Automatic Vending Specialists

What Automatic Vending Specialists does

Automatic Vending Specialists (AVS) is an Australian privately held company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Seven Hills, NSW, that imports and distributes vending machines and vending equipment across Australia. The company operates as the exclusive Australian distributor for three global vending machine brands — Crane, Dixie Narco and Vendo — and supplements this OEM exclusivity with a national network of state-based distributors providing sales, service and technical support in every Australian state. According to the company, AVS has installed approximately 50,000 vending machines across roughly 10,000 client sites over its 25-year operating history.

AVS's core product portfolio spans multiple hardware categories. Snack and combo machines are served by the Crane MEDIA 2 (launched 2024 with a 9-inch touchscreen, suggestive selling, virtual shopping cart and remote over-the-air planogram management), the original Crane MEDIA, the VM/VM Plus/VM CV Plus Series, and the Italian-built Vendo G Snack and Vendo G Drink machines. Beverage is addressed by BevMax variants and COTI barista-quality hot beverage machines capable of up to 32 drink selections. Adjacent form factors include compact wall vending (VMWM Series) and vending locker extensions for bulky or fragile items. All machines can be configured with cashless payment systems (Nayax, Tap and Go, QR code, SMS to Vend, PayWave), transparent digital advertising screens with proximity-triggered pause, custom spirals and trays for non-traditional SKUs (cosmetics, golf accessories, popcorn bags, travel products), heated glass and delivery bins for humidity control, and R290 eco-friendly refrigeration.

AVS makes money through three principal revenue streams. Hardware sales range from approximately $4,700 for entry VM CV Plus units to $11,304 for premium Crane MEDIA configurations (GST inclusive, payment systems and freight typically excluded), with promotional pricing and volume discounts of up to 15% on 20-foot container orders. Weekly rentals and leases run from $25.87 for ambient VM Series to $62.30 for Crane Media 2 COTI machines, providing a recurring subscription-style revenue line and a low-friction entry point for short-term activations and events. Service and parts revenue is supported by an inventory of over 3,000 SKUs with most parts deliverable within 24 hours, creating an aftermarket annuity on the installed base. Go-to-market combines direct sales from the Seven Hills headquarters for enterprise and custom vending projects, short-term rental activations for brand campaigns, and a national distributor channel for standard vending sales. Customer concentration spans fitness (Anytime Fitness, Snap Fitness), clubs and hospitality (Viva Leisure, Bankstown Sports, Western Suburbs Leagues Club), government and healthcare (NSW Health, Qld Health, Australia Post), corporate workplaces, and brand activation work for major consumer brands including Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Armani, Lancôme, YSL, BeautyBlender, White Claw, Cotton On, and Love Island.

Name

Automatic Vending Specialists

Legal name

Automatic Vending Specialists Pty Ltd

Website

https://autovending.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Automatic Vending Specialists (AVS) is Australia's exclusive distributor for Crane, Dixie Narco, and Vendo vending machines. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Seven Hills, NSW, the company sells, rents, and services vending equipment across approximately 10,000 client sites nationally, including custom solutions for fitness, hospitality, healthcare, and brand activations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seven Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vending Machine Sales: Sale of new and refurbished vending machines including Crane MEDIA, VM Series, Vendo, and BevMax brands. One-time hardware purchase model with prices ranging from $4,700 to $11,304 depending on model and configuration.
2. Equipment Rentals and Leases: Weekly rental agreements for vending machines including VM Series ($25.87-$35.92/week), Crane Media 2 ($55.46-$62.30/week), and custom configurations. Flexible rental terms for short-term activations and long-term deployments.
3. Service and Parts: Maintenance, repair services, and spare parts supply. AVS maintains over 3000 SKUs of spare parts with most parts deliverable within 24 hours.
4. Short-term Rentals: Short-term rental of customised vending machines for promotional activations, events, and temporary installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Automatic Vending Specialists (AVS) is an Australian importer, distributor, and service provider of vending machines and related equipment. The company sells, rents, and customises new and refurbished vending machines from leading international brands (Crane, Dixie Narco, Vendo, VM Series), supplies cashless payment and digital advertising integrations, and provides national maintenance and spare parts support with over 3,000 SKUs.

