To celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday, please enjoy 20% off our entire webstore at 32MarketStore.com! Kiosks included!
The sale will begin this Friday morning, November 27th, at 12:00 A.M. CST and ends Monday night, November 30th, at 11:59 P.M. CST.
To receive the discount, enter the promo code below, at the time of checkout.
On Thanksgiving, the point of focus is (or should be) gratitude.
Gratitude is defined as “the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful” and “readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”.
Gratitude allows us to stop focusing on what our lives might be lacking, and instead focus on our abundance. By practicing gratitude, we can affirm that there is goodness in the world and acknowledge that much of that goodness comes from other people, and/or (depending on your beliefs) a higher power. Knowing this encourages us to appreciate, and to “pay it forward”.
Many studies have documented social, physical and psychological benefits of gratitude, including:
It all sounds wonderful, but what about for the natural pessimists? How can I be grateful for everything when I don’t always feel that way?
It is true. Adopting the attitude is easier said than done for many people; which is why it’s known as a “practice”. Gratitude is a learned skill that you can improve with practice. There are countless books, studies and articles that teach you what steps to take in order to become a truly grateful person. One of my favorites is Learned Optimism by Martin E.P. Seligman. He discusses breaking unhealthy habits and changing them into positive ones. Another is The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan. This New York Times Bestseller brings you on a smart and entertaining journey to appreciating what you have. Search around and find one that works for you – you won’t regret it! And in no time, it will become easy.
Why give thanks? Where did this holiday begin? You probably remember the story you were taught in grade school:
The Pilgrims sailed, on the Mayflower, from England, to escape religious persecution. They landed on Plymouth rock, over two months later, where they hardly survived their first year (half of them dying from the harsh winter and disease). Then, Squanto and the Wampanoag people taught them how to hunt, fish, plant crops, and survive in the area – allowing the Pilgrims to succeed with a bountiful harvest. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 to give thanks for their harvest.
Although this version of the story is most commonly taught in schools, there are controversies about where the first Thanksgiving actually originated. “In 1565, Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilé invited members of the Timucua tribe to dinner in St. Augustine, Florida, after a mass to thank God for his crew’s safe arrival. On December 4, 1619, when 38 British settlers reached Berkeley Hundred on the banks of Virginia’s James River, they read a proclamation to designate the date as ‘a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God’.” Some Native Americans believe that the story taught in schools portraits a false, friendly relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. There has been a long and bloody history of conflict between Native Americans and European settlers, resulting in millions of deaths. Thanksgiving, rather than a celebration, thus has become a commemoration and a “National Day of Mourning” for many people … And the list of stories continues.
Whatever you may believe, one thing is certain: being thankful is good for the soul. Maybe you are thankful for Squanto helping the Pilgrims, for the safety of your crew, for your God, or for those people who fought for your survival through the hardships endured by the Native American people … Maybe you’re thankful for loved ones, shelter, warm food, or laughter … Maybe you’re thankful for people who are willing to help, smile, share, or give … Take a moment during this holiday to think about what you’re thankful for and appreciate it.
At Three Square Market, we are thankful for our leaders, who established an impressive company that we are lucky to work for … for our employees, who dedicate their creativity and time to sustaining and improving a remarkable business … and, most importantly, to our customers, who inspire us to continuously grow and who make this all possible. Thank you.
In case you hadn’t heard about our biggest upgrade yet, now rolling into your markets, we wanted to post a second announcement …
Don’t worry about a thing – Your system will update automatically over the next few weeks, without any effort required!
Please email us any questions, comments, or concerns at Contact@32Market.com and our expert staff will quickly answer you.
Contact MarniV@32Market.com to receive invites to our Wednesday Weekly Webinars. Learn everything you need to know about successfully running a market!
Three Square Market (32M) announced today that on October 27, 2015, the U.S. Patent Office granted 32M a patent on its micromarket and mobile application. This is the culmination of a two-year investment by 32M and is the first of several patents it expects to obtain in the near future.
“When we entered the micro market arena, we made a strategic decision to develop cutting-edge technology” said Todd Westby, CEO of 32M’s parent company, TW Companies. “Given the investment we made, both in the short- and long-term, we didn’t want to see our proprietary efforts go to waste by not protecting our intellectual property.”
