Is Investing In An Ice Machine For A Convenience Store A Good Idea?

When searching for your next big business idea, selling ice is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. It’s not overly complicated, it doesn’t require a million-dollar investment, and the demand for it is high. But wait, isn’t this the textbook definition of a good business model?

Exactly.

Selling ice may not sound all glamorous but it’s definitely a functional and lucrative business. People use ice for many things – to keep food from going bad, to make refreshing drinks, to serve guests during parties and events, and more. There are a lot of practical uses for this type of product (such as making instant ice cream that you can learn here) and it’s something most people won’t even bat an eyelash paying for which makes it an easy sell.

When people think of buying ice, they don’t necessarily think of going to an ice plant where they produce massive blocks of ice. They think of going somewhere near where they can easily drive to and then immediately go home right after to make sure the ice doesn’t melt on the way back. And the very first place they’ll stop by is no other than a convenience store.

If you run a convenience store and you’re looking to increase your profit margins a little more, investing in an ice machine can be a stellar idea. It doesn’t require you to make big renovations or changes inside your store, just the addition of a reliable ice machine can significantly increase your sales numbers. It will also give you a competitive edge against neighboring competitors if they haven’t invested in an ice machine yet.

Let’s discuss the advantages of running an ice business in more detail:

It’s A Lucrative Business

As mentioned above, selling ice is as simple as it gets. You don’t need a lot of complicated ingredients, just water. You also don’t need to do over a dozen steps to achieve the desired product. It’s a simple business model, as you can read here https://www.starterstory.com/ideas/ice-cube-business/pros-and-cons, that has a high demand in the market, especially during summer months. And, it’s a type of product that will never go out of style.

Because of its simplicity, it’s easy to maximize profits with an ice machine. They’re also really easy to sell. You don’t have to convince anyone that they need to buy it; they naturally will whenever they need it. While it’s not a very expensive item, it sells by the volume and that’s where the money is at.

It’s Low Maintenance Contrary To What You Might Think

Another advantage of selling this type of product is that there really aren’t a lot of things going on with it. Apart from the ice maker machine, you don’t need to maintain anything else. You just need to make sure you follow proper procedures, get regular machine checks once every few months, and ensure that the machine is clean and hygienic at all times. It can’t get much simpler than that.

What you can do to even lower maintenance costs is find a reliable convenience store ice machine manufacturer. The better and sturdier your machine is, the less often you will have to see a maintenance guy. Making sure that you buy a heavy-duty ice machine is key to lowering expenses associated with running your ice machine.

It Can Also Help You Introduce Other Products

When you are producing your own ice, you can also start introducing new products in your convenience store, such as iced beverages (coolers), shaved ice, etc. This can help you increase your profit margins even further, especially during summer months when people just naturally crave a cold treat. This way, your ice machine isn’t only bringing in new revenue with one type of product; you can use it to create other products as well.

It Doesn’t Require Much Space

Lastly, you don’t even have to expand or move into a bigger location. Just by adding an ice machine, you can start selling bags and bags of ice right away. If you already have a freezer, you can even pre-bag them and stock them up so your machine doesn’t have to be turned on and off over and over again. You can keep it at the back of the store since you don’t really need to display it in order to sell the product. Simply placing a sign board that you are now selling ice will already make you sell.

It’s Non-Perishable

Most food and drink products sold in convenience stores have an expiration date. So even if you add more products, it’ll just be the same. Ice, on the other hand, doesn’t really expire – like, ever. You simply need to load clean water into the machine and it’ll start popping out ice soon after. Again, super low maintenance and requires minimal monitoring.