The Everest Blog

Whether you’re setting up your first ice vending machine or your tenth, the hardest part of this process is finding the perfect location. The spot you choose is by no means permanent, but changing your mind won’t be easy.

Luckily, convenience stores are safe bets; why is that? In this post, we’ll go over the reasons why convenience stores typically make the perfect ice vending machine locations. That way, you can rest easy knowing you’ve found the best spot possible for your new machine.

The Convenience Factor

The top perk of these locations is right in the name—these stores are convenient. When people need to buy one or two items and need them quickly, they usually head to their closest convenience store. It’s usually not worth driving all the way across town to make such simple purchases.

Ice is usually one of these items that people need. If they go to their closest convenience store and your vending machine is sitting right outside, they won’t even need to enter the premises. They’ll simply get their ice and go. They’ll know exactly where to go if they ever need more.

Proximity to the Road

Not all places that potentially sell ice will have it readily available for customers. Since people don’t want to waste time stopping at every store to find out, they’ll typically look at them as they drive by.

Most convenience stores are right on the side of the road, especially if they have a gas station, so your machine should be easy to spot. You have to position it well in the front of the store. This will draw more people in.

Abundance of Options

The beauty of convenience stores is the fact that there are so many of them. Even if one you find isn’t in the best location or hasn’t been converting much in the sales department, there’s probably another nearby where you could move your ice vending machine. Since there are so many convenience stores, there’s a chance it’s owned by the same company, so you wouldn’t have to break any contracts.

If you find more ice vending machines for sale and decide to expand your business, you will have plenty of new locations to choose from. By sticking to convenience stores, you can easily create a whole network of ice vending machines within your town or city.

Accessible Water and Electricity

The final reason why convenience stores are perfect locations for ice vending machines is that they usually have accessible water and electric ports to hook up. While most convenience stores have water and electricity within the building, not all have them easily accessible outside.

Since outdoor vending machines are common for convenience stores, everything you need will already be in place. You won’t need to set up extensive power and water lines. You’ll just need to put your machine in place and hook everything up.