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Industry overview

Vending (or "automatic retailing" as it is increasingly becoming known) has a long history.  The first documented knowledge of vending dates back to 215BC when a mathematician Hero invented a machine to vend holy water in Egyptian temples.

Vending has moved on since then. Today's machines and services are sophisticated and technologically advanced. They are designed to provide the highest quality service, reliably and hygienically, 24 hours a day.

Every year, UK consumers insert around £1.85 billion in the slots of more than 462,000 refreshment vending machines. Every day, 8 million cups of coffee and 2 million cups of tea are vended.

Whilst almost anything can be automatically vended, the principal food and drink products you will find in vending machines today are:

 

•          Hot and cold beverages
•          Cold drinks in bottles, cans or cartons
•          Confectionery and savoury snacks
•          Sandwiches and snack foods
•          Cooked or chilled dishes (for heating in an external microwave)
•          Plated meals
•          Ice cream

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