Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Popcorn Operators Acclaim
Model UK" Price Reduction
LOS ANGELES-Popcorn machine oper-
ators, faced with the high cost of supplies
and servicing, have greeted the drastically
reduced prices on Kunkel's famous Model
K with enthusiasm. At the reduced price,
operators are now able to buy more ma-
chines, thereby increasing their point-of-
sale outlets, which, in turn, boosts total
sales volume.
Kunkel officials announced the price slash
two months ago, just prior to the opening
of the spring and summer popcorn season,
to enable operators to profit from the peak
months.
One of the factors responsible for the
Model K's pre-eminence in the vending
field is the many new improvements which
have been incorporated into the machine by
company engineers during the past 12 years.
This has resulted in one of the most de-
pendable vendors ever to be placed on loca-
tion nationally.
Life Savers Makes Candy Bar
NEW YORK- The annual report of the
Life Savers Corp. indicates that plans for
its entry into the 5-cent candy bar field are
proving satisfactory. Sales of a new bar, a
chocolate cocoanut cream bar called Scoop,
began early in March and the firm has re-
ported that production is moving toward a
high level.
The introduction of such a bar is taken
as another sign that cocoanut bars are still
growing in popularity and that big manu-
facturers feel there is still plenty of room
for candy bars. Life Savers are already
well known to the vending trade, being
used in standard candy vendors and also
in machines designed especially for the
product.
'011
I~y!
Condy Trode Looks To June
Conventions For Soles Aids
by Walter Hurd
CHICAGO-Early in June (June 5-9)
the candy industry will be airing its views
of how to sell more candy, and also facing
some of the troubles that have beset the
business. It will be the 66th annual conven-
tion of the National Confectioners Assn.
and along with it will be held the 23rd expo-
sition and exhibit, mostly for candy manu-
facturers.
.
Retail candy people will be meeting at
the same time at the Drake Hotel here,
while the NCA programs and exhibit will
be at the Stevens. Later in June can d)'
wholesalers will meet and much franker dis·
cussions of trade affairs are expected at the
NCWA meetings.
Thus, June will be in reality National
Candy Month and it is a time of year when
candy operators begin to think of the hot
summer months. Official reports by the Dept.
of Commerce will have some tough sales
facts on the first two months of the year, at
least, for the whole industry to face.
Total sales of candy of all kinds started
off the new year on a downward trend, a
thing the industry had worked mightily to
avoid. Government reports had shown late
in 1948 that employment in candy factories
was off and observers of the trade in Chi-
cago have reported that currently factories
have been operating two and three days a
week.
Dollar sales of all candy were off 7 per
cent in January from the same month a year
ago, and in Fe):!ruary total candy sales
dropped 6 per cent below January and were
16 per cent under Feb. 1948. This would
suggest a definite falling ol£.
Retail candy stores here have confirmed
the fact that candy sales are down. But
some large operators of candy vendors have
said they are enjoying a good seasonal pick-
up. Candy operators are much more con-
cerned, of course, with employment in fac-
tories than the ups and downs of retail
sales.
It is the packaged candy goods that is
particularly on the skids. This trend was
under way in 1~48 and in general meant
bigger production a'n d sales of candy bars.
Many manufacturers 'Were said to be turn·
ing more and more to bar goods. More re-
cently, the trend is said to be definitely to
penny items, in keeping with lower consum·
er incomes. Cheaper ingredients also make
the penny items more practical.
Increase in penny goods began in 1947,
with a gain of about 10 per cent in output,
and some trade leaders say the penny goods
move may be the biggest single factor in the
current year. In the period from 1925 to
1935 vendors for penny chocolate bars made
history, being the first big success in ma-
chine vending of candy. Whether the pres-
ent turn to penny goods will revive the
penny bar vendor can only be told in the
passing of time. Some firms are offering
two small bars to sell at a nickel and this
idea will probably mean more to the vend-
ing trade.
The problem of decline in total candy
sales has overshadowed the recent news of
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SCHUTTER CANDY DIVISION, St. Louis
44
COIN MACHINE REVIEW