AVA consists of 160 members who manage the 460,00 vending machines across the UK. Vending machines appear across the public sector in universities, hospitals and MOD sites.
David Llewellyn, chief executive of the AVA, commented: "AVA members have seen their business return over the past few weeks. To around 50% of where it was at the same time last year.
“BUT – where sites, particularly offices, call centres and leisure have reopened, the turnover is a fraction of what it was due to considerably less footfall.
"Today’s announcement will simply compound this. At a time where many are having to consider their staffing needs as the CJRS Furlough scheme comes to an end. Current estimates, based on our member interviews, are that up to 25% of the 24,500 people directly employed within vending companies are at risk."
The AVA has reaffirmed its high safety standards by stating that vending machines are one of the most hygienic ways for workers to purchase food and beverage products when not working from home.
According to AVA’s 2019 census there has been an increase of cashless vending machines from 34% in 2017 to 62% in 2019. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stressed the importance of contact-virus-free payments during the Coronavirus pandemic.