Vending International editor Heather Ramsden talks to Andrew Smith, OCS & Vending Sales Manager, Lavazza UK & Ireland about its continued support for The Vendies
A sponsor since its launch, what does Lavazza like about the Vendies?
The Vendies is a highlight in the vending industry social calendar, growing in popularity every year. It provides Lavazza with the opportunity to support our suppliers and crucially, recognise their hard work and innovation within the industry.Why are you sponsoring the ‘Best Machine Innovation’ category?
Vending machines are incredibly important for Lavazza, allowing us us to connect us with our consumers in the absence of sales people. Innovation is therefore key; machines should reflect an ever-changing industry and consumer trends, while offering optimal service, availability and variety of products.
With advancements in technology and the need to drive unique user experiences, vending machines are moving beyond the traditional ‘box in the corner’. Lavazza is keen to acknowledge this development and innovation in a field that has long been an integral part of our product sales.
Why should the industry get involved by entering, voting and attending?
Awards programmes like The Vendies encourage all areas of the industry to evaluate and improve their performance, as well as acknowledging and rewarding the hard work and successes of the last twelve months. It is a positive process that Lavazza is proud to be a part of.
How has the sector changed over the past year? Do you think this will be reflected in the 2018 Vendies?
The influence of high street coffee shops continues to infiltrate into the work and leisure environment. This means that operators and distributors have to optimise the opportunity for premiumisation of products to ensure that the consumer is offered the quality that they’re familiar with. Lavazza continues to support this opportunity with its whole bean range, Prontissimo micro-granulated soluble coffee, machine branding and cup branding.
In general, the vending sector is continually evolving in line with consumer trends and we believe we will continue to see forward-thinking innovation at this year’s awards.
What does Lavazza have to offer operators this year? Are you launching any new products or services?
The increasing presence of Prontissimo micro granulated coffee continues to add opportunity to operators’ portfolios. This soluble solution for the UK market offers Lavazza brand presence in an area that has previously been closed due to our non-presence as an instant coffee. Lavazza continues to support our customers with high quality branding for all manufacturers’ machines as we believe in promoting the quality of the brand at every opportunity, and we will continue to drive our presence across the vending channel.
For more information on Lavazza products and services visit www.lavazza.co.uk