NEWS | Industry Updates EVENTS COLUMN


Vendex North 6 November Centenary Pavilion


Leeds www.vend-ex.com


AVS 45th birthday bash


27 November Hockley Social Club


Birmingham Operators diversify into leisure and hospitality


The leisure and hospitality sectors are experiencing a growing demand for vending and automated retail solutions, driven by several factors that are reshaping the landscape. One of these is the shift away from business & industry (B&I), which has historically dominated with a 70% Sterling turnover market share – now standing at 55% share as hybrid working patterns reduce office-based consumption. Operators are diversifying in sectors such as hotels, apartments, restaurants, and the retail sector,


where convenience and around-the-clock service are key selling points. According to Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) statistics, in 2023, the total revenue of the


UK vending, OCS, and Coffee-to-Go sector reached £3.46 billion, a 14.9% increase from 2022, although still below pre-Covid levels. This rebound highlights the sector’s resilience despite challenges such as inflation, rising costs, and ongoing supply chain disruptions. With inflation affecting product costs, energy, and labour, operators have raised prices, which could potentially dampen consumption in the short term. However, the AVA notes, the demand for automated solutions in leisure and hospitality remains


strong, as these sectors offer opportunities for low-labour, scalable solutions that can help mitigate rising operational expenses. The leisure sector currently holds a 9% share of the market, with signs of further expansion. Hotels,


apartments, and retail centres are increasingly being explored as viable locations for vending services, providing consumers with accessible, quick-service options that align with modern convenience trends. Moreover, the tightening labour market makes vending and automated retail particularly attractive as businesses look for ways to reduce their dependence on staff while maintaining service levels.


Gourmet drinks: more than a craze, a growing demand


Régilait Professional has noticed a growing demand for gourmet drinks in recent years. The company says demand for semi-skimmed milk, with its 14% fat content is growing by the day and is in fact the preferred choice for making gourmet drinks – recipes in which milk plays the leading role more so than coffee and chocolate.


Visually, for a cappuccino, it’s the milk foam that


first captivates the consumer, followed by these attractive milk/coffee layers. Régilait meets this demand with its semi-skimmed milk which adds body to the drink and produces a dense and creamy foam. This result, it says, cannot be achieved with substitute products containing little or no milk, such as creamers. Régilait’s 100% milk granules, which are also clean-


label, promise to deliver a result worthy of coffee shops, with a generous, white foam that lasts a long time.


10 | vendinginternational-online.com


www.avs-uk.co.uk Vendist


30 January


Istanbul Expo Centre Istanbul


https://atraxexpo.com


AVA Xmas lunch 12 December Honourable Artillery Company City Road, London


www.the-ava.com


ATRAX Expo 30 January


Istanbul Expo Centre Istanbul


https://atraxexpo.com


UK Water Drinks Conference 18 March London


www.zenithglobal.com


The Vendies 4 June


Grand Connaught Rooms


www.thevendies.co.uk


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