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Floydy
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21-10-2018, 12:00 PM
1

Vending machines

I was wondering whether to place this in the Food & Drink section, or even the General area but I decided on Diet & Nutrition as that is the main point of this thread.

The photo is of one of our vending machines at work. It is full of overpriced crisps and sweets - I mean, who would pay 80p for a bag of Wotsits or 75p for a small packet of two Oreo biscuits? Anyway, the firm I work for is always promoting health with free fruit occasionally and leaflets about joining a gym with money off a subscription. On the other hand, there is nothing healthy whatsoever in the vending machines. The coffee machines are the same. It tastes awful. Plus, the fizzy drinks are priced at around 1.30 per bottle! I now pack up my own meals and drinks and don't use these machines at all. Ours now even have a facility attached whereby you can use your credit card!!

Double standards to be honest. The displays in the canteen are obviously to impress visitors, as are the glut of health and safety notices splattered around the building.

Do you use vending machines and what do you think of the contents of them?

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21-10-2018, 12:09 PM
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Re: Vending machines

My husbands last job was filling them up floydy he did that for well over 20 years. They experimented at times with healthy options it's never popular. Lots went bad as no one wanted it.

You are paying for a lot more than a chocolate bar in those machines, person to fill it, van, petrol, warehouse, staff in the warehouse. The machines cost well over a thousand pounds and maintaining them isn't cheap. Also most are rented so you are paying for that too. They cost a bit to run as they are cooled and lit up.

It just isn't the same as buying a multipack for cheapness in the supermarket, nor is it easy to get people to eat an apple if they want chocolate.

Btw most vending fillers are on less than nmw so they aren't exactly making a huge wage out of it.
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21-10-2018, 12:11 PM
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Re: Vending machines

If I buy a drink from one it's usually because there is no alternative

I've used ones that are found in men's and ladies' toilets in the past too!
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21-10-2018, 12:18 PM
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Re: Vending machines

Hi Floydy
Ive not used a vending machine since I was at school and we would use one after swimming classes at the local leisure centre.
I usually have my own bottled drink (tap water) with me so wouldnt need to use one.
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21-10-2018, 12:35 PM
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Re: Vending machines

I realise above the overheads of running vending machines, but it would be nice if even one row of them was dedicated to healthy options such as cereal bars or protein snacks. But having said that the cost wouldn't be worth buying them.

Our machines are always well stocked up with junk food but it sells as most of the workforce do not appear to give a jot about healthy eating, or more than likely they are not organised enough to do their own pack up.

On a side note, if manufacturers dropped their prices on healthy options the world would be in a much more healthy state to combat obesity and type 2 diabetes. It's basic ignorance on the part of the consumer together with the government saying on one hand they need to tackle the crisis within the NHS yet not doing anything serious about promoting sensible food. All to do with tax.
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21-10-2018, 12:38 PM
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Re: Vending machines

The trouble is the healthy options cost more than the unhealthily ones wholesale or not. The venders can't drop prices if the wholesale prices are so high, especially if they can't sell them anyway.
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21-10-2018, 01:45 PM
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Re: Vending machines

Originally Posted by Rhian ->
If I buy a drink from one it's usually because there is no alternative

I've used ones that are found in men's and ladies' toilets in the past too!
Aye, but the chewing gum in them tastes bloody awful, good for blowing bubbles though.
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21-10-2018, 02:01 PM
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Re: Vending machines

Originally Posted by Julie1962 ->
The trouble is the healthy options cost more than the unhealthily ones wholesale or not. The venders can't drop prices if the wholesale prices are so high, especially if they can't sell them anyway.
That's what I'm saying, Julie
The government should be pushing healthier food more than they are doing. You'd think logically that because food has less sugar, fat and salt in it that it would be actually cheaper to produce. For some reason it's the opposite. No wonder there is one hell of a burden on the NHS.
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21-10-2018, 02:56 PM
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Re: Vending machines

Originally Posted by Judd ->
Aye, but the chewing gum in them tastes bloody awful, good for blowing bubbles though.
Have you tried the strawberry ones?
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21-10-2018, 02:57 PM
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Re: Vending machines

I don't normally use a vending machine but there was one at work, I doubt I could resist the chocolate whatever the price.
 
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