MicroMarkets
A new normal in catering
Growth in the micromarket sector has accelerated in the last three years, but with workplaces changing so significantly during the pandemic, what is the future of this unattended self-service retail concept?
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micromarket is described as a compact self-serve store that provides fresh healthy food and drink 24/7. As they are automated without the need for staff to run them, they are seen by many as
being at the cutting edge of enterprise in catering solutions. By micromarket specialist Selecta’s definition, a traditional micromarket
will consist of a combination of open rack displays, reach-in refrigerated coolers or freezers and a self-checkout kiosk where customers can pay in either cash, card or with pre-paid credit. Working in just the same way as a supermarket, customers can choose
from a range of drinks, snacks, sandwiches, fruit – a choice of up to 1,000 items – before paying for their items at the self-service kiosk. In recent years, the micromarket sector has been growing and providing
stiff competition to traditional vending services and the office canteen. New micromarkets are being installed not only in workplaces and hospitality, but also education and healthcare, where 24-hour catering for large numbers of people is prohibitively expensive. In fact, according to the Automatic Vending Association, the demand for
micromarket vending has continued to grow over recent years, with a 350% increase since 2017.
Pandemic
Since the beginning of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the traditional workplace to change, with more people encouraged to work from home, while educational institutions closed for months, or were required to operate under strict restrictions. So, what does this mean for micromarkets? What will be the impact of
restrictions and low foot fall in traditional environments? Finally, where does all this leave micromarkets after the virus is defeated?
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vendinginternational-online.com The Automatic Vending Association believes that in a post-COVID
workplace, micromarkets are likely to play an even greater role to provide refreshments to employees, especially if traditional canteen facilities are forced to remain closed. Chief executive David Llewellyn says: “Micromarkets can be a great
catering alternative to provide a mix of smart catering systems and traditional vending. “As we get more accustomed to flexible ways of working, it is also likely
that core office hours and designated breaks will be a thing of the past, to enable employees to maintain the autonomy they have become used to while working remotely.
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