Record airport business sees vending and refreshments company’s sales soar

Manchester-based Broderick’s Group, the vending and refreshments company, has recorded half year turnover figures that already exceed its average full year pre-pandemic performance and early predictions indicate that 2022 will be a record year.

Attributing its record sales to extreme demand at Manchester Airport, Broderick’s has experienced a 25% uplift in the like-for-like periods March – June 2019 and 2022. This performance came before peak school summer holidays, which see 3.5 million people travel from the airport over the six week summer period.

Broderick’s is expecting to achieve a £23m turnover by the end of 2022.

Before the pandemic struck, family-owned Broderick’s invested more than £1m into its airport vending infrastructure, to service customers with the very latest innovations, including converting its vending machines to accept contactless payment. Three years later, the investment is paying dividends as Broderick’s braces itself for its busiest summer.

Primed to service and support a summer of record airport sales, Broderick’s has boosted its estate of airport vending machines by over 10%, with a total of 111 drink and snack machines installed across all terminals.

In addition to the airport business, Broderick’s business growth this year has mainly been driven by expanding into more than 17 shopping centres in the UK including the Trafford Centre which has alone contributed to over £1m in revenue.

Managing director John Broderick said: “Investing in cashless technology works for our business because it works for our customers. It’s so easy to buy from the vending machine and, because people aren’t trying to feed foreign currency into the machines, less faults are reported, meaning no interruption to service and less downtime from a business perspective. In fact, we’ve had a 28% reduction in service calls.

“At Broderick’s we’re all about exceptional service, from helping our airport clients to keep refreshments in stock so travellers can stay hydrated during their busiest periods, to making passengers smile with thoughtful savings and promotions through our Pay 4 Vend app.’’

Broderick’s Pay 4 Vend app enables customers to earn rewards for repeat purchases and access unique discounts with local partner brands.

Broderick said: “Although it’s usual to see a peak of activity over the summer months, we’ve never before experienced such concentrated demand. And I don’t think September will spell the end of the busy period, as that’s when the DINKYs – couples not tied to school holidays – will jet off.

“In addition to Manchester Airport, we also service Stansted, Liverpool and Birmingham airports, and it’s the same story at each. With the pandemic causing a body blow to businesses, it’s fantastic to be in a thick of a real boom period, and it’s great to see that all our team’s hard work and the investment we’ve made into the business is now reaping rewards.’’