A busy Indian mall can welcome more than 20,000 visitors a day, and most of them will want a drink, a snack or a quick treat at some point. Vending machines in malls meet that demand in corners where a full store or kiosk would never pay off, and they do it without staff, long hours of setup or large floor space.
For mall owners, the real questions are where to put a machine, what it should sell and how the deal should be structured. This guide covers all three, with a clear look at fixed rent and revenue-share models so you can choose the one that suits your property.
Why vending machines in malls work
Malls combine three things a vending business needs: heavy footfall, long visits and a mixed audience that buys on impulse.
Footfall at scale
Location intelligence firm GeoIQ ranked India’s busiest malls for the first quarter of FY 2025, and the top three each averaged 23,000 to 26,000 visitors a day, as reported by India Retailing. Even a mid-sized regional mall sees enough daily traffic to keep a well-placed machine selling through the day.
Long visits create repeat needs
A mall visit usually spans several stops, from stores to the food court to the cinema. Thirst and snack cravings come up several times in a single trip, and not every moment is close to a food outlet. A vending machine for malls fills those gaps in corridors, parking levels and waiting areas..
New supply is still arriving
ANAROCK Research estimates that over 16.6 million sq ft of new Grade A mall space will open across India’s top seven cities in 2025 and 2026, as reported by Realty n More. New malls plan amenities from day one, which makes it easier to build vending points into the floor layout.
Machine types and products that sell in malls
The right machine depends on who passes the spot and what they need in that moment. A commercial vending machine built for malls should handle heavy daily use, accept UPI and cards, and report stock levels remotely so refills happen before shelves run empty.
| Machine type | What it sells | Where it fits best |
| Snack and beverage combo | Chips, biscuits, chocolates, chilled drinks | Corridors, parking lift lobbies |
| Cold beverage | Soft drinks, juices, water, energy drinks | Near cinemas and play zones |
| Hot beverage | Coffee, tea, soups | Office-facing levels, waiting lounges |
| Candy and toy | Gumballs, candy, capsule toys | Kids’ zones, gaming arcades |
| Essentials | Phone chargers, hygiene products, umbrellas | Restroom corridors, entrances |
Children are a large share of weekend visitors, which is why mall candy machines placed beside play areas and arcades sell well on Saturdays and Sundays. Essentials machines work differently: sales are lower in volume, but margins are higher and buyers are less price-sensitive when they urgently need a charger or sanitary product.
A touchscreen mall vending machine adds one more advantage: the screen can show brand ads or mall offers between purchases, which opens a second revenue line for the owner.
Where to place vending machines in malls
The best spots are places where people pause, wait or pass with nothing else to buy nearby. A machine next to a busy café competes with it; the same machine at the far end of a corridor fills a gap.
High-performing spots
Cinema lobbies and ticket queues catch moviegoers who want a drink before the show. Kids’ play zones and gaming arcades suit candy and cold drinks, with parents waiting nearby. Parking lift lobbies serve shoppers on their way in and out, and restroom corridors suit essentials. Upper floors with few food outlets often outperform the ground floor, simply because there is less competition.
Spots to avoid
Avoid placing a machine directly beside food court tenants, since it can create friction with paying F&B tenants and splits the same demand. Dead-end corridors with low traffic rarely justify the space, however cheap it is.
Site requirements to check
Each machine needs a dedicated, earthed power point, a stable mobile or Wi-Fi signal for cashless payments and telemetry, and a level floor area of roughly one square metre. Keep machines clear of fire exits, evacuation routes and hydrant points so the mall stays within its fire safety norms. Choose spots under CCTV coverage and away from direct sunlight, and agree a service route the refill team can use during off-peak hours.
Rent and revenue-share models compared
Mall owners usually choose between three deal structures, and each shifts risk differently between the mall and the machine operator.
| Model | How it works | Best suited to |
| Fixed rent | Operator pays a set monthly fee per spot, whatever the sales | Prime spots with proven, steady footfall |
| Revenue share | Operator pays the mall a percentage of monthly sales, with no rent | New spots, new malls, or untested locations |
| Minimum guarantee plus share | Operator pays a fixed base or a percentage of sales, whichever is higher | Large malls that want income certainty and upside |
Fixed rent gives the mall predictable income, but it pushes the risk onto the operator, who will often bid low or skip weaker spots altogether. Revenue share aligns both sides: the mall earns more when the machine sells more, so both have a reason to pick good spots and promote the machine.
