tubz vending and Hurleys price increases

[Guest]

The bottom line here is still the £1 vend and suppliers know that to increase prices, will cut our margins and make the business unsustainable for small operators. Yes, prices are good compared to the ones we used to pay, but fuel and other associated costs have risen sharply and also living costs have gone up. Suppliers may only make £5 a box, but isn't it better to sell 10,000 boxes a month at £5, against 5000 at £7. If they did not have the operators buying their stock, then they would lose their businesses and I think they know that all too well. If prices begin to creep, we should stick together and move suppliers, or self pack again.

I am making a wage that I can live off, but if my margins were eroded by price increases, I would look at other ideas to make a living and I think others would have to do the same. It is basic economics. If you are not making lost of surplus profit, then you don't have money to invest in more towers and no one should borrow money to fund vending.

[Guest]

HI there. Its Paul from Hurley's here.

The price rises on the pencils are considered but unavoidable.
The price rise is due to rising product costs, nothing else.
We've always stated that's the only reason our prices will alter.
If we don't maintain a margin, we wont be around. You will then have one supplier and then they will charge you whatever they like. That has been displayed perfectly by the other supplier matching our price increase. If we hadn't put the price up, they wouldn't have. So sorry to the other supplier's customers for increasing your prices!
The prices are still good enough for everyone involved to make a profit, I don't think there's any valid argument against that.

As the Italians say, we all need to "wet our beak" for the industry to work.

Paul.

[Guest]

Paul,
People seem to forget about staff, rent, business rates, insurance, breakdowns, staff sickness, holiday pay, National insurance, electric, gas, water, environmental health, maintenance, repairs, damages then you get the customers that don't pay!!the list goes on. Its not just a case of sitting down chucking a few sweets into a tub? I take my hat off to you mate, the price has dropped so much off a box of sweets in the last couple of years and that isn't tubz vending doing that's for sure

[Guest]

the mini egg pricing was from someone at sweetfix. It's the reason they stopped. WHy deal with people questioning you making a fiver a box when you can concentrate on putting out 100 extra machines for the same capital outlay and make £40 on every box you sell through.

[Guest]

errrr just for the record sweetfix are not dead they are alive and well, and what made them shut the doors was the twats who tried to to play them off with tubz vending n hurleys for cheaper prices. so sweetfix shut the door and kept the people they trusted. im happy and proud to be one of them and just for record my prices havent and arent increasing, as for rest of you i cant understand why your suprised? your all back where you started before sweetfix lowered prices

Ade

[Guest]

The margins have never been huge and Ade makes a decent point.....never understood operators who were pissing around Sweetfix.....guess people don't appreciate effect of competition....careful what u wish for...

[Guest]

As the Italians say, we all need to "wet our beak" for the industry to work.

Love the mafia quote at the end paul

[Guest]

You want to stay in business? keep making a profit?..........Then diversify, that's what Hurleys are doing.

[Guest]

You want to stay in business? keep making a profit?..........Then diversify, that's what Hurleys are doing.

I agree, but you must keep your customers to make a profit, so prices must remain sustainable for tower vending until the economy will allow a £2 vend, which could be several years away. I also agree with diversifying, as having all your eggs in one basket is often a bad thing to do.

[Guest]

£1 tower vending is safe for the next ten years...