Sweet Amanda’s, an exciting first-time EAG exhibitor, is poised to transform the face of candy vending, delivering an enjoyable and entertaining automated shopping experience.
The Sweet Amanda’s concept has been developed by two New York based brothers, Robert and Steven Bruck. In 2009, with 25 years’ experience of candy distribution and 20,000 customers to their credit, Robert and Steven embarked upon a mission to develop the ultimate candy vending machine.
The Sweet Amanda’s machine to be showcased at EAG International is the result of 5 years of development and painstaking attention to detail. To say that the results are impressive would be a serious understatement.
Visually dazzling and full of intrigue, Sweet Amanda’s demands attention, inviting the passer-by to step up and make a purchase.
With a modular design, the Sweet Amanda’s machine features a central ordering touchscreen, plus either 8 or 16 clear cylinders filled with unwrapped or wrapped high quality, branded candy. Additional tubes at the side of the machine are loaded with capsules containing toys and novelties.
After viewing the available selection, the customer steps up to the display screen and selects any combination of candies and novelties. Payment is via cash or card. The purchaser can then watch the individual candies being loaded onto a conveyor belt and transported to a waiting cup. Toys and novelties will roll from the vertical tubes into the pick-up compartment at the front of the machine; pure theatre!
Sweet Amanda’s interior is a hygienic, climate-controlled environment – unlike many a pic ‘n’ mix!
According to Robert Bruck, Sweet Amanda’s estimates that the walk-up appeal of the machine is such that one in ten passers-by will make a purchase: “The machine is designed for high-traffic areas, particularly those where people have time on their hands. We’re getting outstanding results in Shopping Malls, Airports and even a Wax Museum,” revealed Robert.
Robert Bruck is keen to emphasise, however, that here is much more to Sweet Amanda’s than a visually stunning machine: “When an operator buys into this product, he is tapping into our own operating experience. We built this machine from the inside out; our family have been operators for four generations and we knew that to succeed, we would have to deliver a compelling proposition from an operator’s perspective. We could have released our machine several years earlier but we were determined to refine it to the nth degree. As a result of the machine’s connectivity, we can introduce new and exciting features to further engage customers.
“The Sweet Amanda’s machine is completely modular so that any board changes or other repairs can be carried out on site, with a minimum of disruption. The machine is internet connected and self-diagnostic, so we are prepared for any eventuality and can deal with it pretty-much as it happens,” explained Robert. Operators will also take comfort in the fact that Sweet Amanda’s will operate thousands of its own machines in the United States, assuring the availability of parts and support to overseas operators in future years.
Sweet Amanda’s adoption of the latest retailing technology will satisfy the needs of demanding customers, both today and into the future. Robert Bruck explains, “The touch-screen technology and online connectivity enable us to manage inventory and machine performance, as well as opening up a whole host of opportunities such as redemption, loyalty couponing, gifting to friends and interaction with social media,” confirmed Robert.
Sweet Amanda’s has now received all required European certification for its candy vendor and is planning to use EAG as an opportunity to engage with interested operators from the UK and other European countries.
For visitors to EAG International and the neighbouring Visitor Attraction Expo, a visit to stand 416 is a must. In fact, such is the draw of Sweet Amanda’s, we’d defy anyone to walk past!