The Micro Market Installation Process.
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What is a Micro Market?
A micro market is a self service catering unit that transforms workplace refreshment. These unmanned retail environments include refrigerated coolers, open shelving, commercial coffee machines, water dispensers, and self-checkout kiosks. Operating 24/7 with cashless payment, micro markets offer employees more variety than traditional vending machines. including fresh meals and snacks, with transparent, upfront pricing.
Professional Micro Market Installation
Installing a micro market properly is essential for operational success, employee satisfaction, and return on investment. Connect Vending provides professional micro market installation services across the UK, transforming your workplace breakroom into a modern, self-service convenience store that your employees will love.
Connect Vending’s certified micro market installation engineers handle every aspect of the micro market vending machine installation, including configuring and stocking the fresh food vending machines.
How Long Does a Micro Market Installation Take?
Micro Market Installation Timeline: 6-8 weeks
A complete micro market installation, from the initial consultation to launch day typically takes 6-8 weeks which includes assessments, designing custom builds, site surveys, equipment ordering and inspections, installing and stocking the micro market. This timeline can vary depending on factors such as manufacturer lead time and your sites technical needs.
The time spent on site during installation day(s) vary depending on the micro market format. Small format micro market installations with 1-2 refrigerated units, basic shelving and one contactless payment kiosk can be installed within a day. Larger micro market installations, such as full breakroom upgrades, that have extensive product displays, custom branding, and a larger range of machines with multiple contactless micro market payment kiosks can take 1-2 days to complete the setup.
The Micro Market Installation Process
A Consultative Approach
We start by listening to your requirements.
Connect Vending’s micro market specialists begin with a detailed consultation, where they will develop an understanding of your workplace needs, employee preferences, and business objectives to create a bespoke micro market solution that fits your business needs.
During the initial consultation period, our team will assess the available space and locations for the micro market vending kiosks. We will also explore the financial structures and explain the micro market business models, including employer subsides, waste management and operational logistics.
Product range requirements significantly impact micro market design. Some businesses want comprehensive meal solutions with hot food options, fresh sandwiches, salads, and full lunch offerings. Others focus on snacks, drinks, and grab-and-go items for breaks rather than meals. Healthy vending is increasingly requested with organic options, low-sugar drinks, fresh fruit, and nutritious snacks. We discuss whether you want traditional convenience store products, health focused selection, or balanced mix appealing to diverse preferences.
The Design & Planning Phase
No two micro markets are the same!
Once all of the logistics have been discussed, our design team creates a custom micro market layout and detail floor plans showing the exact positioning of the machines, till points, and design.
During the design phase we will discuss brand identity and customisation, some of the customisation options available are:
- Custom branded micro markets using brand colours and logos
- Branded digital signage
- Lighting designs
- Floor prints and stickers
Equipment specifications are finalised during design including number and size of refrigerated coolers based on fresh food volume, open shelving units for ambient products, self-checkout kiosk with appropriate screen size and payment hardware, security cameras for loss prevention coverage, and any specialty equipment like coffee machines integrated into the market space. We specify exact models, dimensions, electrical requirements, and network connectivity needs.
What's Included in a Site Survey?
Before your micro market gets installed, Connect Vending’s installations team will come to your site for a pre-installation inspection to assess the space for your micro market vending machine. During the micro market installation process, the installation engineers will evaluate the room layout, access points, and electrical components and their locations, determining whether new ones need to be installed for your micro markets. They will also make a list of any alterations, such as installing new or moving plug sockets, that need to be made to ensure installing a micro market runs smoothly at your facility.
What Happens During a Micro Market Installtion?
Pre Delivery Inspection
The Micro Market Installation
Post installation inspections
Merchandising methods
Connect Vending provides flexible fully managed vending maintenance including restocking schedules tailored to your business needs with a minimum of three visits per week ensuring fresh products are always available and popular items never run out. Our expert team of operators follows the FIFO method (First In, First Out) when stocking new inventory, guaranteeing that older products sell before their expiration dates while maintaining optimal freshness and reducing waste.
Every six weeks, we review the products and analyse sales data to identify underperforming items and introduce new products that better match employee preferences and seasonal trends.
Our route planning is specifically designed around your requirements, whether you need early morning restocking before employees arrive, mid-day visits during off-peak hours, or weekend service to avoid workplace disruption, ensuring our operations integrate seamlessly with your business schedule and maximise convenience for your team.
Launch day
The day we make a fuss of you.
Micro market launch day is when the hard work comes to life and Connect Vending pull out all the stops to make it a memorable day for you and your employees. Our team arrives ready to make it a proper event, complete with free samples so your employees can taste the quality and variety on offer and exclusive lunch discounts via the 365Pay app.
The Connect Vending team will also be on hand to answer any questions and to demonstrate how the 365Pay app works to ensure everyone feels confident with how the micro market works. To top it off, we transform the space with decorations and signage, turning the micro market into a vibrant focal point that demands attention.
