“Tired of waiting for the bait shop to open so you can start your day on the lake? Believe it or not, there are now coin-operated vending machines that dispense prepackaged minnows – live, frisky, and ready to fish.”
For generations, fishing has been a beloved pastime enjoyed by many. Many eagerly anticipate spending hours at their favorite fishing spot, casting out and waiting patiently for a catch. The best catches usually happen early in the morning or late at night. Reeling in the perfect catch requires a reliable bait source, even during the late night and early morning hours when bait and tackle shops are closed. This is where live bait vending machines come in, an innovative solution that allows businesses to conveniently sell live bait through a vending machine to those needing it 24/7.
There’s More To It
Overall, live bait vending offers a unique solution for anglers and business owners alike – promoting more successful fishing trips while generating additional revenue streams at some locations. Whether you’re on vacation or simply looking for a quick way to top up your tackle box between outings, these convenient machines provide almost everything you need for an enjoyable day out on the water!
VCI currently manufactures the industry’s only state-of-the-art 24-hour live bait vending machine, developed and built solely for the merchandising of live bait. With hundreds of machines serving fishermen across the United States and Canada, this proven system consistently provides an outstanding return on investment. It was first introduced at the 1995 American Sport Fishing Association’s Annual Expo in Las Vegas.
“The concept was received with an overwhelmingly positive response from all areas of the sport fishing industry- live bait wholesale and retail operators to tackle / sporting goods wholesale and retail dealers,” according to Jim Chico, vice president-sales for VCI.
What is Live Bait Vending?
Live bait vending is a relatively new concept that has recently gained popularity. Simply put, it’s the process of selling live bait through a vending machine. The 24-hour live bait and tackle vending machine lets you sell all the popular products your customers want without keeping store hours.
The machine’s refrigerated vendor keeps live bait fresh in a convenient Pre-Cool storage system that ensures your bait is kept at the optimal temperature until purchased. Offer customers a wide selection of popular fishing products. Whether they need traditional fishing supplies or simply looking for a quick snack or drink, this machine can meet your customer’s needs 24/7—the 24-hour live bait and tackle vending machine is designed and ideal for convenience stores, gas stations, campgrounds, and bait and tackle shops.
The Benefits of Live Bait Vending for Customers
As we’ve seen, live bait vending brings many benefits to customers. First, it provides a convenient way to obtain live bait without going to the store or tackle shop. This is especially helpful for those who live in rural areas where such stores may not be easily accessible, as they can purchase live bait at any time of the day or night without having to worry about store hours or staff availability. This is especially helpful for early-morning or late-night fishing trips. Not only does this save time and effort, but it also ensures that fishers have fresh and healthy bait when they need it most. It also eliminates the need for keeping live bait on hand, which can be costly and difficult to maintain.
The live bait industry is embracing the latest technology through bait vending machines. This innovation offers the benefits of convenience, impulse, and necessity – the key factors for successful automatic merchandising. By adopting this new approach, live bait merchandisers have the potential to take their business to greater heights and increase their revenue.
Once a live bait machine is up and running, it requires minimal maintenance and can continue to generate revenue in your absence. This can be especially useful for entrepreneurs looking for a low-maintenance business opportunity.
Business owners can continue reeling in profits after hours while providing customer convenience. There’s increasing consumer demand for convenience, and live bait vending provides that to customers. The live bait vending machine keeps customers returning by keeping high-quality bait fresh.
Vending offers fantastic profit potential. Most operators of VCI equipment attain gross profit margins above 50-to-60 percent. Margins vary, but the bottom line is that fishermen are willing to pay a slight premium for the convenience of 24-hour availability of live bait.
The machine can pay for itself with affordable financing. We offer a variety of finance and lease programs to reduce the up-front cost of acquiring your fishing bait and tackle vending machine making merchandising easier than ever.
“VCI offers a variety of finance and lease programs to reduce the amount of up-front capital required when purchasing your bait and tackle vending equipment” According to Jim Chico, V.P. Sales, and Marketing for VCI, “If an operator sold (during fishing season) an average of 4 bait cups daily, they could easily cash flow a financed or leased bait merchandiser.”
Furthermore, live bait vending can help increase revenue in local communities through increased tourism from avid fishers seeking out new spots equipped with these machines. This helps support small businesses that feed off this tourist influx.
See What Customers Have To Say About Live Bait Machines
Take a look at what owners of the live bait machines had to say:
I’ve had my machine for 1 year and customers really appreciate the after-hours availability. The machine works as good as it looks. And best of all, it has already paid for itself.” -Raymond Mc Invalle of RJ’s Live Bait & Tackle / North Platte, NE
“I never realized how much after-hours business I was missing!” -Rick Newcombe, owner – Fore-River Fishing Tackle
“VCI’s Live Bait merchandiser has been a real asset to my store. My customers love it as much as I do. It has nearly paid for itself in its first year of operation.” – Kelley Stevenson of Ken’s B&T / San Jose, CA
“The graphics attract customers like a magnet. The 24-hour machine keeps my high-quality bait fresh and keeps my customers coming back.” – Tom Anderson of AAA Bait / Meridian, ID
In Conclusion
The Live Bait and Tackle vending machine is a profitable addition that customers will appreciate. It’s convenient for after-hours purchases and provides fresh, high-quality bait that keeps customers returning. With affordable financing, the machine can pay for itself. Its low maintenance and quality products make it an excellent investment.
Ready to reel in the profits? We can take care of your bait vending needs. We offer easy financing, parts, and tech support, and our expert staff is here to answer any questions. Call us at 1-855-929-1042 or visit our website to learn more!
