What is a micro market? How can one benefit your catering operation?

What is a micro market?

Micro markets, often referred to as micromarkets or micro-markets, bring the high street experience to the workplace where the end-user experiences an abundance of refreshment solutions, hot and cold all in one place. They are a low cost, safe and modern unattended retail and catering solution.

Unrivalled convenience

Compact and modular in design, the micro market provides fresh, healthy food and drink on a self-serve basis, 24 hours a day. The workplace sector has seen the greatest growth in recent times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Liked by employers and employees for being ‘uber’ convenient eliminating the need to leave the site for refreshment.

Range of SKU’s

The micro market’s modular system allows you to arrange your commercial catering equipment and display your range of meals, snacks, salads, sweet treats and refreshing drinks to optimise your offer. You can configure and tailor elements to meet the needs of the consumer, location and environment.

Modular system

Micro markets usually consist of the following elements and increasingly include non-food items as additional revenue streams:

Nebrak Micromarket System

24-hour service

A fully automated catering solution means no on-site staff and minimal maintenance. Accessible and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week provides breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options. The concept is proving to be an immensely popular catering solution for organisations moving to a hub and spoke office strategy post-pandemic.

Smart technology

Choose a payment system best suited to your customers – contactless cash, credit card, debit card, pre-paid credit, company cards. Self-checkout transactions become fast, convenient, and safe for consumers via touchless technologies in addition to providing a valuable source of shopping data for operators. Loyalty schemes, shopper incentives and the normal promotions you would experience in the high street. Run your inventory in real-time and respond to demand and trends.

Bridging the gap between vending and managed canteens

For organisations transitioning from a managed canteen, the micro market provides a scalable solution. Micro markets best serve 100 – 500 employees providing a trade up from vending and trade down from a traditional canteen. They can augment existing catering facilities with meal options demonstrated by the installation below. The micro market can be designed to suit all budgets, demands and locations suiting the needs of both the client and operator.

micro market in-situ by Nebrak 

Employee well-being and hybrid working

Promoting a healthy lifestyle and culture within your organisation will ensure your staff feel valued. Providing a high-quality food and beverage offering that caters for flexible/hybrid working patterns are now sought after by existing employees and potential talent. Employers have a duty to fulfil, but through planning, insight and innovation they can profit from a healthy and productive working environment with a micro market.

Company catering and break solution

By embracing a break-out area within site plans you can create a unique space for re-energising, re-focusing and relaxing. Not only can this space be used for refreshment, but it can be designed to host informal meetings, breaks from screen time, collaboration, creative and social interactions. Catering solutions or ‘Refreshment Destinations’ for the modern workplace need to be adaptable and attractive to meet consumers’ expectations.  Personalised customer experiences create loyalty. Loyalty results in greater yield. See how Selecta created a refreshment destination with their branded micro market solution – Foodies, for client MAN Truck & Bus.

Award-winning micro markets

In 2019 Nebrak were delighted to be awarded ‘Best Micro Market Service’ by Associated Vending Services (AVS) in recognition of their commitment and work in this rapidly growing sector. Since, Nebrak has successfully collaborated on numerous new conceptual micro market projects with leading food and drink brands, vending operators and payment technology providers.

If you are seeking a catering solution for your workplace, or you are a vending operator, commercial equipment supplier or payment technology provider wanting to know how more about what the micro market concept could mean for your business, then Nebrak can help.

Nebrak leads the way in the design, manufacture and installation of micro market furniture in the UK.

For a free design consultation and quote contact us:

+44 (0)1803 813900 | enquiries@nebrak.com

 

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