Product overview

Automatic Vending Specialists (AVS) is Australia's leading vending machine distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of vending solutions. The product range includes multiple vending machine brands: Crane (Crane MEDIA 2, Crane MEDIA, BevMax, COTI), Vendo (G Snack, G Drink), VM Series, VM Plus Series, VM CV Plus Series, and Dixie/Voce. These machines serve various product categories including Snack & Combo, Cold Beverage, Hot Beverage, Frozen Vending, Outdoor Vending, Fresh Food, Compact Wall Vending, and Vending Lockers. Beyond standard vending machines, AVS provides custom vending solutions for brand activations (Armani, Lancôme, YSL, White Claw, Love Island), industry-specific solutions (Health & Fitness, Club, Accommodation, Alcohol), and supplementary services (Digital Advertising, Payment Solutions, Intelligent Store, Service & Parts). The company operates as both a distributor and customisation specialist, with partnerships with world-leading brands (Crane, Dixie Narco, Vendo) and a national network of service technicians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crane MEDIA 2 Combo Chilled Refrigerated Crane vending machine dispensing ambient products, chilled tetra pack drinks and refrigerated food. Available in 4 Wide and 6 Wide configurations with touchscreen and remote management for businesses needing snack/beverage vending.
• Crane MEDIA 2 Ambient Non-refrigerated Crane vending machine for ambient products with 9-inch full-motion video touchscreen; designed for businesses dispensing non-perishable items.
• Crane MEDIA 2 BevMax Crane beverage vending machine vending 5 shelves of 600ml bottles with 35-45 drink selections, delivering products in 8 seconds. Available in 7 Wide and 9 Wide configurations.
• Crane MEDIA COTI Barista-quality hot beverage vending machine offering up to 32 drink selections with customisable strength, milk and sugar options; suitable for offices, hospitality venues and fitness centres.
• VM Series Vending Machines AVS's workhorse vending machine range including VM3, VM4 and VM5 in Combo/Chilled and Ambient configurations. Features LED lighting, heated glass, guaranteed delivery system, vandal-resistant stainless steel keypad and optional elevator delivery system.
• VM Plus Series Vending Machines Enhanced VM Series featuring energy efficiency, LED lighting, vandal-resistant stainless steel keypad, heated glass, guaranteed delivery, 90-degree door for tight spaces, and 7-inch LCD advertising screen.
• VM CV Plus Series Newest VM model for vending operators with superior merchandising via LED lighting and larger glass area; easier servicing with accessible components and parts interchangeable with other VM Series machines.
• Vendo G Snack SM8 and Combo Italian-manufactured vending machine vending ambient products, refrigerated drinks and refrigerated food. Features speedy lift for delicate products, safety temperature control, fresh food kits and A+ class light control energy savings.
• Vendo G Drink DR6 Italian-manufactured beverage vending machine vending tetra packs with 6 selections per shelf. Features cup delivery system, anti-vandalism keypad, safety coin insert and A++ class energy efficiency.
• Compact Wall Vending (VMWM Series) Small wall-mounted vending machines ideal for dispensing personal hygiene products, masks, test kits, cigarettes and similar items. Accepts cashless payment systems including Tap n Go, QR Code and SMS to Vend.
• Vending Lockers (VM Series Locker Extensions) Locker extensions for VM Series vending machines enabling sale of T-shirts, promotional mugs and fragile or bulky items that cannot fit in standard vending machine setups.
• Custom Vending Machines Custom-branded vending machines configured for non-traditional products, activations and promotions. Services include custom spirals, trays, decaling and cashless payment integration for brand-specific requirements.
• Vending Machine Rentals and Leases Weekly rental agreements and short-term rentals for VM Series, VM Plus, Crane Media 2 and Crane MEDIA COTI vending machines. Flexible rental terms for short-term activations, events and long-term deployments.
• Service and Parts National maintenance, repair services and spare parts supply with over 3,000 SKUs of spare parts, most deliverable within 24 hours, supported by training videos and service request handling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% increase in targeted sales from original MEDIA to MEDIA2 due to suggestive selling
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• YakusanflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 November 2021Yakusan approached AVS for custom vending solutions for White Claw's Australian promotional campaign. Yakusan worked with AVS to deliver custom branded vending machines for White Claw Black Cherry flavour launch, placed in prominent clubs, hotels, and pubs across Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
• Vendi GolfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2021Vendi Golf is a technology start-up based in Victoria providing regional golf courses across Australia with technology-based vending solutions. AVS supplies customised Crane Media vending machines configured with custom spirals and trays capable of vending green fees and golf accessories. AVS equipped the machines with cashless payment systems and developed prize account monitoring solutions.
• A.Royale & CominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 February 2020A.Royale & Co is a Sydney-based company designing, manufacturing and distributing travel products. AVS provided a customised vending machine on short-term rental for Southern Cross Station in Melbourne to retail travel products including umbrellas, luggage organisers and travel accessories.
• RizercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2019Rizer is an Events Management Company that collaborated with AVS to deliver custom-branded vending machines for Love Island TV show featured in the Powered Big Ideas Store. The machines stored redeemable giveaway products supporting promotional initiatives.
• Giorgio ArmaniflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 July 2019AVS customised and provided a Crane MEDIA 6 Ambient machine to dispense lip care range for Armani Box pop-up activation at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne as part of Armani's worldwide promotional tour.
• Vittoria CoffeeflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 July 2019AVS customised a VM Series VM5 PLUS S elevator vending machine for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia pop-up cafe to vend reusable ceramic coffee cups. AVS arranged decaling of the machine for the short-term activation.
• BeautyBlenderflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 December 2018AVS built custom make-up vending machine for BeautyBlender's Bounce Liquid Wrap Long Wear Foundation launch, enabling beauty media to experience and dispense the $60 product from a vending machine.
• CraneflagshipTechnology or IntegrationAVS is the exclusive Australian distributor for Crane vending machines, including the premium Crane MEDIA and Crane MEDIA 2 range. Three of the world's leading vending machine brands (Crane, Dixie Narco and Vendo) choose AVS to distribute their brands in Australia.
• Dixie NarcoflagshipTechnology or IntegrationAVS is the exclusive Australian distributor for Dixie Narco vending machines. Three of the world's leading vending machine brands (Crane, Dixie Narco and Vendo) choose AVS to distribute their brands in Australia.
• VendoflagshipTechnology or IntegrationAVS is the exclusive Australian distributor for Vendo vending machines. Three of the world's leading vending machine brands (Crane, Dixie Narco and Vendo) choose AVS to distribute their brands in Australia.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Crane Co. Crane Co. owns Crane Merchandising Systems (Crane National Vendors, Dixie Narco, Automatic Products) — AVS's key OEM partner. While AVS is a downstream distributor, Crane is the upstream incumbent manufacturer whose strategic decisions directly shape AVS's access to premium hardware.
• Aramark: Global food services provider with vending, coffee, and refreshment solutions across sports, healthcare, education, and business settings. Comparable to AVS for workplace and institutional vending procurement decisions.
• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company operating vending, micro-markets, and convenience retail programs in workplaces, hospitals, and universities. Overlaps with AVS's corporate, healthcare, and education vending segments as a broader-services competitor.
• Compass Group: Global food services and support services major with vending, micro-market, and unattended retail offerings as part of a broad portfolio. Adjacent incumbent competing for the same corporate, healthcare, and education vending budgets that AVS targets.

