Wage hikes, higher business rates and plain packs are only adding to the pressure on c-store retailers, so gaining an edge has never been more crucial. Here are five value-boosting bits of kit from the National Convenience Show, which, say manufacturers, can pay for themselves in a matter of weeks.
New Covent Garden Soup Co Server
Machine price: £4,000
Cost per cup: 75p
RSP: £2.19
Profit per cup: £1.44
Health-conscious food-to-go customers are the target audience for this hi-tech, self-serve soup dispenser. The unit is fully automatic, self-cleaning, and keeps 12 litres of soup hot and mixed for up to 12 hours. The machine collects information including how many cups of soup are left and when they should replace the batch.
Nescafé & Go
Machine price: £99
Cost per cup: 72p
RSP: £1.10
Profit per cup: 38p
This compact, plug in and go machine performs best in high-traffic locations like forecourts and train stations or in rural convenience stores, where big brand coffee chain machines are sparse. In 10 seconds, the unit can pour one of the eight variants of branded hot drinks including Tetley tea, Aero hot chocolate and Nescafé Gold coffee. If a store sells 10 cups per day, the machine pays for itself in under five weeks.
Swirl Soft Serve Dispenser
Machine Price: £795 includes 54 portions
Cost per cup: 87p
RSP: £2.90
Profit per cup: £2.03
It’s no surprise this machine performs best in stores near tourist hot spots and in seaside locations. The unit is not self-serve, but it’s mess-free and at the touch of a button a retailer can churn out up to 200 servings of ice cream or fat-free frozen yoghurt an hour from pre-portioned tubs. There are seven flavours available and by offering extras, like sauces or toppings, retailers can add value to the proposition.
F’real
Machine price: £7,400
Cost per cup: £1.60
RSP: £3.20
Profit per cup: £1.60
Already in 18,000 locations in the US and Canada, this ice cream milkshake machine is now primed to pour into c-stores across the UK. Customers pick a flavoured, pre-portioned cup from the freezer, place it into the machine and select their preferred thickness on a touchscreen, which, in true millennial style, displays cute cat pictures while they wait. Retailers selling 30 cups per day can expect to pay off the machine in just over 11 weeks.
Snowshock Slush Machine
Machine price: £2,148 includes £2,200 worth of stock
Cost per cup: 29p
RSP: £1.25
Profit per cup: 96p
Stores near schools or colleges make the perfect locations for a plug-in slush machine. The double tank unit, which does not need to be plumbed in, can pour out 240 syrup-filled cups an hour using two of the 14 fruit flavours available. Each £22 bottle of syrup will make 110 cups of self-serve slush, generating £137. By placing the machine next to low-price sweets and crisps, retailers can pick up plenty more pocket money.
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