• Category Management >
  • The Category Concept
  • Allocating Machine
    Shelf Space
  • Product Selection
  • Product Purchasing Control
• Research Studies >
• Hershey's Vending Machine Planner >
• Operator Information >
• HERSHEY Rewards

Category Management

Product Purchasing Control

The Key to Making Category Management Work

Plan-O-Grams are product placement "maps" that guide route drivers to ensure that both proper Category representations occurs and that only top selling products are in your machines. While spirals assigned to Categories generally remain constant, specific plan-o-gram products are changed every few weeks (the "menu period") to ensure maximum product variety exists in each machine.

The key is proper purchasing control at the warehouse level. Control your warehouse by only ordering Plan-O-Gram products during a specific menu cycle, and you will automatically control what products are in your vending machines.

Create a menu period order guide that lists only current Plan-O-Gram products, and you will make both warehouse and route functions easier - which will eliminate unnecessary investment in excess product inventory.