Contrary to popular opinion, fruits and vegetables do sell in vending machines. In fact, Missoula YMCA, based in Missoula, MT, recently launched a HUMAN Healthy Vending program with our local franchisees, Sarah and Alex Baer, and discovered something incredible: kids will eat fresh fruit from a vending machine even when their options before included junk food.
Click above to read how one YMCA got kids to ditch the junk and opt for apples instead.
Here’s the data you’ve been waiting for: Missoula YMCA has sold more than 100 apples since June. This is huge news! Vending machines are rarely associated with the Real Food Movement, but that’s not because they can’t be. We’re proud to see our vending machines bringing fresh, wholesome produce to consumers.
In the article in The Missoulian, above, Jason Shearer, the YMCA’s associate executive director, explains that when HUMAN Healthy Vending’s machines first launched, the YMCA did notice kids’ hesitancy to eat the more healthful options: “Then one kid just said, ‘What are you going to eat?’ If a vending machine has a Snickers (candy bar) and an apple, the kids will buy the Snickers. If it has an orange and apple, maybe they’ll buy the apple.”
This is a good lesson to parents and schools alike – sometimes it takes time. Also, once you ditch junk food vending options and only provide healthful ones, kids will be more likely and open to trying something that they may not have otherwise.
HUMAN Healthy Vending’s national partnership with the YMCA has proved that YMCA patrons (and their kids) and staff desire healthful options.
HUMAN has healthy vending machines at YMCA locations in 35+ states and added 20 more machines last quarter alone.
For YMCAs looking to vending machines for fundraising opportunities, HUMAN calculates that sales have increased by 95% from quarter one to quarter two of this year due to an increased consumer demand for healthful products and HUMAN’s unique technology and marketing campaigns.
If you’re interested in launching a healthy vending franchise, HUMAN’s national preferred partnership with YMCA provides a competitive edge in securing YMCA locations with a high demand for healthy vending.
To learn more about HUMAN Healthy Vending or about becoming a HUMAN Healthy Vending franchisee, please click here.
© HUMAN Healthy Vending, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to HUMAN Healthy Vending with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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