Most venders will choose to do either bulk or full line, although a few do combine the two. The vast majority of bulk vending routes are run by individuals rather than big companies. Folz vending is the most famous of all “corporate” type bulk vending route operators, but Folz was recently bought out and is no longer in service. Full line vending is done by both larger companies and individuals. Both types of vending are very competitive, so there’s not a lot of difference there, but getting and keeping good locations is more of an issue in bulk vending.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I did end up choosing bulk vending for myself, so my views will obviously reflect this bias, but here’s a quick overview.
Bulk Vending Pros:
Cost – Bulk vending machines are a lot less expensive, sometimes it’s even possible to find cheap used vending machines for as little as $50 apiece online.
Weight – Fully loaded vending machines weight about 40 – 50 lbs when half full. This is pretty heavy for a woman like me, but I manage. Something I’m considering as I get older is that they can even be dissembled for transporting.
Transportation – Moving around bulk machines can be easily done in any vehicle you already own.
Ease of Servicing – Virtually anyone can work on a bulk vending machine. They are mechanically very simple – no electricity, no bill changer, no refrigeration, no fancy electronics.
Full Line Vending
Competition – Although both types of vending are competitive, full line vending is less competitive. Because of all the pros of bulk vending I just listed above, fewer people chose full line vending.
Locations – Once a full line machine is on locations, it’s likely you’ll be able to stay at the locations for an extended time frame, while locating bulk machines is a constant hassle.
Servicing – Because full line machines make a lot more money per machine, you will need a lot less locations making servicing a lot more efficient. Typically these machines will need to be serviced more regularly than bulk vending machines so this may negate some of this convenience.
