BETTER-FOR-YOU VENDING


Healthier choices are becoming part of the everyday vending mix


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efreshment Systems reports that is a definite shift in what people expect from vending. Steve May, director at the company says: “Customers still


want convenience, but they also want more choice, particularly products that fit with healthier and more active lifestyles.” He says at Refreshment Systems, that is changing the way they


think about ranges. Traditional snacks and drinks are still important, but they now sit alongside more protein products, lower-sugar drinks, functional products and healthier snack options. “We are also working more closely with specialist nutrition brands


such as Applied Nutrition and Neubria. These partnerships help us bring in products focused on things like protein, hydration, energy and general wellbeing. That is particularly relevant in gyms and leisure centres, but we are seeing the same interest across workplaces, education and other settings too.” Healthcare is another area where this has become really important.


On NHS sites, it is not simply a case of filling a machine with healthier products. Operators need to think carefully about the overall mix, how products are positioned and how the offer meets HFSS requirements. “At Refreshment Systems, we can create HFSS-compliant planograms for NHS locations, helping sites offer a suitable range while still giving staff, patients and visitors plenty of choice. For us, that is where better-for-you vending is heading. It is less


about having a small “healthy” section in a machine and more about getting the overall balance right. “Technology is helping with that too. Telemetry and sales data allow


us to see what people are actually buying, so ranges can be adjusted based on real demand. Digital screens also give us another way to highlight new products, healthier choices or relevant promotions. “Ultimately, people still want choice. The difference is that they now


expect that choice to reflect a much wider range of lifestyles and needs. “For operators, that creates an opportunity to build a better


product mix and respond more closely to each individual location. For customers, it simply means having more options available when they want them.”


14 | vendinginternational-online.com


Better for you needs to be more than a claim on a pack


For years, better-for-you snacking has been dominated by what products contain less of, less sugar, fewer calories, less fat, or what they contain more of, particularly protein. Damien Gray, founder and chief executive of SNACK’d believes the category is now becoming more rounded. Damien says fibre is finally receiving much more attention – the


average UK adult remains well below the recommended daily intake, yet awareness of fibre, digestive health and the role food plays in keeping us fuller for longer is growing quickly. “For vending, that creates an interesting opportunity. People are


not always buying a snack simply to bridge 10 minutes until lunch. Snacking increasingly replaces a meal or has to keep somebody going through a busy afternoon, a night shift or a long journey. That means a better-for-you choice has to be satisfying as well as nutritionally credible.” But there is a danger in turning healthier snacking into a competition over numbers on the front of the pack, he warns. “Consumers still want something that feels like a treat. Texture


matters. Flavour matters. Portion matters. If a bar delivers impressive nutritional credentials but feels dry, dense or medicinal, the chances of repeat purchase are limited.” That balance has been central to how SNACK’d has developed. Damien says: “We make soft, chewy oat bars that are high in fibre and under 200 calories, using natural ingredients, but we have deliberately built the proposition around enjoyment rather than asking consumers to compromise for the sake of nutrition. “For operators, I think that distinction will become increasingly


important. “A better-for-you range cannot survive simply because it ticks


a health box. Products still have to earn repeat purchases and compete with some very enjoyable traditional snacks sitting in the next spiral. “The biggest opportunity is therefore not to make healthy snacking feel more worthy. It is to make it feel more normal. “If we can give consumers products that are genuinely enjoyable, satisfying and nutritionally worthwhile, better for you stops being a specialist section of the machine and simply becomes a better everyday choice.”


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