Blogs We Love: VendingMarketWatch.com 10 Reasons Micro Markets are better than Cafeterias!

Here’s another blog we love!  We hope you love it too … 

10 Reasons Why a Micro Market is Better than a Cafeteria

By VendingMarketWatch.com

1. It’s Employee Paid. Offering food and drinks to employees is a powerful benefit for companies looking to attract and retain good quality workers. However, food budgets can be hard to prove return on investment for in some areas. The retiring of the foodservice decision maker or an uncertain corporate climate can affect cafeterias, cafes and pantry service. The new person or board might feel the money would be better spent elsewhere. Conversely, because the capital outlay by the location for a micro market is zero, it is less affected by budgets and executives.

2. It’s Grab and Go. At work, people are searching for quick, convenient eating options. There is more snacking and fewer sit down meals during a workday, which means micro markets are a great option. The service is 24-7, giving everyone the flexibility to snack when they need an energy boost and everything is prepackaged for easy shopping of ingredients.

3. It’s Fewer Upfront Costs. Cafeterias require a number of additional upfront costs including grills, washing stations, food temperature logs, walk-in coolers, etc. Micro markets are much simpler, with a comparatively low upfront equipment cost. A micro market needs a few coolers, shelving, a kiosk and internet connection. Any add-ons can be discussed with the location and purchased by them to add that positive employee experience they want to create in the space.

4. It Allows Bulk Buying. Since micro markets use so many prepackaged products that can be used in vending and other markets, it increases the volume of items operators order, allowing them to get better pricing from the suppliers. A great purchasing manager can also work to take advantage of special offers and rebates. This can enable micro market operators to tie in better-priced products to on-site promotions that will drive sales at each location.

5. It Offers Cost Balance. While fresh food is a key component of both cafeterias and micro markets, cafeterias rely more heavily on their food offerings. Food means waste and a smaller margin. Micro markets, on the other hand, allow operators to provide a good mix of food options and shelf-stable products, such as bagged breakfast items and treats. Micro markets can even include non-edibles options that employees crave, such as small electronics or smartphone chargers.

6. It Serves A Wider Range Of Locations. Unlike cafeterias that require a few hundred employees on site, a micro market can be successful with between 100 to 200. It’s a much more flexible option with what type of checkout is available, including full, freestanding kiosks to small, tablet-based checkout that can be placed on a counter next to a small shelf and cooler combo. Micro markets also work in a broad range of businesses from manufacturing to offices.

7. It Requires No Additional Staff Onsite. Having a cafeteria means having staff on site. From cooks to cashiers, it’s more people to hire, train and manage. Comparatively, a micro market requires a route driver and support staff, people who are already on the payroll at an operation. There is no staff required to keep it open, yet a micro market offers more hours of operation to the employees making it a worthwhile benefit.

8. It Includes Supported Marketing Efforts.Consumers love getting a deal, especially when it’s a product they enjoy eating. With new features being added by micro market suppliers, promotions, special pricing, and loyalty programs are easier than ever to schedule. Many micro markets have built-in programs operators can simply turn on and off. Others have special relationships with suppliers for great partnerships. Either way, micro markets make marketing easier and more engaging with customer-focused apps and interactive touchscreens.

9. It Means No Waiting In Line. Everything is made ahead of time and prepackaged, eliminating lines of people waiting to order or for their items to be cooked. Micro market customers can just browse the selections and make a purchase. Many even offer mobile checkout apps to eliminate

the queue at the kiosk. It also encourages repeat business during the day. After all, it’s much more inviting to purchase a pack of gum in the afternoon if you know it will be a quick checkout than waiting in line for the cashier to ring up other employees.

10. It Requires A Smaller Footprint. Unlike cafes and cafeterias that need food prep and storage areas, micro markets are all about product display and sales. The configuration, number of coolers, kiosk placement, type of shelving and even how the equipment is powered is flexible. It’s a solution that adapts to locations large or small much more easily than a foodservice solution. It’s scalable as well – a solution that can grow with a company.

 

Kudos Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com, we agree! Micro markets have a lot of great components that cafeterias alone don’t have!

