Vending Machine Route Business
Place and service snack, drink or coffee machines in workplaces, gyms and leisure sites on a weekly route.
None
Workplaces, gyms and salons want refreshments without staffing a shop. Typical offers: free machine placement with the owner keeping vend revenue and paying the site a small commission. Card and contactless payment lift average spend versus cash. Route density is the whole game: machines close together slash servicing time. Gross margin figures are planning estimates of revenue minus direct costs (materials, consumables, fuel and per-job expenses); they exclude the owner's own labour, so treat them as a guide to job economics rather than take-home pay.
- Starting capital: 3000–9000 GBP
- Total starting capital: 4500 GBP
- Setup: 4-8 weeks
- Gross margin: 60-70%
- Business model: Margin on each vend plus site commissions; growth by adding machines to the route.
- Category: Retail
Risks
- Site churn: Locations close or switch providers; keep a pipeline of prospects.
- Capital per machine: Quality card-ready machines are the main upfront cost.
Costs
- Equipment — Two refurbished snack and drink machines with card readers — 2400 GBP
- Stock — Opening stock for the first machines — 600 GBP
- Logistics — Machine transport, installation and site agreements — 700 GBP
- Technology — Telemetry and additional payment hardware — 400 GBP
- Compliance — Public liability and product liability insurance — 400 GBP