A Decade of Doozy: Reflecting on the Last 10 Years

10 Years of Doozy

In the span of a decade, the possibilities are endless. You might hone a skill, whether masterfully tickling the ivories or capturing a landscape on canvas. Perhaps become a doctor, saving lives with your expertise. With patience and a green thumb, you could nurture an infant bonsai tree into maturity. In your spare time, you could write an epic high-fantasy trilogy. Or through years of tasting, studying and exploring different varieties or regions, you could develop a sophisticated palate and deep knowledge of wines… a lot can happen it ten years.

A lot has happened since we first started Doozy in 2014, ten years ago. When our first machine was introduced to Solent University, vegan and gluten-free snacks in a vending machine was a novelty. Although the surge in interest in gluten and gluten-free options can be observed through Google search data, which shows a noticeable spike around 2010, enthusiasm for GF snacks in the vending realm remained non-existent. It wasn’t until 2019, dubbed “the year of the vegan” by The Economist, that veganism surged into the mainstream. Yet again, the vending industry paid no attention.

If you’d mentioned healthy vending in 2014 you would likely be met with puzzled expressions. Fast forward to 2018, and the vending machine scene for health-conscious options remained starkly barren, with only 14% of snacks and 39% of drinks being considered healthy.

When we embarked on our healthy vending journey in 2014, introducing options that were both healthy and aligned with vegan and gluten-free preferences was a novel departure from the norm. Traditionally, vending machines were not associated with such snacks, making our venture a pioneering effort in redefining vending.

When our machines made their debut, their unique appearance immediately set them apart from the rest. Even now, they continue to stand out from the crowd with their bespoke wood cladding, crafted from recycled wood.

Not only do we repurpose wood for our machines’ distinctive look, but we also extend this ethos to our coffee. Partnering with 918 Coffee Co., they collect our used coffee grounds, which are then ingeniously reused as fuel to roast fresh coffee beans. It’s the epitome of a circular coffee economy! Our commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop there; we’re always innovating new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in our operations.

We’re proud to support EdUKaid, a charity based in Tanzania, dedicated to providing quality education to some of the country’s most vulnerable children. Doozy shares its office space and resources with EdUKaid to minimise overhead costs, ensuring that the money raised is directed to where it’s most impactful. Doozy’s CEO and founder, Tim Varney, serves on their Trustee Board, and together with his wife, Sarah, wholeheartedly supports their mission. Our efforts join each year for the Great Vending Get-Together, featuring a day of golf followed by an evening of live music, dancing, auctioning, food and drinks. With this event, we’ve raised an impressive £225,000 for EdUKaid, making a real impact on the lives of over 50,000 disadvantaged children in remote Tanzania.

Every Doozy healthy vending machine comes equipped with a card reader as standard, enabling us to easily track sales digitally and respond to data with speed – it’s very clever! This not only ensures proper machine maintenance but also optimises stocking efficiency. By analysing the data, we accurately determine which products need replenishment, eliminating the need for guesswork. Furthermore, we can promptly cater to customer preferences by identifying the fastest-selling items. Surprisingly, many other vending companies don’t do this.

We have accomplished an enormous amount over the past decade… it makes you wonder: what lies ahead in the next ten years? While the future is uncertain, one thing we’re sure of is that we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible.