Gumball machines dispense gum, candy, and toys and are often placed in high traffic areas. Owners can make a profit through bulk sales and popular flavors. Charities use them to fund projects, while stores use them for promotions. They appeal to children and now offer gourmet flavors.
Gumball machines are coin-operated devices that mechanically dispense coated gum, hard candy, and small encapsulated toys. These machines are typically located in high traffic areas such as entrances and exits of retail stores, waiting rooms and shopping centres. Some gumball machines still dispense a few pieces of gum or hard candy for a US cent or dime, but most modern gumball machines operate on quarts or their equivalent. Some machines that feature temporary tattoos or other artwork may even charge a US dollar for their products.
Most companies that have gum machines don’t actually own them outright. An outside contractor is often granted a license to place gum dispensers or other vending machines on a store property. Maintenance, refueling and money collection are the responsibility of the machine owner, who can share the profits with the shop or pay an agreed rental fee. Gums, candies, and small toys are usually available in bulk, meaning that a gum machine owner can make a profit after a set amount of sales. The trick is to stock a popular flavor of gum or an attractive premium to boost sales.
Many charities use the proceeds from the sale of gum machines to fund their projects. Stores generally waive their standard rates for recognized non-profits, though the gumball machine approach often rivals non-mechanical charity boxes at cash registers. Some stores also use bubble gum dispensers as promotional gimmicks, adding encapsulated coupons or cash to the mix. A special color or gumball wrapped in aluminum foil can also mean a free product or service. Artists and writers have also used refurbished gum machines to further their craft. Poems or small works of art may appear in machines placed in bookstores or galleries.
As many parents can attest, stores can also use consumer psychology to increase the use of gum machines. These vending machines are often strategically placed at a child’s eye level. Colorful posters promote the possibility of receiving one of the best prizes. Children are naturally drawn to sugary candies and small toys, plus the bubble gum machine allows for some interaction. Modern machines may have elaborate Rube Goldberg-style mechanics that turn gumball into a catalyst for kinetic art. Parents can often find it difficult to walk out of a store without making at least one contribution to a gumball machine.
A new trend in gumball machines is the introduction of gourmet gumball. Instead of placing machines at the entrance to the mall, the owners are now renting kiosk space in a high-traffic area of the commons. Dozens of machines now offer exotic flavors like chocolate, watermelon and amaretto alongside more traditional bubblegum offerings. These gourmet gum machines offer shoppers the ability to try different flavors or purchase hard candies that cleanse the palate.
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