The association plans to make vending more accessible to the various economic sectors, and promote the benefits of automatic retailing to the general public, as well as inspire confidence in the equipment.

Association President, Javier Ossa, explained: "I decided to group together operators and ingredient suppliers under the umbrella of a vending association, as I discovered that all of them were business leaders with great ideas and vision wishing to develop their companies, but lacking knowledge and understanding of industry trends, and having no place to acquire this information. I also discovered that some were focusing on low prices for products, to the detriment of the quality of machines, ingredients and service.

Alliances

"Initially, there was a climate of distrust, but after a few meetings, some alliances were formed between the participants, who started sharing both positive and negative experiences, and plans were created to develop the culture of vending in Colombia.

"Today, Asovending Colombia has 23 members and we are confident that this year we will reach 35."

The market

The Colombian vending industry is growing and expected to expand further. A number of new operators have launched, and there is increasing interest in establishing new companies in the industry. "The support of a more robust economy", said Javier, "stimulated by a government which offers security and credibility to both local and foreign investors, is creating a context which promotes the use of vending machines."

Growth is mainly in hot drinks and snacks but, so far, none of the coffee or snack producers are in a position of leadership. At the moment, they are merely participating through the local operators. Sales of cans and bottles are slower, but through alliances with operators they are expected to gain market share.

According to Javier, Colombians are not yet the great coffee drinkers that people may imagine. Chocolate is its main competitor, particularly at breakfast. Colombian coffee is of very high quality and is considered among the world's finest and most aromatic. The consumption per capita is slowly increasing, thanks to the offer in coffee shops such as Juan Valdez and Café Oma which, as in the UK, leading the coffee consumption culture in places which are both comfortable and attractive. Vending machines in the workplace, too, are contributing to an increase in the consumption of coffee.

Market trends point towards the consumption of bean-to-cup coffee, and fresh products with better flavour and taste. Traditionally, Colombians have used coffee brewers and ground coffee, but poor preparation and hygiene have driven consumers to change their tastes and they now prefer a more sophisticated drink.

Says Javier Ossa: "This is where vending machines can play a major role in offering a drink whenever the consumer so desires. Coffee drinks prepared with milk, and especially cappuccino, are much in demand."

Operator issues

The fact that consumers are not yet familiar with vending machines has created a situation where they are not commonly used, especially in public places. Colombian operators compete with other suppliers of drinks and snacks, who sell at a much lower price, for example, in kiosks that are located on streets. These force operators to lower their prices in order to remain competitive.

Now a WVA member

Towards the end of last year Asovending Colombia took an important step and joined the Worldwide Vending Association. "Asovending has high expectations from its membership", said Javier. "We expect to get more information on market trends worldwide and how these translate to the Colombian market. We would like to exchange experiences with the operators, who are members of the EVA and NAMA and to become part of a network consisting of all members, to get information on innovations in the area of equipment, for the sale of different products and, more generally, to establish solid bases in order to grow the business in our country."

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