What Exactly Is A Micro Market And Why Does Your Company Need One?.
Hybrid working patterns have meant that workers are now coming back into the office a couple of days a week, if not more regularly. For the worker, having readily available fresh, healthy food and drinks, particularly for shift workers, is essential for employee wellbeing.
Staff canteens present many issues when it comes to fulfilling the needs of an entire workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has made many companies re-evaluate how they provide food and beverage solutions for their staff, with a particular spotlight on the cost and availability of traditional catering.
Micro-markets are a type of vending service that gives all kinds of workers food and beverage options, 24/7, without needing a complement of staff to prepare and serve food. With micro-markets, staff have access to a wider range of food and drink options from leading brands, with the added benefit of being available all day, at an employee’s workplace.
Our latest blog will explain what Micro-markets are and why your company should invest in a micro-market so your employees remain healthy and productive at work.
What is a Micro-Market?
A micro-market is an unattended self-service retail environment that provides fresh food, snacks, hot and cold drinks and more, for employees. Workers can pay for their food using a range of payment options, such as contactless cards, through smartphone apps and using Debit/Credit cards.
The micro-market’s design features open shelves, as well as the option to choose a refrigerated cooler or freezer and a self-service checkout kiosk. Unlike a traditional vending machine that can hold 40-50 product lines, a micro-market can stock between 500-1000 products, should they be needed.
For your company, the micro-market gives you all the advantages of a staff canteen without requiring staff to operate that part of your workspace. When it comes to employees, they benefit from having fresh, healthy food that is readily available without leaving the office.
How does a Deli Café work and its main features?
Connect Vending’s Deli Café solution allows your company to create an automated staff canteen. Rather than having staff provide catering for your company, having Deli Café available for 24/7 means that you can create a community space for workers.
Having a Deli Café vending service means increased staff productivity, as well as better wellbeing and opportunities to collaborate on projects. The all-day nature of Deli Café means that you can buy and pay for food and drinks during the day, evening or night to consume with your work colleagues.
Our popular fully managed service means that your favourite sandwiches, croissants and salads will be regularly rotated and readily available for your workers to enjoy throughout the working week. We work with you closely to ensure that we have the right stock levels and operator visits to keep everything running smoothly.
Vending or Micro-Market - which is best?
Vending machines and micro-markets are similar in that they give employees the opportunity to grab breakfast or lunch without having to leave the office.
When you decide on wanting a micro-market for your company, there are some things that you need to consider before installing this solution.
- Micro-markets are great for large offices that don’t need a staff canteen, while at the same time they provide employees with fresh food to eat. For busy logistics or warehouse settings though, you can’t beat the traditional vending format for delivering a consistent, great quality drink or fresh food item, quickly.
- Consumers have more flexibility to choose healthy food that can be eaten at any time of the day, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. Typically, vending machine products have a longer shelf life and might not be as tasty as regularly rotated fresh micro-market food.
- You can tailor the layout of your micro-market to ensure that the space can be used by workers during their breaks, creating an attractive, relaxed environment.
Choosing a Micro-Market Vending Solution with Connect Vending
Micro-markets are an excellent choice when it comes to boosting employee wellbeing and productivity for your business.
Having fresh, healthy food and drinks for workers without going to the nearest cafe or chip shop means that they will stay productive and happy. Not only will your micro-market be sustainable, but we can help you provide a solution that is tailored to your business needs.
Speak to our team today and we can help you find the right micro-market solution for your business.