Leisure vending
Leisure vending – the fight back begins
As the leisure industry attempts to regain its pre-lockdown economic position, how will vending need to adapt to provide a safer, more hygienic experience for consumers?
T
he leisure industry traditionally includes businesses such as restaurants, theme parks, theatres, hotels but also gyms, spas and sporting arenas to name a few.
It’s difficult to talk about the leisure industry without closely linking it to
hospitality, now known to have born the full force of the COVID-19 economic impact. As the pandemic played havoc with the world’s economy, hospitality
struggled in vain to cope with the challenges of national and local lockdowns, social distancing, restrictions on travel and movements and the threat of having to close down completely. Those that managed to open up after the first national lockdown, had to put up with restricting numbers in order to abide by social distancing
orders, with customers now required to wear masks everywhere apart from when they are seated at a table. This impact on the leisure industry also has a
knock-on effect on vending. This was confirmed by the Automatic Vending Association (AVA) in September which revealed that where sites had reopened, including leisure, members’ turnover was a fraction of what it had been due to considerably less footfall. AVA chief executive David Llewellyn warned
that many vending businesses have to consider their staffing needs as the furlough scheme draws to a close while member interviews have indicated that as many as 25% of 24,500 people directly employed within vending are at risk.
Pre-Pandemic
Before the pandemic, large parts of the leisure industry were enjoying significant growth. The 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report revealed the industry was “healthier than it has ever been”. The report revealed there were more gyms, more members, a greater
market value than ever before and membership numbers had for the first time broken the 10 million mark. Such statistics must be an indication that the demand will be back, and it
will be up to vending businesses to make sure they are offering the safest, most hygienic vending solutions with the most innovative contactless payment systems.
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