The Swiss market leader Selecta is deep in the red. Once established as the undisputed provider of quick snacks and drinks, the company is suffering from changing store opening hours and growing competition. Extended opening hours at train stations have made snack vending machines less relevant, as consumers now have convenient access to a wider selection. At the same time, rural locations are less profitable and high debts continue to burden the company.
While snack machines, also known as vending machines, are becoming less and less relevant in public spaces, demand is increasing in companies. The reason: in the business environment, there is more demand than ever for automated solutions - and there is no alternative like the retail sector has created in public spaces.
The demand for self-service vending machines is growing, particularly in modern companies, where they offer employees a flexible and efficient way of procuring snacks and work equipment.
One company that recognized this trend early on is Felfel. The Swiss family business specializes in smart snack vending machines for the workplace and provides its customers with high-quality, healthy food options. Felfel has now established itself as a leading provider of smart office catering and is now represented in over 900 companies with around 140,000 users. This development shows that vending machines are not going out of fashion - they just need to be rethought.