So, whom should we spy shaking on a new deal at Vendex? It’s Automatic Retailing and new recruit Gordon Johnston with Andy Smith of Lavazza – that’s who.
It was all smiles on the vending wholesaler’s stand. ‘It’s been a few months now since we started to do business together but this is a photo opportunity that we couldn’t pass up’, Andy laughed.
‘We’re pleased to have added Lavazza to our product portfolio’, Gordon said, ‘It’s Italy’s Number One coffee brand.’
‘I can remember when the only box vending machine coffee had to tick was that it was wet and warm!’ piped-up an out-of-shot Geordie voice I can’t quite identify…
Fortunately, ‘great taste’ and ‘quality’ have been by-words for vended coffee for some time now and these days, there’s no room at the inn for ‘wet and warm’; but Gordon insists: ‘Lavazza takes everything up another notch. It’s a great chance for our customers to widen their drinks offer, by offering premium-priced Lavazza alongside their existing offer.’
The product chosen to lead the charge is Lavazza Prontissimo!, ‘a premium instant coffee with an authentic Italian taste’. ‘It’s made using 100% Columbian Arabica beans’, Andy said, ‘and it contains micro-granules that produce a full-bodied and rich cup of coffee you can enjoyed at any time of the day.’
‘AR is recognised as the major distributor for the vending industry.’
Andy is fulsome in his appreciation of Automatic Retailing. ‘For us, the key thing is that AR is recognised as the major distributor for the vending industry’, he said. ‘They’re professionals at handling the country’s mega brands – and not just coffee. Coca-Cola, Walkers; you name it, they’ve got it.
‘They have their own fleet of vehicles to offer a delivered service around the whole of the UK & Ireland’ Andy added. ‘That’s a crucial benefit to Lavazza, because it opens up access to our products to customers who are too small to deal with us directly. We only deal in pallet loads, but now thanks to Automatic Retailing, it’s never been easier for smaller businesses to benefit from the strength of our brand.’
