The economy remains challenging, but Antares vending operators aren’t taking a defeatist attitude. They are giving themselves the benefit of any doubts, and have aggressive purchasing intentions. Vending operators have been expressing more aggressive equipment purchasing plans over the past years. Of late, there has been an improved business climate, so Antares vending operators want to take advantage of this by offering state of the art equipment.

Newer equipment helps sales

Antares veteran operators have learned from experience that newer and better equipment traditionally results in higher sales. When it comes to purchase intentions, operators typically set goals but wait until their sales figures justify following through on purchase intentions.

Sales must justify investment

Previous surveys have indicated that operators do not always follow through on their stated purchase intentions. This goes to show that business conditions did not improve enough for operators to follow through on their purchasing intentions. The most obvious example in which 2004’s purchase intentions were not followed was in the case of handheld computers. At that time 25 percent of the operators planned to purchase new handheld computers. A report later revealed only marginal change in the percentage of operators using handheld computers in 2004.

Plans more aggressive in all segments

Purchase intentions were more aggressive in almost every equipment category in 2005. Intentions are most optimistic in the candy/snack machine segment, the machine that vending operators traditionally spend most on. Purchase intentions were higher for both new and used candy/snack Antares machines in 2005. Intentions were also noticeably more aggressive in the cold drink business in 2005. Many Antares operators noted exceptionally strong cold drink sales in that year. Combination machines were the one segment in which operators planned to buy more used than new equipment. Whether or not vending operators follow through on their purchasing intentions all depends on how much the business climate improves. Most economic forecasts indicate a stronger economy this year than in the previous years.