32M runs over 20% of its micro market transactions through its smart phone application and expects this trend to increase over the next several years. “When we entered this arena, there was no one with a smart phone application yet the demand for apps was extremely high” added COO Patrick McMullan. “Despite significant skepticism from the competition and operators, we rolled this product out and it is now one of the major reasons we have opened over 1,300 stores in less than 3 years. Our app does everything a kiosk does except take cash. You can even check out faster on the app than at the kiosk. Consequently, we filled a significant void and have expanded our app to include several administrative functions such as inventory management, reporting, and other features that provide even greater efficiency to our operators”.
The mobile market continues to capture record monthly growth in volumes of transactions in the retail industry. Over 70% of shopping efforts involve some usage of a mobile device whether it be searching for a location, buying on-line, seeking reviews, or other related activities. “In the micro market arena, a mobile device purchase also eliminates other potential service issues” added CFO Tim Westby. “We have over 25 stores that operate with no kiosk at all. These stores have no bill jams or connection issues, let alone kiosk cost. And our operators who offer the mobile app as a supplement to their kiosk, see their per employee sales being higher and they have virtually no customer service challenges”.
32M intends to vigorously protect its intellectual property rights associated with its patent. “We have invested a great deal of time and expense in this process” added Todd Westby. “We brought the mobile app to the market and we intend to protect our competitive advantage”.
32M’s patent can be found under U.S. Patent Number US 9,171,300 B2. The 32M mobile app is free to download and is available for both Android and iPhone. To learn more about Three Square Market, go to www.32Market.com. 32M is a subsidiary of TW Companies, which also owns TurnKey Corrections (www.TurnKeyCorrections.com), a premier technology and service provider to the corrections industry, and American Institutional Supply (www.Amerisup.com), a supplier of products to the corrections, vending, hotel, education, and fitness industries.
Have you ever thought why is everything in the grocery store organic these days?
Welcome to the new world of food products! Labels like Organic, GMO-Free, Gluten Free, All-Natural are fetching a higher price, and consumers are searching for these items. Forbes, Nancy Gagliardi writes, “Global sales of healthy food products, in fact, are estimated to reach $1 Trillion by 2017, according to Euromonitor.” Gagliardi goes on to describe past food fads such as “Oat Bran” and “Low-Fat,” but describes this trend having long-lasting effects on consumer behavior.
Nielsen’s 2015 Global Health & Wellness Survey suggest consumer buying trends have changed, for the spendier. Among all demographics, 88% of surveyed persons are willing to pay more for healthier food. But don’t count out your market staples just yet, Gagliardi writes, “While the food giants are taking big bets on health, the survey also points to something countless marketers already know: Consumers can be fickle. ‘There’s always a bit of a disconnect with consumers. As it relates to diet, however, there is an aspirational component, and that’s consistent. But there’s a balance, too.’ In other words, they want healthy and indulgent products. So large fries and diet soda will probably still be on the menu.”
The organic movement roots date back to the 1920s, but with the recent dramatic increase in availability it’s clear organics have gone to a new level. Why now? Information. Because of our clear, fast, up-to-the-second (thanks Twitter!) means of gathering information we are a more informed society than ever. What effect does this have on Break Room Markets? Good question! Personally, it means that instead of my very favorite Cherry Coke … most days I would choose a Fruit Punch Simply Juice.
What’s the bottom line? Keep your standards, but don’t be afaid to incorporate something new. Survey your consumers and test products with them. Remember today’s consumer is informed, knowledgable and likes to be treated as such.
Check out the full Forbes article here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nancygagliardi/2015/02/18/consumers-want-healthy-foods-and-will-pay-more-for-them/
Our expert staff can view what’s happening on your kiosks, as well as control it, with our remote kiosk access. If any issues occur, we are able to swoop in and solve them right away – no waiting for staff to travel to your market.
Having trouble finding an internet connection? Establish a consistent and reliable network connection to run your kiosk with one of our unbeatable cradle point packages!
32M offers the most complete anti-theft tools – Our theft management approach combines reporting technology with security camera footage to pinpoint inventory discrepancies in the most productive way possible.
Don’t cry over spoiled milk – Our innovative technology not only monitors the freshness of the products stocked in your market(s), but provides a quick and easy way to keep ahead of all expiration dates. 32Market’s software also assists in creating store orders in just minutes vs. hours with other provider’s technology, or lack thereof!
CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment with our experienced staff and learn more about 32Market’s solutions.
We want to take this opportunity to honor and say thank you to our Veterans, for serving our country and protecting our people. You are truly remarkable!
