In a pre-Brexit world, large-scale organisations in the UK and in Europe historically operated onsite canteen facilities with lunch and snack options which provided employees with a fuller working experience. These canteens were staffed by individuals hired by the organisation, who would prepare fresh food daily.
Office culture in the UK and Europe, however, has changed significantly in recent years, both because of the post-Brexit implications and because of how businesses have needed to adapt to the consequences of the pandemic. With work-from-home / hybrid models of working becoming more acceptable throughout the UK and Europe, office traffic and, subsequently, the need for canteen setups, have both evolved and reduced.
To manage costs on the few days during the week that employees do come into office, and to incentivise employees to come into the office in the first place, organisations are hunting for cost-effective options to both replace the higher cost elements of canteens.
Micro markets are the perfect solution. Driven by self-service and flexible enough to be placed anywhere, micro markets are making it easier for customers to “grab, pay and go”.
To appeal to this call from organisations for more cost-effective solutions, here are a few reasons why operators should consider adding micro markets to their fleets to serve as a modern replacement for the traditional canteen setup:
Micro markets offer a more modern approach to vending.
Unique food and beverage experiences are now a consistent demand from consumers, influenced by a rapid advance in technology, a call from customers and younger generations for a more elevated vending experience and a post-COVID increase in cashless payment. In particular, micro markets offer a quick, simple and cool approach to vending. Operators can offer organisations self-service kiosks, which make it easier for consumers to “grab, pay and go”.
The addition of a smart fridge to a micro market setup opens up an organisation’s ability to provide a myriad of unique food and beverage options catered to the variety of consumers in an office setting.
Micro markets can also be uniquely aligned with an organisation’s brand, featuring customised signage, fixture headers and kiosk screens which contribute to a more elevated vending experience.
Micro markets are more cost effective than a canteen.
In the past, organisations would have had to pay a support team to manage a canteen setup, prepare fresh food and coordinate all logistics associated with the canteen. Instead, operators can help customers cut down on canteen labour costs by offering a micro market complete with a self-service kiosk. By handling the servicing, stocking and monitoring of the market, operators can position themselves as an essential service provider at less cost to the client.
Micro markets can offer a diversity of food and beverage options.
Micro markets are advantageous in the diversity of fresh food and beverage options available. They can be stocked with items that customers typically only get at a local grocery store or in a restaurant: gourmet coffee, baked goods, energy bars, frozen items and more. Micro markets can also be stocked with healthy options, making them more appealing to organisations encouraging a healthier office culture.
With the support of the right vending management system, operators can glean data which can help them accurately stock the micro market with the preferred food and beverage items for each of their client locations.
Micro markets can provide employee perks.
Operators can help customers design their micro markets to make the in-office experience more personal, including the addition of loyalty programmes or an integrated app that connects to the micro market and makes selection and purchase easy. In addition, employers have the flexibility to create employee of the month coupons or guest passes for “free meals” from the micro market – creating even more perks to employees in the office. Some clients even seek the opportunity to incorporate health and wellness programs in their personalized micro market – giving apples, bananas or even salads at an employer subsidised price, sometimes 50% off the retail price in the market. All of these tailored location programmes ultimately are just additional ways to drive increased revenue for the operator to their micro market on-site.
Micro markets can incentivise employees to spend more time in the office.
With the shifting working landscape post-COVID, operators are aware that businesses are looking for different ways to improve employee experience and maximise the few days out of the week that their teams are all together. By providing an organisation with a micro market, operators can help team leads and managers provide a strong incentive for their teams to come into office on a more regular cadence and keep them on site during the course of the day, ensuring quality time to nurture their teams on designated in-office days.
Cantaloupe provides operators with an end-to-end solution to design, install and manage micro markets. Connect with a member of our sales team here to get started with your micro market.