ROI · Why it pays off
What does it cost to sell ice?
Compare buying wholesale ice with making it on site, including the everyday running costs.
A simple example
3,000 bags of 3kg ice a year, sold for $6 each.
$3.50 wholesale cost per bag, plus power for one commercial chest freezer.
Includes power and water, bags and filters.
About $9,310 more in your pocket each year than buying wholesale ice
Try your annual volume
Change the volume, selling price and wholesale cost to compare the estimate.
How this estimate works
- Power and water: $1,000 per year, held fixed as bag volume changes.
- Bags: about $0.10 each.
- Payment processing: excluded from both estimates for a like-for-like comparison.
- Filters: $200 per year.
- Wholesale freezer power: about $310/year for one commercial freezer.
- Not included: machine purchase, installation, maintenance, repairs, insurance, site costs, finance and tax. Actual costs vary by site, electricity tariff and payment setup.
Why ice vending makes sense
FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Long-term savings
Producing ice on site removes the need to buy each bag wholesale. It can also reduce delivery, handling and peak-season charges. Actual savings depend on your sales volume, pricing and running costs.
Compounded ROI
Sales first contribute toward recovering the machine cost. Once it is paid off, ongoing sales can continue adding to business income after operating costs. Returns build over time if sales continue.
Operational independence
On-site production reduces dependence on delivery schedules, stock availability and changing wholesale prices. You can respond to demand at your own site.
Asset ownership
Unlike each wholesale bag, the machine is an asset your business owns. A well-maintained machine may retain resale value, depending on its condition and market demand.
BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Hygiene safe
Ice is made from multi-stage filtered water in a fully automated process, without human contact during production.
Less pollution
Producing ice where it is sold reduces the need for trucks to transport bagged ice.
Less plastic
Customers can use their own chilly bin or container, reducing the need for single-use plastic bags.
Less power
ICEBOY uses passive storage that goes idle once full and produces more ice as it is dispensed. This avoids keeping a chest freezer running continuously to store ice.