Vendolite’s revenue-share model
Vendolite places and runs the machine at no rental cost to the mall, and shares a percentage of the machine’s monthly sales with the mall owner.
| Monthly sales per machine | Share paid to the mall | Mall’s monthly earnings | Rental cost |
| ₹60,000 | 3% | ₹1,800 | None |
| ₹1,00,000 | 5% | ₹5,000 | None |
The higher tier rewards good placement directly. A machine that moves from ₹60,000 to ₹1,00,000 in monthly sales takes the mall’s earnings from ₹1,800 to ₹5,000, almost three times as much, from the same square metre of floor space. That is why revenue share is often the easiest way to start with vending machines in malls: the owner earns from day one, invests nothing and can scale to more spots once the numbers are proven.
What it costs to set up a machine in a mall
The answer depends on who owns and runs the machine. Under a revenue-share deal, the mall pays nothing; the operator carries the cost of the machine, stock and service. When a mall, retailer or brand wants to own or run its own machine, the costs fall into two groups.
One-time or fixed costs
Buying outright means paying for the machine itself, which varies with size, refrigeration and screen type; see Vendolite’s vending machine on rent price for current models. Renting avoids that upfront spend, with Vendolite rental plans starting at ₹8,000 per month. Branding wraps and any electrical work at the site are usually one-off additions.
Running costs
The ongoing vending machine in mall cost covers stock, electricity, restocking visits, cleaning, payment processing charges on card transactions and periodic servicing. Refrigerated machines run around the clock, so their power use is higher than that of ambient snack machines. Mall common area maintenance (CAM) charges may also apply if the deal includes them, so confirm this in writing before signing.
A simple check before committing: estimate daily transactions at the spot, multiply by your average margin per item, and compare the monthly total against rent or rental plus running costs. If the margin is thin, a revenue-share deal usually makes more sense than owning the machine.
How to choose the right vending partner
The partner matters as much as the spot, because a machine that sits empty or broken hurts the mall’s image. India has many vending machine vendors, but they differ widely in how much of the work they actually handle.
Manufacturer or reseller
Most vending machine dealers resell machines built by someone else, which can mean slower access to spare parts and warranty support. A manufacturer that also operates machines controls the hardware, software and service, so faults are fixed faster and customisation is easier.
Transparent sales reporting
Revenue share only works when the mall can trust the numbers. Ask whether the operator offers telemetry-based sales reports, how often they are shared and whether the mall gets its own dashboard access. Payment records from UPI and card transactions should match the reported sales.
Local service strength
A reliable vending machine supplier for malls should have a service team in your city, a defined response time for breakdowns and a fixed refill schedule. Ask for references from other malls or commercial sites they already serve, and check how long those machines have been running.
Contract terms
Before signing, confirm who insures the machine, who handles product expiry and returns, how disputes over sales figures are settled and how either side can exit the agreement. Clear terms on these points prevent most disagreements that arise with vending machines in malls.
Partner with Vendolite for your mall
Vendolite has installed 6,000+ vending machines across India and the UAE and serves 1,100+ happy clients, from corporate campuses and hospitals to retail spaces. Every machine is customisable to the user: choose the machine type, product mix, wrap design in your mall’s or a brand’s colours, screen content and payment options such as UPI and cards.
Mall owners can start with zero investment through our revenue-share model. We install, stock and service the machine at no rental cost, and you earn 3% of sales at ₹60,000 a month, rising to 5% when sales reach ₹1,00,000 a month. Prefer to run your own machines? Rental plans start at ₹8,000 per month.
Talk to Vendolite today and find out which spots in your mall can start earning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are vending machines in malls profitable?
Yes, when the spot is right. Profit depends on daily footfall at that exact location, the product mix and the margin per item. Machines near cinemas, play zones and parking lobbies usually perform best. Under a revenue-share deal, the mall earns a percentage of sales without investing in the machine or stock.
How does a revenue-share deal with Vendolite work?
Vendolite installs and runs the machine with no rental cost to the mall. The mall receives 3% of sales when a machine sells ₹60,000 a month, and 5% when sales reach ₹1,00,000 a month. That works out to ₹1,800 or ₹5,000 a month per machine, with no investment from the mall.
Do vending machines in malls need any approvals?
The mall management’s written approval is the first requirement, covering location, power and access. The operator selling packaged food or drinks also needs FSSAI registration or a licence, depending on turnover. Placement must respect the mall’s fire safety plan, so machines should never block exits, hydrants or evacuation routes.
How often are mall machines refilled?
Restocking frequency depends on sales. High-traffic machines in busy malls may need daily refills on weekends, while quieter spots can run on two or three visits a week. Telemetry shows live stock levels, so the operator can schedule refills before popular items sell out, ideally before the mall opens.