Although World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, fighting ceased when an armistice went into effect on 11/11 (1918) at 11:00 am. That day is known as “the end of the war to end all wars”.
In November 1919, President Wilson declared November 11th as the first commemoration of Armistice Day:
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926. An Act approved May 13, 1938, made November 11th of each year a legal holiday – celebrated as “Armistice Day”. Then, on June 1, 1954, the legislation approved an amendment of the Act of 1938, which removed the word “Armistice” and replaced it with the word “Veterans”.
On June 28, 1968, the Uniform Holiday Bill was signed. It’s purpose was to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees to celebrate Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day, on Mondays. This would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities, and stimulate more industrial and commercial production … or so it was thought. Many states didn’t like this idea and celebrated the holidays on their original dates. On October 25, 1971, the first Veterans Day under the new law was observed. People were confused. It became clear that the day was about historic and patriotic significance to most people, rather than a long weekend. So, on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the observance of Veterans Day back to November 11, starting in 1978.
Now we focus on the significant purpose of Veterans Day: “A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
To view our source of information and to learn more about Veterans Day, CLICK HERE.
Show your support! Change one light to green in a visible location and keep it glowing as a symbol of appreciation and support for our veterans. Use the hashtag #greenlightavet to help spread the word. LEARN MORE HERE
You’re going to love it, and your customer will too!
Questions? Email us at Contact@32Market.com
Please contact MarniV@32Market.com to receive invites to our Wednesday Weekly Webinars!
As you know, germs live everywhere… In the air, on food, plants and animals, in water, and even on your own body! They can cause colds, the flu, stomach aches, food-borne illnesses, and skin infections. But no need to fear! We have some simple tips that will help you understand and prevent the spread of germs, to keep you and your loved ones healthy this winter.
Germs actually spread in many different ways. The most common way is through the air. Ever hear, “cover your cough”? Sneezing and coughing into a tissue is one way to protect everyone around you, including yourself!
They also spread through touching hands, touching contaminated surfaces, and kissing. They are passed along when someone touches food and the food is eaten, or when someone touches raw food and then another surface.
Another not-so-surprisingly common way we spread germs is with our phones. Huffington Post published an article earlier this year letting us know that our phones contain almost quadruple the number of different bacteria than on toilets. Another blog, posted by Pharmacist Andy Stergachis, tells us that one in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated with fecal matter. Ick. It’s really not hard to believe – we take our phones everywhere and we use them everywhere (including on the toilet).
Shopping centers are germ centers, too. Think of the number of people (and the number of germs each of those people have touched) who go shopping. One of the germiest places in a shopping center is the bathroom sink. Shopping carts are another major germ-magnet.
Children are amazing, lovable and adorable but, let’s face it – they attract germs as much as they attract attention (if not more). About one-fourth of children under five years old go to a daycare center, nursery or preschool. Teach your children the importance of hand washing and the proper way to wash their hands, so they can protect themselves, too.
We love our furry friends like we love our kids, but they carry germs as well. Touching pets, their waste, their food and their supplies can spread germs and diseases. Make sure your animals are washed and groomed regularly, toys are disinfected, and you are frequently washing your hands.
One of the best ways to defend yourself against germs is to wash your hands, often and well. Make sure to use soap and warm water, and wash for at least 20 seconds, rubbing your hands briskly. Singing a verse of “Happy Birthday” is a good estimate for the time it should take, according to public health workers. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Washing your hands after they become dirty isn’t enough. Of course, it is something you should absolutely do, but make sure you wash your hands before many activities, too! For example, you should wash your hands before preparing and eating food, caring for another person, treating a cut or wound, handling contact lenses or anything coming in contact with your face… the list could go on and on.
An extra tip: Keep a small bottle of lotion in your bag, at your desk, or available somewhere, to avoid dry hands.
Maintain basic hygiene, cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing (but not with your hands!), throw away used tissues, don’t share personal items (utensils, razors, towels, etc.), disinfect commonly used surfaces and objects, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth…
Prevent the spread of germs and illness by staying home when you are sick.
Get vaccinated! Protect yourself and those around you from spreading infections by staying up-to-date with recommended vaccinations. This includes the flu shot. The less people vaccinated, the greater chance we have of spreading illnesses that could have been avoided. If you are able to, getting vaccinated can help prevent the spread of illnesses to those extra vulnerable people who cannot, like some pregnant women or people undergoing cancer treatments. The benefits really do outweigh any risks connected with vaccines.
Three Square Market 