The UK’s enthusiastic adoption of chip-and-pin and contactless payments in the past few years has made it a key battleground for mobile payment vendors. 83% of people in the UK now use contactless payments, with Android & Apple pay services meaning that now more than ever contactless payment options have never been easier to use.

At Livewell Vending, we have a keen interest in how advancing technology can change our own industry. We continue to focus on bringing the world of vending up to speed with the innovative pace of retail. Something we call Vetail®. We aim to be at the forefront of technological advancement. We adapt our machines so they are more effective, and easier to use with every peak towards the technological frontier.

Cashless payment and touch screen technology combined with a wide choice of products make vending a convenient and attractive option for consumers.  We think we are now entering a new era for vending where contactless payment and highly-interactive machines will help increase the customer base and expand sales value by enabling product manufacturers to develop creative ways to promote their offerings and attract more vending customers.

With more and more UK consumers discovering that mobile contactless payment is simple, convenient and that they can get access to money saving deals via their phones, then paying by card could begin to look as old-fashioned as writing a cheque.

Similarly, our vending equipment represents the next generation of vending solutions. We aim high, provide more than the next best Vetailer. A vending machine stocked with high quality products, that takes contactless payment, whilst offering the same money saving deals as other retail outlets will ensure that unlike cheques, the vending sector is not left behind.

Talk to Livewell about our innovative approach to vending. Get in touch today.

Livewell® are leading the way in offering modern vending stations with a wide range of healthy products.  We’re bringing the world of vending up to speed with the innovative pace of retail. We call it Vetail®. It’s less about vending and more about smart lifestyle choices.

We are increasingly having some great conversations about our range of healthier drinks and snacks.  The message is starting to get through that offering a choice of products including low and no sugar drinks, and snacks that have lower fat content helps meet the increasing consumer demand for these types of products.

At the recent Vendies (Vending Industry Awards) there was a great list of tasty snacks in the Best Health & Well Being Product category. The winner being the very popular Burts Lentil Waves Thai Sweet Chilli (Burts Potato Chips).  Other offerings included Popcorn and Cereal Bars.

We have recently installed Snack Stations within school sites stocked with these types of products.  They are proving very popular with students and visitors and offer a healthier alternative to traditional crisps and confectionery.

We’ve been supplying vending to the secondary education sector for many years and work with each school to develop a specific and appropriate range of vended drinks and snacks.  Unlike traditional vending, our Livewell® Stations offer a broader range of products (including healthier options) that help meet the specific health and wellbeing needs of school sites.

Many people we speak to are unaware of the latest vending machine developments – our modern vending stations now offer touchscreen technology and nutritional information.  Livewell® Stations can be integrated with schools cashless catering systems (including biometrics) and access can be limited using timers to only allow students to purchase vended products at certain times of day (e.g. breaks).

Our experience also shows that vending can be extremely beneficial in terms of generating additional revenue for schools.

Get in touch today to talk to us about healthier vending within your school or business and how it can work for you.

Employee wellbeing is high on business agendas and more than ever employers are taking the initiative to look after their staff. This is especially true for the NHS right now, where Public Health England estimated the cost of sickness absence to the healthcare provider in 2015 was £2.4bn.

Further to this, an NHS staff survey showed that improving staff health and wellbeing would lead to higher staff engagement, better staff retention, and higher quality clinical outcomes for patients.

The 2017-19 CQUIN on ‘NHS staff health and wellbeing’ is one of thirteen mandatory CQUINs and sees the introduction of a number of health and wellbeing initiatives designed to make it easier for NHS staff to make healthier choices.

One of these initiatives, “healthy food for NHS staff, visitors, and patients”, requires NHS staff workplaces to make some major changes to the food offered on their premises and how it’s presented to employees.

Price promotions and advertisements for sugary drinks and foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt are banned, along with the inclusion of these drinks and food at checkouts.

Workplaces also need to ensure that healthy options are available at any point, including for staff who work night shifts.

It’s because of these changes that recently we were contacted by Preston Teaching Hospital to install four of our vending machines in their workplace. Our aim was to help the teaching hospital’s staff make healthier choices with two of our hydration stations and two snack stations packed with choice, including Baked Crisps, Proper Corn (the latter of which is great for giving your brain a boost on the go!) and cereal bars.

Are you responsible for employee wellbeing in the NHS or another workplace? Get in touch to find out how we can help keep your staff healthier & happier.

In the last couple of months, “safe” has become one of the most used words. “Stay safe” is the new goodbye. We’ve all learnt two metres is a “safe distance”. Implementing “safety measures” is now part of every business strategy.

And rightly so. None of us have had to deal with a global pandemic before – and it’s vital that we change not only our vocabulary but our actions to keep ourselves and others safe and well.

With companies now starting to plan for the return of employees, clients or customers, some of these changes are going to need to be big.

Livewell’s vending solutions can help.

Safe catering

Many organisations are limiting their in-house catering services – either to minimise infection risk or due to reduced staff numbers on site. But our vending stations provide a safe and simple alternative.

Livewell’s range gives you an easy way to offer your staff a well-balanced choice of snack and drink products, guaranteed to suit varying tastes and dietary requirements. Take a look at our station options.

And crucially, as self-service automated units, they eliminate any person-to-person contact.

Payment is contactless via debit/credit card or smartphone.

Antibacterial gel dispenser units have been added to the front of all vending stations to provide an easy way to sterilise hands before and after a purchase.

Floor signage can be supplied for all installations to remind consumers to keep to a safe distance while queuing.

It’s never been easier to provide safe catering with Livewell.