Micro Market vs Vending Machines: Which is the Better Option?

Choosing between Micro Market vs Vending Machines for Your Office

Food and drink services are a great perk to offer to your employees. If they can grab a meal, snack, or beverage when they want to, it keeps them happy, motivated, and focused. Offering a range of healthy options is a good way to look out for the health of your staff too. Of employees that have access to food and drink in the office, almost half enjoy them up to four times per week and 29% do so once a day or more.

More than half of employees say they need snacks to keep their energy up in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the majority (83%) say that snacks at work are a huge perk. And the younger your employees, the more likely they are to value snacks as an important perk. Providing food and drink options can increase employee satisfaction and even improve sales targets. It also increases productivity by allowing employees to get what they need at work, instead of having to leave the office.

But what model should you choose to provide food and drink for your employees when deciding between a Micro Market vs Vending Machines in the workplace? Micro markets and vending machines are two of your key options. Both offer a great way to cater to your employee’s needs, but one could be the better option for your office. A micro market gives you a tiny store with a selection of snacks and self-service for your employees. Meanwhile, a vending machine also offers the option of snacks or drinks with payment options to suit your employees.

Space Required

The first thing you might want to think about is the space required for a micro market or vending machine. In general, a micro market will require more space. Products are laid out on shelves or in fridges, giving your employees a broad selection of products. This means you’ll need a bit more space compared to a vending machine, which takes up little floor space. However, a micro market can be of various different sizes and might not take up much more space than a vending machine or a row of vending machines.

Payment Options

Giving your employees payment options is important. They’re more likely to make a purchase if they can pay in the way they want to. Fortunately, both vending machines and micro markets can make payment easy. Our kiosks offer card and cash payments, or your employees can choose to pay via mobile device. Vending machines have the option to pay via cash, card, or contactless payment too.

Convenient payment options from both micro markets and vending machines make both a great choice for your office.

Ease of Maintenance

It’s great to be able to offer food and drinks to your employees, but what about having to maintain the system you choose? You don’t want to have to spend a lot of time maintaining them, from restocking to cleaning.

Vending machines are easy to set up and maintain. You can simply choose the vending machine type and products that work for your office, and it will be kept stocked up and maintained for you. You can easily set up your micro market too, with a range of products to choose from and options to customize your advertisements and food categories.

As you can see, there are a lot of aspects to consider when deciding between a Micro Market vs Vending Machines for your workplace. Continue reading to learn more. 

User Experience

It’s important to think about user experience when comparing a Micro Market vs Vending Machines. Both offer an excellent experience for your employees but in slightly different ways.

The familiarity of a vending machine makes it a great option, whether it’s placed in your break room or somewhere convenient such as a lobby or corridor. Everyone knows how to use them, making them easy to use with a modern interface. Vending machines are quick to use, saving time for your employees who may wish to get back to their break or work as quickly as possible.

Micro markets also offer convenience to your employees but in a different way. If you want to provide an experience more akin to shopping in a store or market, you can deliver a spread of products for your employees to choose from. Employees can grab what they want, scan what they’ve selected, and pay using the method they prefer. The self-service model means they can quickly choose whatever they want at any time of the day, and get back to their break or back to their desk. You can provide an array of products, from sandwiches and wraps to fruit and snack packs.

Security

Both vending machines and micro markets offer excellent security to protect your investment. Vending machines are designed to be sturdy and secure, requiring payment before the products are delivered to the customer.

Micro markets feature remotely monitored security. Employees get the freedom to browse products and choose what they want while being trusted to make their purchases. Meanwhile, remote monitoring helps to ensure the market remains secure and deters theft.

Healthy Options

People might think of vending machines as being full of chips, chocolate, and soda. But vending machines can stock a lot more than that. Modern vending machines are often full of a variety of healthy snacks, as well as some more indulgent treats. Cold food machines can provide salads, wraps, sandwiches, and more so that your employees can enjoy something more substantial and nutritious.

Of course, micro markets make it easy to offer healthy options too. You can stock fresh food in a refrigerator, in addition to offering shelf-stable products. A variety of fruits, healthy snacks, and healthy beverages can be offered. Employees benefit from quality fresh food crafted by chefs, enabling them to grab a snack or a healthy meal whenever they want one.

Market vs Vending Machines?

Choosing between micro market vs vending machines depends on your priorities, how much space you have available, and what sort of experience you want to offer. Each option allows you to offer a range of food and drink options to keep your employees engaged. Micro markets can foster trust and potentially offer more choice with a seamless experience, while vending machines are a quick and convenient option.