The numbers are impressive. Naturals2Go has helped 2500 new operators get started since 2009, placing 40,000 machines and according to the company, they have a 14% market share. Vending is a hot business and from all indications, it is now a meaningful part of the gig economy.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, the podcast for the convenience services industry – produced by Endeavor Business Media, a Division of EndeavorB2B, host Bob Tullio talked to Natali Pupovac-Peters, senior VP of fulfillment at Naturals2Go – a company that appears to be taking an extremely responsible approach to introducing the convenience services business to people who are attracted to the business opportunity.

She takes us behind the scenes and pulls back the curtain on their fast growing operation - talking about their role as an operator, a seller of business opportunity, an equipment manufacturer and a company that is doing all they can to support new operators while keeping their expectations in check - making sure they understand that convenience services is not some magical "passive income" business.

As Tullio notes on the podcast intro,

"As a long-time operator myself, I had plenty of experience meeting people who had entered the vending business – ushered in by entities that did not have good intentions and were certainly not concerned about whether or not the operator was successful. No reflection on Naurals2Go by any means, but I started the interview – pulling no punches – it was not a surprise to Pupovac-Peters."

Industry observers, including Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation Podcast host Bob Tullio, are wondering aloud what next year’s State of the Industry Report will reveal. Sales jumped 30% in the vending and micro market segment and smart markets were not even part of the equation. Next year’s numbers could be off the charts!

In Part II of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation Podcast, on the State of the Vending & Micro Market Industry - the conversation turns to what seems to be an inevitable subject these days - smart markets and their impact on the industry. It was a lively conversation full of outstanding insights taken from two webinars in July. Both webinars are available on demand. Some notable quotes from our guests: "There is a new wave of operators who are no longer looking at vending and micro markets – they are going straight to smart stores." Ben Thomas - Nayax "We need to change our mindset on pricing. We need to step out of that boomer bucket." Josh Rosenberg - Forward Thinkers "We’ve been installing smart stores like crazy in Fed Ex locations and to say they are doing well in sales is probably the biggest understatement I can make." Tony Danna - Cantaloupe Inc "If we have an empty cooler, that is basically a coffin with our logo on it. That user experience comes with committed service." Jon Holden – All Star Services, Inc. "Anyone who is willing to put in the work, the time the energy and the money can compete if they have the right tools in place." Natali Pupovac-Peters – Naturals2Go. "Looking ahead - I think smart markets will increase in a big way, there will be plenty more industry consolidation, vending will decline and new operators will continue to appear." Orrin Huebner - Consultant.

After listening to this podcast, you may reach the same conclusion that podcast host Bob Tullio did. We all seem to be trying to answer one big question. What is driving the explosive growth in our industry?

In July, Bob Tullio, the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, produced and moderated two live webinars, both of which offered plenty of material that is certainly worth sharing on our Vending & OCS Nation podcast.

While both one hour live webinars are available on demand, the next two episodes of the podcast will look at some of the fantastic content and insights that were shared. Tullio and his panelists talk about the state of the vending and micro market industry – beyond the numbers. For operators and suppliers – what could be more important than that?

Our July 8th Webinar - Autonomous Food Service and Retail Solutions – a new level of opportunity, was sponsored by Nayax and featured:

• Benjamin Thomas vice president, retail product strategy (North America) for Nayax.
• Operator Jon Holden of All Star Services
• Josh Rosenberg of Forward Thinkers

The July 15th Webinar - Vending and Micro Market State of the Industry Report, was sponsored by Cantaloupe and Naturals2Go, and featured

• Orrin Huebner, a respected industry consultant
• Tony Danna of Cantaloupe - vice president of small business and GM of Cantaloupe Go Markets
• Matthew Rainey, owner of Surpass Refreshments in North Ft. Myers Florida,
• Natali Pupovac-Peters, head of global operations for Naturals2Go
• Jeff Criswell - business growth consultant and vending/micro market operator for Naturals2Go

Data in Automatic Merchandiser’s State of the Industry report is compiled from a survey sent to operators in the spring of 2025, covering a 12-month period ending March 31, 2025.

Over the next two episodes of Vending & OCS Nation, you will hear from everyone on those panels, discussing industry trends – largely about autonomous retail solutions and what the future will bring. This episode combines the survey data with useful insights, to provide a nice wide-angle view of the state of vending, micro markets and of course, that new technology that is coming at us like a freight train – smart markets.

Without question, the Atlantic Coast Exposition – The Ace Show, sets the bar about as high as it can go for a regional convenience services gathering. The level of planning, attention to detail and creativity required for the 2025 ACE Show is impressive.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation Podcast, host Bob Tullio noted that “The more I learn about the event, which is sponsored by three state associations - the North Carolina Vending Association, South Carolina Vending Association and the Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association, the goal seems to be, ‘Let’s make this year’s show even better than last year’s show.’ Not an easy task – but the organizers seem to find a way. They also have some fun with the themes of the ACE Show – last year, it was ACE in Space. In 2025, it’s Viva Las Aces.

This episode, presented in cooperation with the Atlantic Coast Exposition – ACE – looks at their 2025 trade show, October 9-11, 2025, Embassy Suites/Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Tullio sat down with the ACE 2025 Show Chair, Chet Cromer, of Cromer Food Services, located in South Carolina, to discuss the exciting program that Cromer and his team have put together for the October show.

