Category: Micro-Market

Why should employers consider adding a micro-market to the break room? Because micro-markets have become an integral part of the Atlanta break room experience. Not only are there more micro-markets today than there were a few years ago, but micro-markets are projected to continue to see impressive growth.

Many of the benefits enjoyed by Atlanta employees and employers after using a micro-market are intangible. For example, a creative break room design with a micro-market is a must-have retention tool for current employees, and a high-value benefit that potential employees seek. Other benefits that are often seen include:

• a boost in employee morale and productivity
• an increase in efficiency because employees stay onsite, and the micro-market is open 24 hours per day
• meeting the needs of those employees who do not work traditional hours
• a bigger space that allows for additional healthy selections

Employees have a lot of options when it comes to choosing where to purchase something to eat or drink during the workday. A micro-market offers a wide selection of fresh food, snacks, and beverages, but as with any retail endeavor, the customers’ preferences, or in this case, your employees’ preferences, need to be considered. Take the time to research and customize a micro-market menu that will keep your Atlanta employees coming back.

For example, pizza is a popular meal to include on the menu. A recent survey found that 86 percent of participants would be willing to give something up for a year to have free pizza whenever they want. Americans love pizza. For those employees who are in the mood for something different, a variety of sandwiches, burritos, soups and salads make excellent options. With the extra space available in a micro-market, employees can also enjoy a wide selection of traditional and healthy snacks and beverages, and office coffee service.

Keep your Atlanta employees returning to the break room with a micro-market designed by PB&J Vending. To learn more about micro-markets or to set up a consultation, please contact us at 877-820-8363.

The micro-market is drawing more Atlanta employees into their at-work break room than traditional vending ever has. This increase is great news for both employers and vending operators. Now, the biggest challenge is determining which beverages, snacks, and food options to offer to keep bringing those new customers back.

The solution—understand the mindset of the micro-market shopper.

Before getting to know your Atlanta micro-market consumers, it is important to acknowledge the three types of shoppers: traditional, traditional-healthy, and healthy.

Traditional

The traditional consumer usually prefers products that are traditionally found in vending machines. Their go-to place for snacks and beverages, these employees have been making purchases from the break room vending machine since before the micro-market was available. The key to keeping traditional consumers coming back to the micro-market is to offer multiple flavors of their favorite snacks and beverages. 

Traditional-Healthy

The traditional-healthy consumer moves back and forth between the two sides. They express a desire for healthier items, but micro-market sales reports show that they still mostly purchase traditional items. One way to engage traditional-healthy consumers is to offer extensions of familiar items that meet new wellness trends, such as snack items with more protein or smaller calorie packs.

Healthy   

The healthy consumer seeks out snacks, beverages, and meals that are good-for-you or better-for-you. Offering an expanded variety of options, the Atlanta micro-market is a viable option for the healthy consumer. The biggest challenge is ensuring that the healthy product offerings are customized enough and, at the same time, broad enough for the majority. Balancing healthy items with traditional ones needs to be done carefully to ensure that the micro-market is profitable.

To learn what your employees are looking for in a micro-market consider asking them the following questions.

• What types of snacks are most appealing? When would you consume them? Do they need to fulfill a purpose such as satisfy a sweet tooth or boost energy?
• What types of beverages would you purchase? When would you consume them? Do they need to fulfill a purpose such as hydration, a caffeine boost, or a meal replacement?
• What type of food would you buy?
• Are you looking for a space that is like a convenience store or a place to sit and interact with colleagues?

By surveying your Atlanta employees about one or more topics, it is possible to have a better understanding about what they want. Identify common themes and overlapping results and choose products that meet the needs of at least two types of shopper. Considering why and when a specific item is chosen is another way to ensure that more employees will be able to enjoy it.

And don’t worry. PB&J Vending is here to help you design a break room that fits exactly what your Atlanta employees are looking for. Whether it’s a micro-market, healthy or traditional vending machines, or gourmet-style coffee service we have a solution for everyone. To learn more, contact us at 877-820-8363. We look forward to hearing from you.