When we choose gashapon machines and prize machines, the first thing we should do is understand what age range of people are mainly consumed by this target group. Among teenagers and kids, cartoon toys or anime goods are on the top list with a 60% share of whole sales. Then, select the appropriate machine type according to your venue scale, such as high-rise-ultra-large shopping malls, which are more suitable for one-and-a-half-meter gashapon machines. The prize value should represent 50% to 100% of what the customer spent for it to be very attractive. Finally, take into consideration the initial cost and operating costs of a machine; as a rule of thumb, a machine’s yearly revenue should be double that you paid for it to make it worthwhile.
Understand the Target Market
First of all, we need to know the age range of our main customer group so that we can decide on gashapon and prize machines. If you now also want to add children to your target market, then choose cartoon character prize machines as the main product (these prizes are mainly for 3-10-year-old young children). Some of those big retail parks see children’s prize machines used 50% more than others.
Check the consumption capacity of your sales target to make sure that prizes have a value compatible with what the customer paid. In economically developed areas, per capita consumption in a shopping mall is also high (2000-5000 RMB), so prize machines can hold higher-priced prizes like electronic products or branded toys. In addition, in some areas where the consumption power is not strong, we can select some low-cost but exciting prizes like small toys or snacks to make our machines more attractive.
The East Asian market is one of those that have a high consumption rate among young people for their merchandise, and around 15-30 age groups spend about 1/3 (about ~$2k) of money on things related to anime they love as part of their monthly entertainment. Further knowledge of these consumer preferences will allow companies to opt for suitable prizes and draw a greater pool of respectful target customers.
Choose the Right Type of Gashapon Machine
Frankly, before you go and buy a gashapon machine, the first thing to consider is how much space there will be in the location once your machines are placed. If you are going to operate in a shopping mall, choose a bigger one. A 1.5-meter-high, 0.8-meter-wide gashapon machine can hold more toys and make it easy for customers to notice your business. In Japan and China, when such large gashapon machines are used in shopping malls, they can increase their revenue by 20% compared to using small-sized machines.
Another important aspect to consider is the machine functionality, which lies in machines having LED displays or added sound effects; all these increase a great deal of customer engagement. Machines with multimedia capabilities increase customer dwell time (often by 30%), yielding a right shift in the sales distribution.
Machines that are easy to unscrew and clean inside make regular maintenance easier, which can lead to reduced daily costs of operation, as the replacement parts will need less frequent replacements. Each year, for this type of machine, the maintenance costs are 25% lower than a typical one, so it is valuable in terms of long-term operation.
Choose the Right Type of Prize Machine
Residents in areas heavily populated with youths are drawn to rewards such as electronics, including earpieces and power banks. It reveals that 18-35-year-olds are more likely to be attracted by prizes such as these, and their expenditure on product series products is usually between 100 RMB per month – as high as perhaps an average of 500 RMB.
The prize, as a whole, should be worth what the customer paid for it. If it costs a customer 10 RMB to buy in for that chance, the market value of whatever they could win should be between 5 RMB and 20 RMB, so their engagement must carry them from pure disappointment all the way up through gleeful satisfaction. It comes with an extra 15% utilization of the machine.
Choose machines that are easy to refill and change prizes in so as not to run out of a prize or get stale. According to a survey, vending machines that refresh their assortments every week have 30% higher customer repeat visits. So retailers have to vary their prizes with the seasons and festivals while still attracting new clients.
Consider the Return on Investment
For merchants who choose gashapon machines and prize machines, the initial investment cost is a main consideration. There is a cost difference of 5000 to 10000 RMB, with the higher-priced ones boasting equally greater quality, and it will depend on how much you can afford when starting your gashapon business.
The latter operating costs are a very good indicator of determining ROI, including electricity, prize replenishment, and maintenance. Machines can cost up to 100 RMB per month in electricity and data, with a maximum monthly operating budget of no higher than 1200 RMB. Moreover, there is the cost of replenishing prizes to consider – estimated at up to 30% of total revenue per month.
From the target market and anticipated customer flow, you are able to come up with rough daily/weekly/monthly revenue that should be sufficient. Popular prize machines in a large mall can produce monthly revenue of 3000 RMB to 5000 RMB. The organization should take this data and work out whether it is divisible from the investment, as well as calculate a payback period that is typically between 6 to 12 months.
