‘Want to have 1000 machines’: 24-year-old entrepreneur behind Sydney vending machine empire

‘The sky’s the limit’ for the 24-year-old owner of a rapidly-expanding vending machine empire in Sydney, who has made just shy of $1 million in cash flow since he began operations four years ago. Picture: TikTok/@drecollectss

“The sky’s the limit” for the 24-year-old owner of a rapidly-expanding vending machine empire in Sydney, who has made just shy of $1 million in cash flow since he began operations four years ago.

Andre-Christian Collett is the brains behind Andres Vending (AVM), a one-man business “on a mission to make snacking a convenient and enjoyable experience”.

Mr Collett, who got his first job when he was 12, has “always been interested in making money, ever since I was young”, he told news.com.au.

“I’ve been reselling clothes and shoes since I was like, 16. I tried cleaning businesses, a pressure-washing business. I tried to bulk sell Nautica jackets,” Mr Collett said.

“I had heaps of money saved up from (all of) that, so I just invested it into something else.”

For Mr Collett, that “something else” turned out to be a vending machine.

“I saw the idea on TikTok, funnily enough – someone in America had done it,” he recalled.

“And I thought it seemed like a good idea. So I just kept an eye out, and then pulled the pin one day and kept going from there.”

In October 2021, using eight years-worth of money he’d saved “by doing little odd jobs”, the then-20-year-old bought his first machine. Nearly four years to the date, he now owns 46.

“I kept trying new businesses and then this was the one that seemed to actually take off, so I just stuck with it – and here we are today,” he said.

‘The sky’s the limit’ for the 24-year-old owner of a rapidly-expanding vending machine empire in Sydney, who has made just shy of $1 million in cash flow since he began operations four years ago. Picture: TikTok/@drecollectss

Mr Collett, who is based in the inner-southern suburb of Waterloo, now has machines “all over Sydney – Parramatta, Homebush, Chatswood”.

“I’ve got them in Sutherland, I’ve got them in Bankstown, I’ve got them in the city, in the eastern suburbs,” Mr Collett said.

“They’re literally everywhere.”

According to the description on AVM’s website, “with our 24/7 service, we’re always here for you, day or night, ready to satisfy your cravings”.

“We believe in delivering nothing but the best, which is why we offer high-quality products that always leave you wanting more,” the website reads.

“Our vending machines are a testament to our commitment to excellence. We’ve carefully selected top-of-the-line models that not only dispense goodies flawlessly but also add a touch of modern sophistication to any space.”

Mr Collett bought his first machine in October 2021. Picture: AVM/Supplied

‘Anything less than $150 a week in total sales is not worth it.’ Picture: TikTok/@drecollectss

The initial outlay for a single machine, if it’s brand new, can be anywhere from $7000 to $8000, Mr Collett explained, and as much as $10,000.

“But if you buy it at a place (eg a construction site, an office, a shopping centre) – I bought all my sites already based at places, originally – you pay 1.5 times the yearly revenue for it,” he said.

“So if it’s making $10,000 a year in gross sales, then you’d want to pay an absolute maximum of $15,000. But I aim to pay more like 1.2, 1.3 times so I can pay it back quicker.”

For a brand new machine, maintenance won’t cost you anything, Mr Collett said, “but if you have, like, a second-hand machine or you buy an older machine, then it’ll naturally give you a few more problems”.

‘I’m gonna make like hundreds of millions of dollars – that’s my end goal in life.’ Picture: TikTok/@drecollectss

As for how much a single machine makes on average, Mr Collett said it’s dependent on “if you’re getting good sites or bad sites – but what I aim for is $30 a day”.

“Because then it adds up to $150 a week, minimum, if it’s a five-day week). Or if it’s a seven-day week, then it’s like $200 a week,” he said.

“Anything less than $150 a week in total sales is not worth it, in my opinion.”

His most lucrative machine was based at a construction site where, “at its peak, it was doing like $450 a day, which is nuts”.

“That’s very, very uncommon – that was an anomaly for sure.”

Cans of Coke, V and Red Bull are, unsurprisingly, his highest-sold products, Mr Collett said.

“And in the summer, obviously Powerade and stuff – and everyone loves water,” he added.

“Everyone just buys bottled water – it’s nuts. And chocolates, especially in winter as well. They pump every chocolate.”

Mr Collett owns 46 vending machines – and counting – across Sydney. Picture: TikTok/@drecollectss

Cans of Coke, V and Red Bull are his most-sold products. Picture: AVM/Supplied

Though Mr Collett declined to share his net profit, he estimated that four years of selling snacks has had a total cashflow of “just under $1 million” – with no signs of slowing down.

“It’s just me – I do everything. My brain never stops going, so I can take on so much work. I just do it all myself,” he said.

“I work every day – I’m not doing eight hours every day, but I am working every day, doing like four or five hours here and there. And on the weekend, I’ll just be buying stock or organising stock or packing boxes or doing little jobs that I couldn’t get to during the week.”

Mr Collett is four machines away from his target of owning 50 by the end of 2025.

“Then next year, (I want to own) 100, and then like, the sky’s the limit, honestly,” he said.

“I want to have 1000 machines one day. I’m gonna make like hundreds of millions of dollars – that’s my end goal in life. As long as it keeps going, why would I stop, you know what I mean?”

Never miss the latest wealth and culture news from Australia and around the world – download the news.com.au app direct to your phone.