Size of the Vending Industry

Approximately 4,500,000 vending machines are on location throughout the 50 states, providing a convenient 24-hour point-of-sale, commonly where no other service can feasibly be made available. Industry sales of food and refreshments alone are estimated to exceed $20 billion. Non-food sales, including cigarettes, are estimated to approximate another $4 billion.

The merchandise vending industry is essentially part of the small-business community. Of the 10,000-plus firms that provide vending services, approximately 75% have 5 or fewer employees.

These independent companies, together with some national and regional vending operations, employ a total workforce well in excess of 100,000. In addition, almost 9,000 U.S. workers are employed in the manufacture of vending machines. Hundreds of other companies sell goods and services to the vending industry, adding several thousand more to the number of people whose families depend on the economic health of the vending industry.

Some of the major current issues confronting the vending industry are:

Sales Tax Restructuring
The $1.00 Coin
Recycling
Tobaccco Vending

Should you or your organization have further interest in the many avenues of vending, please feel free to call us. We'd love to chat with you.

Sincerely,
Charles Hanna