To learn more about the Atlantic Coast Exposition, visit www.atlanticcoastexpo.com

Everyone in the OCS business has heard about the popular Technician Training and Equipment Sales Trade Show from Holiday House Distributing. This year's event is more attractive than ever, offering training at a whole new level – for OCS technicians and now – operators and salespeople.

From humble beginnings in 2019, the 2025 spring session attracted 140 technicians from 73 companies. The fall session of the show, slated for September 29th to October 2nd in Frisco, Texas, is shaping up to be a blockbuster event - as the show has added a sales training component, led by Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast host, Bob Tullio.

In this episode, Tullio talks with the brainchild of the show, Barbara Russell, vice president of sales and marketing at Holiday House Distributing, about why the show offers OCS operators and OCS technicians an opportunity to learn directly from the industry’s leading equipment manufacturers in a series of small group training sessions. The addition of an OCS sales track takes the show to a new level.

"I am excited to be leading the new sales training component of the program – delivering a presentation on the afternoon of September 29th. In that presentation, I will be offering proven business development techniques, consultive selling, storytelling, overcoming objections, successful follow up, plus proven closing strategies – all OCS oriented," said Tullio. "Much of the content will come from the online course I developed for NAMA – "Selling Convenience Services," which has been utilized by some of the industry’s top operators. There will be significant takeaways for operators and their sales reps who attend, both collateral materials and actionable concepts.

Tullio also talks about the benefits of the show with David Henchel, president/CEO of Corporate Coffee Systems, Joanna Kim Choi, national account manager at Bevi, Brian Zakeski, national sales manager at Follett and Brian Cook, corporate technical manager at Associated Services.

The show will also feature sales oriented presentations from every supplier attending, plus a presentation on coffee from industry veteran Tom Bauer and a water presentation from Anastasia Covan from Vivreau.

While everyone in the beverage business has heard of Gatorade and Powerade, there always seems to be room for a new contender in the isotonic beverage category. With a new distribution deal - Launch Hydrate has arrived.

You may remember tasting Launch Hydrate as you walked into the 2025 NAMA Show. Josh Rosenberg of Forward Thinkers was side by side with the company’s COO, Dillon Houstoun, serving up Launch Hydrate to grateful convention goers.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation Podcast, Bob Tullio talks to Houstoun and Rosenberg about the company’s unique formula for success: the beverage, the strategy, why it’s working, where it’s going, and how operators can capitalize by selling the product in workplaces and distributing Launch Hydrate to concessions -- that critical last mile.

One other note of interest: while convenience stores are the typical route to consumers for a beverage, Launch Hydrate is finding momentum in youth sports, winning loyalty with parents (today’s workplace customers) and young athletes (tomorrow’s customers), who are all attracted to a better hydration solution.

It started as a side gig to make some extra money, but after a while, Ryan Harrington realized that he loved the vending business. As it turns out, his investment connected him to love on many levels, including a life partner and co-CEO – his wife Michelle.

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio brings you a conversation with Ryan Harrington, Founder and CEO of Royal ReFresh in Portland.

You’ll hear about his home-grown approach, utilizing strong community roots to help build his business. He’s expansion-minded – not only in the Northwest, but also in Las Vegas, where his company has now opened a branch.

Harrington enjoys mentoring new operators and is very active in NAMA. He was part of the team that brought you the 2025 NAMA Show.

He’s a very levelheaded guy, but you may have seen his recent LinkedIn post where he got a little fired up about all the bogus online claims about the vending business being the ticket to passive income – an easy route to riches. He knows it’s work. In fact, he got started in vending by investing in one of those business opportunity programs himself, involving Red Bull-branded vending machines. He tells us how he managed to make it work.

A side note: The business opportunity with Red Bull machines had quite an impact on his life. It led him into the convenience services business, which he loves, and it facilitated the connection to his co-CEO and life partner, his wife, Michelle, whom he met at a Red Bull-sponsored event.

The Royal ReFresh story is a good one and especially valuable for the many industry newcomers, who can only hope that their story will be laden with similar success. Harrington offers some suggestions on what it takes to scale a business and keep moving to the next level.

From the discovery of explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship in Antarctica, to the theme of the presidential inauguration, “endurance” is a recurring word that hits home for operators when they reflect on what they have dealt with over the years.

The word certainly resonated with Bob Tullio, host of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast. In this episode, he speaks with numerous industry leaders -- operators and suppliers -- to get their take on endurance.

Fresh off a trip from Antarctica, Tullio tells his story of endurance -- a riveting 37-year ride in the convenience services business that he and his partners still reflect on with amazement.

Lots of industry people are featured and mentioned in this podcast, so don't miss it. Among them, Tom Steuber, Craig Hesch, Mark Kronenberg, Pete Tullio, Jon Fishman, Larry Deagon, Orrin Huebner, C.J. Recher, Carla Balakgie, Jennifer Ridnour, Jim Brinton, Ryan Harrington, Kailin McCauley Genton, Bill McCauley, Justin Fishman, Lance Deagon, Paul Tullio and Arthur Siller.

Don't miss the related article in the June/July issue of Automatic Merchandiser magazine.

Here is a review from my editor, Linda Becker. “It's a humdinger.”