines stock a wide range
of healthy foods and drink by the end of the year."
Vendia's product range has included some healthy options for the past five
years, so they already have the contacts and expertise in providing healthy
options.
Steve Allanson is a merchandiser for Simply Drinks, a Vendia Company based
in central London. He says that sales of the Healthy Options Range around the
city have been good: "We have been having loads of requests for healthier food
to be included in snacks machines in large offices across the city - so now,
in the majority of machines, around 5% of the products are healthy, replacing
products like crisps.
"You'll never stop people eating crisps - but at least we are giving them the
option, so when they come out of the gym or are on a health kick they can feel
good about the food they are buying from a vending machine. Sales so far have
been good - we feel confident about including the healthy options range as we
know it will sell, at it looks set to rise during this year."
Mark Molnar, MD at Vendia company VMI, says: "Different audiences have varying
needs. In schools, if you take away the machine, you take away a valuable revenue
stream. Schools just can't afford to do this. But at the same time, the government
is pressuring them, saying vending machines should be removed.
" If you take the non-healthy option out of vending machines, school children
will just go down to the local shops or bring food in from home, obviously there
needs to be a compromise, and this is where we step in. We offer healthier options
such as dried fruit and cereal bars, water or milkshakes (made with semi-skimmed
milk) instead of carbonated drinks."
* Taken from "Consumer Watch: The Future of Convenience Foods". Published 19th
December 2003 by the IGD.
Vendia UK Ltd is one of the largest beverage and snack vending companies in the UK. It is part of the international Vendia Group which is based in Holland and also has vending operations in France.
Vendia’s unique strength is its network of strong local operating companies and management teams, who leverage their regional knowledge and experience to deliver better products and services, whatever the required vending package. Vendia companies have particularly strong knowledge and experience in five market sectors: Leisure, Business, Education, Public Service and Retail.
The company is based at:
17 Rufus Business Centre
Ravensbury Terrace
London
SW18 4RL
United Kingdom
T : +44 (0) 20 8879 8354
F : +44 (0) 870 762 8985
www.vendia-group.com
info@vendia-group.com