There is no single number of days that works for every machine. How often to restock a vending machine depends on the slot that empties first, or the product that expires first, and on what each visit costs. Go too late and you lose sales to empty slots; go too early and you pay for the drive and the hours just to load four cans.
In this guide we explain how to calculate when each slot empties, what happens with fresh products, how to compare the cost of a visit with what you lose by going late, the signs that you are going too often or not often enough, and how to space out visits without losing sales.
The short answer
- Restock before the slot that sells the most empties or before what the machine carries expires.
- Don’t go so early that you find it almost full: that visit costs the same and leaves little behind.
- Every machine has its own frequency: one in a station may need two visits a week and another in a small office, one every two weeks.
- It is calculated from what each slot sells, and reviewed every few months.
The slot that sets the pace
For each slot, divide its capacity by what it sells per day: that gives the number of days it takes to empty from full. The one that empties first, if it sells enough to matter, is the one that tells you when you need to come back. An example with made-up figures:
| Slot | Capacity | Sales per day | Empties in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 30 | 6 | 5 days |
| Soft drink | 24 | 3 | 8 days |
| Chips | 15 | 1.5 | 10 days |
| Chocolate bar | 20 | 1 | 20 days |
| Sandwich | 8 | 1 | 8 days, but expires after 4 |
This machine needs a visit every four or five days, even though almost everything lasts longer. There are two ways to space the visits out: give water a second slot (with 60 units, it lasts ten days) or remove the sandwich if you can’t go every four days. With both changes, one visit every eight days would be enough.
Fresh products and expiration dates
When a machine carries products that expire quickly, such as sandwiches, salads, or dairy products, they are what set the minimum frequency: you have to visit before they expire, whether they sell or not. That is why:
- Only put fresh products in machines that sell enough and that you will visit often.
- Load the amount that will sell before the next visit, not the amount that fits.
- Place what expires first at the front and remove what will expire before you return.
- Refrigerated machines need an alarm that warns if the power goes out; if it triggers, you have to go even if it wasn’t scheduled.
Going late or going too often: what each one costs
Going late has a hidden cost: what the empty slot would have sold. Going too often has a visible one: the visit. Compare them.
Using the numbers from our examples: if the water slot stays empty for two days, that is 12 lost sales; at a €0.66 margin, about €8. An extra visit costs about €16 in vehicle costs and time. In this case, going more often does not pay off: it is better to give water more space so it lasts until the visit.
The calculation changes with each machine. One that sells a lot and is on the way is worth more visits; one that sells little and is far away, fewer. We explain the cost of each visit in our guide on how to plan a vending route, and the sales lost with empty slots in empty slots and expired products.
Signs that you are going too often or not often enough
| You are going too often if… | You are not going often enough if… |
|---|---|
| When you arrive, the machine is almost full | When you arrive, several slots are empty |
| You load only a few units per visit | The slots that sell the most are always at zero |
| What the machine leaves behind does not pay for its visits | You remove more expired items than you should |
| The location barely notices you have been there | The location tells you there is nothing left |
The most useful sign is the first row: how full the machine still is when you arrive. If it is almost full, space the visits out; if there are gaps in what sells the most, shorten the interval or give it more space.
How to space out visits without losing sales
- More space for what sells most: two slots for the product that sets the pace.
- Less space for what sells little: a chocolate bar that takes twenty days to empty can share a slot.
- Fresh products only where you can go often.
- Nearby machines on the same day, to spread out the travel cost.
- Adjust for seasons: more visits in summer where cold drinks sell, fewer in August in offices.
Which products deserve more space is covered in our guide to the most profitable vending machine products.
Without telemetry
Machines with telemetry automatically report what each slot sells. You can calculate all of this without it too: just note at each visit what is left in each slot before restocking and what you add. After a few weeks of visits, you have the average sales of each slot, the days it takes to empty, and what you find when you arrive. And with that, the load list for each trip.
Common mistakes
- Visiting all machines the same way, on the same day every week, no matter what they sell.
- Letting a low-selling slot set the pace, or a fresh product the machine could do without.
- Restocking without noting what was left: that way you will never know how much each slot sells.
- Not counting what you lose from empty slots because it is not visible.
- Not reviewing the frequency when sales or the season change.
Know how often to go to each machine, with Repónlo
Repónlo (our own product) is an app for vending operators who do not have telemetry. With what you note at each visit, it tells you how full the machine was when you arrived and whether you are going too often or not often enough for each one, how many sales you lose because of empty slots, and how much goes to expired products. Before you leave, it tells you what to load. It is free forever for one machine, with all features. With more machines, from €19 a month, VAT not included, for up to five, with no commitment. The app is available in English.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a vending machine be restocked?
It depends on each machine: before the slot that sells the most empties or what it carries expires, and not so early that you find it almost full. It is calculated from each slot’s capacity and what it sells per day.
How many times a week is a vending machine restocked?
There is no general figure. A machine in a high-traffic location may need several visits a week, and one in a small office, one every two weeks.
What should I do if the water slot empties before the rest?
Give it more space: a second slot with the same product is usually cheaper than an extra visit.
How often should fresh products be checked?
Before they expire, whether they have sold or not. If you cannot go that often, it is better not to put them in that machine.
Can you know when to restock without telemetry?
Yes. By noting at each visit what is left in each slot and what you add, in a few weeks you know how much each one sells and when it empties.
Conclusion
Restocking frequency is not chosen by habit: it is set by the slot that empties first and the product that expires first. Calculate the days for each slot, compare what you lose by going late with what it costs to go too often, and before adding visits, try giving more space to what sells most. That way each visit loads just enough and no important slot runs empty.
Useful links
- How to plan a vending route: areas, loading, and the cost of each visit.
- Most profitable vending machine products: what deserves more space.
- Empty slots and expired products: the sales you lose without seeing them.
- The load list: what to take before leaving.
- Vending machine profitability: how much one really makes: the full calculation.
