Skin care vending machines in gyms and venues

Gym members, hotel guests, travellers, students and shoppers buying on impulse or because they forgot something. Venues may take a commission or a site fee.

You sell products at a margin above your wholesale cost. Venues may take a share of sales or charge a fee, and you pay card processing fees. Income grows with the number of machines and how busy each site is.

• Negotiating with venue owners
• Choosing products that sell
• Stock tracking and restocking routes
• Basic bookkeeping

• Public liability and product liability insurance, and cover for the machine itself against theft and damage
• Sunscreens and products with therapeutic claims may fall under TGA rules, so check what you can sell and how you can describe it
• If you import or make your own products, check ingredient and labelling rules with AICIS and the ACCC
• Venue agreements: contract length, commission, who pays for power, and what happens if the venue closes
• Heat, expiry dates and storage, because skin care stock can spoil if the machine runs hot
• Check whether shopping centres or councils need approval for placing a machine, and whether the machine needs electrical testing and tagging

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000 as an estimate, depending on whether you buy or lease machines, how many you place, your starting stock and your insurance.

Monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $3,500 as an estimate, depending on the number of machines, venues and products. Venues may take a commission or a site fee, so check the terms of each agreement.

Check TGA rules, as sunscreens and products with therapeutic claims may be covered, including what you can sell and how you describe it. If you import or make your own products, check ingredient and labelling rules with AICIS and the ACCC.