Introducing: The Beverage Spirit Box
Introduction
Everyone, we have been sitting on some pretty exciting news for a while now and FINALLY we get to tell you. Spirit Box is launching a new vending option for schools: the beverage box. This is a machine that vends cold beverages. We are excited to tell you more about the box and how our pilot schools, Olathe East High School and Camdenton High School, are doing since implementing it in recent months.
What is the Beverage Box?
The Beverage Box is a vending machine that is refrigerated to vend cold drinks. The main difference between this box and the traditional box, is that it only vends beverages. This machine is the same cost as the traditional Spirit Box and comes with the same great features: custom graphic wrap in your school colors and mascot, a 9-inch touch screen, accepts cash, credit card, and smart payments, online sales reporting, onsite training at your school, and on-going program support.
Why Expand Your Spirit Box Business?
In any business it is important to not become complacent or stagnant. If your business isn't growing, it's dying. You need growth to fund new projects, stay healthy, and reach your overall vision. In previous blog posts such as writing a vision and creating SMART goals, we have talked about activities that keep your business moving forward and growing. How is your business getting closer to reaching your overall vision through your goals? Are you evaluating the progress your business has made?
The beverage box is an opportunity to grow your Spirit Box business, as well as expand what you offer your customers. Another part of your business you should always be working to improve is what you offer your customers and how you bring them more value. Service to your customer should always be your number one goal. Keeping our customers excited and engaged with our products, is often expanding upon what value we bring them. Expanding your product selection brings your customer more value.
Your team also has the opportunity to grow your business to be the only vending company at your school. This can be done by competing for your school’s vending contract. The beverage box gives your Spirit Box business an even better chance of winning this contract at your school by showing that another vendor is not needed. How does this benefit your school? All of the money is going right back into your team and your school rather than a third-party vendor. Taking over the vending contract allows your business to eliminate your largest competition, increase your revenue, and bring more money in for your school.
How it Benefits Your Team
Of course, in any business, any change or expansion should be mutually beneficial to your customer as well as to you the business owner. Here are a few ways expanding your business benefits your team:
SBE Certification or recertification: showing growth and diversity in your business will make your business more appealing for SBE Certification.
Revenue Increase: Camdenton’s revenue in January was $1,441.50. After putting in the beverage box, their revenue raised to $3,448.50. They raised their revenue by over $2,000 in one month of having this machine.
Expands what you provide to your customers
Perspective from Camdenton High School
According to Tyler and Payton, the drink machine is currently bringing in more money than their snack machine and they have seen immediate return. Before getting the beverage box, they knew there was a need for one in their school. One of the teachers at Camdenton sells beverages in their classroom to meet student requests. This helped them figure out what beverages sold well and what to stock the machine the first time.
When asked their experience growing their Spirit Box business, Tyler stated, “It has absolutely sky-rocketed. Last year when I was introduced to it, they were making $30-40 a day. After a month, we were seeing it grow to over $100 a day even before we were introduced to the idea of a micro market.” Now Camdenton, increased their revenue by $2,000 after one month of having the beverage box.
How they operate the new machine and their current machine:
Payton handles the money
Tyler stocks machine
They work on one box at a time together
What marketing strategies are you implementing and are working for your team?
Word of mouth
Stocking holidays/themed beverages
They put on a Spirit Box commercial every other week on their school show
The machine is very well lit and hard to miss
Very good visibility and in a high traffic area.
Conclusion
The big question to ask yourself, is it time to expand or pivot your Spirit Box business? Maybe your school doesn’t have a Spirit Box yet and you are deciding which box to get. If your school is interested in growing your school store business, it is important to sit down with your team and evaluate what you need to do to make this happen. Figure out who you need to talk to and what information they need in order to approve the beverage box. Want to get started? Call or email us today and we can answer any questions you have.