‘The phenomenal success of our ‘Lavazza’ branded vending offer proves the power of the ‘A’ brands with the public’, explains SnackTime’s Richard Davies. (Pictured).
BY IAN REYNOLDS-YOUNG
Having been at SnackTime for slightly over six months, Richard Davies, Head of Group Commercial, has come to understand the inner workings of the business.
One thing in particular has impressed him: SnackTime’s commitment to using ‘A’ Brands and in forging robust partnerships with leading suppliers. However, for Richard, it’s the relationship with coffee giant Lavazza that really stands out…
‘Historically, SnackTime, which consists of a variety of vending and coffee related businesses, would provide a wide range of espresso beans, including ‘own label’, to customers’, he said. ‘Then, just over a year ago, Barry Jenkins, SnackTime Group Purchasing Manager, started to explore the market with the objective of consolidating the espresso bean offering and improving pricing – without compromising on quality. Amongst a number of other suppliers, he approached Lavazza.’
Lavazza was able to provide a range of beans to meet every client occasion and following trials to understand consumer preference it soon became crystal clear that Lavazza was the way forward.
‘With over seventy-five percent of our existing espresso bean business converted to Lavazza, we’ve seen a year-on-year sales increase of almost fifteen percent. Right now, we’re selling more than five cups of Lavazza coffee every minute’, Richard said. ‘Lavazza has rapidly become an integral part of our new business offer and it really comes into its own when we’re competing to place machines in public locations. People trust the big ‘A’ brands and there’s no doubt that their availability in high-quality vending machines serves to promote vending per se to the general public. It gives SnackTime a competitive edge.’
SnackTime has teamed up with machine manufacturer Westomatic to create an compelling vending offer to customers old and new, designed to deliver a top-quality Lavazza coffee experience for discerning consumers out-and-about at leisure, in public locations (hospitals, for instance) – or even at work.
‘Both Lavazza and Westomatic have embraced our ‘partnership’ approach in their dealings with SnackTime’, Richard said, ‘and that’s something that we, as a business, have really appreciated, because we believe it demonstrates that they’re ready, willing and able to help us to really move the vending industry forward.
Westomatic MD Richard Brinsley concurs: ‘Between us, we have the ingredients, the technology, the expertise and the retail power incumbent in the Lavazza brand to create a hugely successful vending offer’, he said. ‘It’s been both instructive and effective for us to pool our resources to pursue a common goal and I agree that, by working together and by ignoring the boundaries of the traditional customer / supplier relationship we can elevate the status of vending in the eyes of modern consumers.’
It’s a view that’s shared by Lavazza’s Sales and Marketing Director, Barry Kither. ‘Our efforts have focussed on combining our experience and expertise to ensure that when a consumer buys a Lavazza coffee from a vending machine, he or she can be sure that the drink has all the hallmarks of our brand in terms of taste, quality and consistency. We’ve accomplished that thanks to open and honest relationships with SnackTime and with Westomatic and a shared dedication to doing the job right.’
It’s a three-way deal that Richard is sure will be ‘the way forward.’ He concluded: ‘these are the relationships and partnerships that, in my view, we as an industry need to continue to forge if we’re to deliver success in ever changing, ever challenging times.’
* SnackTime welcomes new relationships and is always open to meet with prospective supplier partners that believe they can help us to offer our customers an even better service.
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