When to consider a Micro Market Kiosk? 

Micro Market Kiosks are becoming ever more popular in employee break rooms, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right fit for everyone.

Things that need to be considered:

A Micro Market Kiosk works best in a closed environment. If a company has outside contractors, delivery people, truckers that have access to the market, they may not understand how the micro market concept works. We have experienced this where these outsiders think that it is a company benefit provided free of charge and it’s free for the taking.  If a client is presented with a thumb drive addressing shortages and the offenders can’t be identified, the micro market may not last long.  This same problem presents itself at companies that have high turnover or have a large temporary workforce. This is also the reason why you will not see a micro market in airports or other transient areas.

Corporate Food Service & Micro Market Benefits

Why are so many corporate companies and offices choosing to put a micro market into their break room?  It’s true, many vending machines may have been replaced in breakrooms, but why – what’s driving this?

The primary reason for this mass conversion is that micro markets deliver an entirely different customer experience.  Being able to reach into a cooler for a cold beverage or pick your favorite snack from a shelf certainly embodies the “grab and go” society that we live in. With self-check-out taking place at many retailers, consumers are comfortable checking out at the micro market kiosk and the transactions are actually quicker.

Affordable Office Vending Machine Snack Prices

This is actually a great question and one that we hear from time to time. First, stores try to have a certain number of loss leaders. These are special prices that get a consumer’s attention because they are a great deal. Sometimes these items are even sold at a loss. Well, let me clarify this. They really do not sell vending machine items at a loss because manufacturers give stores special price incentives if the store advertises the manufacturers’ products in the newspapers, etc. With the incentive dollars offsetting the low price for the product, the stores are not really losing money. Office vending machines are a completely different channel and are not eligible for these advertising incentives.

At A.H. Management, we offer reliable and affordable vending machines as well as micro market services for corporate offices and other types of public destinations. Contact a specialist at A.H. Management Group to learn more about our products and services.

Hypothetically, if all service was the same, it would be easy to find micro market vending solutions by just comparing prices on a spreadsheet. This would allow you to commoditize the process and objectively find the most price competitive vendor.

Unfortunately, service is not the same, so simple spreadsheets may help but they certainly don’t paint the full picture. Like any service industry, prices are typically determined by the level of service and the product offerings that a vendor provides. So to evaluate if the vendor is worth their prices, certain questions need to be considered to determine what’s right for your company.