Direct peers

• Selecta Group: Selecta is Europe's largest unattended retail operator and vending equipment distributor, operating hundreds of thousands of vending and coffee machines. Comparable to AVS in combining vending machine supply, service, and operator-side vending deployments across multiple verticals.
• SandenVendo: SandenVendo is a Japan/Italy-based global manufacturer of snack, beverage, and combo vending machines sold to operators worldwide. Its product portfolio competes head-to-head with the Crane, Vendo, and Dixie Narco lines that AVS distributes.
• Bianchi Industry: Italian vending machine manufacturer producing snack, beverage, and coffee machines for global vending operators. Comparable to AVS's Vendo and Crane distribution business as a competing supplier of operator-grade vending equipment.
• Five Star Food Service: Five Star is one of the largest US vending and food service operators, distributing and operating vending machines across the Southeast US. Like AVS, it combines machine distribution, route operations, and service for corporate, hospitality, and institutional customers.
• Necta (Evoca Group): Evoca Group owns Necta, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of hot-beverage and snack vending machines. Like AVS, it serves vending operators with branded equipment, payment integrations, and aftermarket service, making it a direct category peer in vending machine supply.

Others

• Nayax: Nayax provides cashless payment, telemetry, and management solutions for unattended retail — and is integrated into AVS's vending machines as a payment hardware partner. Relevant as an enabling ecosystem player whose technology stack AVS's customers depend on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/automaticvendingspecialists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automatic-vending-specialists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Automatic Vending Specialists