Do you need Ice Makers in Convenience Stores

 

Do you need an Ice Maker?

• If you sell anything that typically is put on Ice, you need to have Ice.
• If you do not have Ice, would your customer go somewhere else to get the product and the ice in the same store.
• What is the most common piece of equipment that is in a convenience store —- Drink Fountain? Look at the profit made off drinks sold from the fountain. Try that without an Ice Maker.

How much can I make with Ice.

• If you bag ice, you can get $1.00 or more on 8-pound bags. Many Drive thru Fast Food Restaurants sell Ice. They already have a draw for their customers. “You Not So Much”. Labor is a cost as well. Planned right, though, you could do well selling Ice. It is competitive, but so is the products you sell, that is put on ice.
• At $1.00 a Bag, you would need many thousands of bags to be sold to pay off the ice maker. Or so most people think.
• All the Ice in Fountain drinks are free.

 

Can you give Ice away? Scary thought, Huh.

•  Realize you give the electricity, and water away in the Convenience store.
• You also give cups away.
• Most Stores give forks, spoons, coffee creamer, sugar, salt, Ketchup and other condiments.
• Not the same, try turning the power off. Try selling a hot dog without the Condiments.

Do you have to give it away?

• No, and I am not recommending this. Just making a point that some things in a Convenience Store is required.
• Sometimes the Ice is free, such as fountain drinks.
• Sometimes you can sell Ice such as in bags.

 

How Much should you sell the Ice for.

• Try to compare the prices around you, just like they are doing to you.
• You can also Use your Ice to Market the products that need ice that you sell.
• The trick is to realize that Just like the electric panel, and freezers, water, and lights, it is required in a convenience store.
• Convenience Stores  can sell Ice for a reasonable price and give it away to attract a buyer to another product.

What is the Value of an Ice Maker? Is there a monetary payoff time?

• The Value is figured just like the other major equipment in The Convenience Store. The freezers, Hot dog cookers, Fountain dispenser, and Merchandisers. They are figured into the cost goods sold.
• Also value is calculated in more dependability, less maintenance and, less skill to maintain. You do not want something that is a cost of goods sold and pay more than it produces in service.

 

How big and what components do you need?

• The very least is an Ice Maker and a Bin. Must be enough to provide for the Fountain Drinks. Some Fountain Drink Station has a bin that an Ice Maker mounts on and some Have to be manually filled. Think less work for the employees. One less job that they did not do.
• If you want to sell bagged Ice you will need an Ice Maker, bin, bagging equipment, merchandiser and bags. Most Convenience stores Have a minimum of 30 bags a day on hand. These Items take up space, so look at all options for these components.
• Auto Bagging Stations, Semi Auto Bagging stations, and Manual bagging stations are all options. Each have there on value. They each take up space, and utilities.

Where do the Ice Makers in Convenience Stores need to be placed?

• Depending on how big, they can go on counters, stands, on bins, In storage rooms, and some parts on the roof.
• Think about space that is occupied, heat added to the environment (ice Makers are hot), and how you are going to clean and maintain the unit.
• Think about the area that you need to work in to bag the units.
• Semi Auto bagging has a roof mounted unit, that fills the bags and the Fountain drink. Ice bags should be close to the register, so any water is not dripping all over the Convenience store.
• Auto Bagging units are mounted outside, and the bags do not need to be carried in the store.
• Bags in a merchandiser can be inside and outside. They usually are frozen, so do not drip on the floor when the customer carries the ice.

What Brands of Ice Makers in Convenience Stores , and why?

•  I recommend the brand that is the easiest to operate and maintain.
• I recommend Air cooled first, simpler, then remote air cooled next, More reliable, and moves the heat outside.

What does United States Ice and Water sell?

• Hoshizaki