How do I check a vending route’s sales before I buy it?

A vending route is many small sales across many machines, and much of it may be cash. That makes the seller’s sales claims harder to confirm than in a shop with a till and a card terminal. You do not need to take them on trust. You can build a picture of real sales from several independent records and see whether they agree. The aim is to see whether the numbers tell one story.

Start with machine-by-machine records

Ask for sales and collection records for each machine and location, not just a route total. A total can hide one strong location carrying several weak ones. Look at how each machine has behaved over time. Ask about machines that were moved, repaired or taken out of service, and about any location the seller expects to lose.

Match card reports and purchases

Card-reader and telemetry reports give a trail that cash does not. Compare them with the sales records, then compare supplier purchases with what was sold. Product bought must roughly match product vended, allowing for waste and refills. A large gap in either direction deserves a direct question. For the wider picture of the work involved, see selling vending machines without locations, which shows why locations matter so much.

Check the locations and do a run

Sales follow foot traffic. Visit each location and ask whether the building, staff or customers are changing. Then ask to ride along on a collection run, counting what comes out of each machine yourself and comparing it with the seller’s records. If the seller is reluctant to let you watch, treat that as information. Placement agreements matter here too, so ask your lawyer to review them.

Records to request

• Collection sheets for each machine over a long period
• Card-reader or telemetry reports and the payment provider’s statements
• Supplier invoices and restocking logs
• Location agreements and any notice from a site about changes