What Coffee Brewer is right for you?

Half-full? Half-empty? These options will help your cup ‘runneth over’! 

There are a lot of options on the market for micro market operators, and it’s easy to pick based on just one piece of information … BUT don’t get trapped by picking the lowest cost or the highest retail price point! Just because something is the lowest price often times doesn’t mean it’s the best value.  Let’s take a look!

See our Comparison Chart Here: http://bit.ly/2yT76wW

1. Your standard cup brewer (Any single-serve machine)
   The positives: low-cost investment, low maintenance, popular products.
   The negatives: This brewer is the same as many household single-serve brewers. Low originality can lose you a large percentage of sales, short life-span, a high cost of product = low-profit margins.
   Where do we recommend?: We recommend using these machines as a trial coffee solution or in very small office settings. 
2.  The medium level coffee brewer (Our favorite is Newco)
   The positives: medium-cost investment, very low cost of products, high-quality output, and the highest profit margins. 
   The negatives: increased maintenance and the cost of entry can be daunting for a first timer.
   Where do we recommend using it?: We recommend using these in medium to large markets, and even small markets with high coffee consumption. These are the top-rated employer-paid OCS solution coffee makers as chosen by your peers! Overall, this is a great machine for any market setting!
3. The high-level coffee brewer (We use Bravilor Bonamat, straight from our European operators to you!)
   The positive: Quality, quality quality.
   The negatives: High cost of entry, involved maintenance.
   Where do we recommend using it?: We recommend this option anywhere you have discerning coffee drinkers. It’s great for both medium and large markets and can definitely keep up with volume output. You can schedule maintenance alerts and the machine does a lot of the work for you. This coffee maker has top-notch quality coffee and specialty coffee products. If you’re competing with local coffee houses, this is the way to go! You can price your products under the expensive chains but still, make a great profit margin!

Bottom-line: There are a lot of great options and any one of them might be right for you. Make sure you think about your clients, your locations, your business owner, the long-term, and your schedule before you make the choice that is right for you. AND if you need help … we’re here for you! 

Need to know more?
Want to chat with our staff? 
Want to get started right away?

 

32M Microchips Employees Company-Wide

Three Square Market will become the first U.S. company to provide implanted microchip technology to their employees.

Chip Implant to be used by 32M

RIVER FALLS, Wis. – July 20, 2017 – PRLog — Three Square Market (32M) is offering implanted chip technology to all of their employees on August 1st, 2017. Employees will be implanted with a RFID chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room micro market, open doors, login to computers, use the copy machine, etc.  This program, offered by 32M, is optional for all employees. The company is expecting over 50 staff members to be voluntarily chipped.  32M is partnering with BioHax International and Jowan Osterland, CEO, based out of Sweden.

RFID technology or Radio-Frequency Identification uses electromagnetic fields to identify electronically stored information. Often referred to as “chip” technology, this option has become very popular in the European marketplace. The chip implant uses near-field communications (NFC); the same technology used in contactless credit cards and mobile payments. A chip is implanted between the thumb and forefinger underneath the skin within seconds.

A micro market, also known as a break room market, has become a staple in the U.S. with over 20,000 locations and growing.  While in existence for over a decade in the American workplace, the international community began to embrace this only a few years ago.  A micro market is a mini convenience store located right in the employee break room using a self-checkout kiosk, similar to what is found at many major retailers.  Businesses see multiple benefits when adding a micro market to their location, such as increased employee morale and productivity. 32M entered this growing industry over four years ago and is rapidly growing in market share and believes this technology will help it continue this trajectory.

“We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals.  Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc.” commented 32M CEO, Todd Westby.

“When working with our operators over in Europe, we came across a company of chipped employees at BioHax International and the concept of using RFID with micro markets quickly grew,” commented 32M VP of International Sales, Tony Danna.  “We see chip technology as the next evolution in payment systems, much like micro markets have steadily replaced vending machines. As a leader in micro market technology, it is important that 32M continues leading the way with advancements such as chip implants” added Mr. Westby.

“The international market place is wide-open and we believe that the future trajectory of total market share is going to be driven by who captures this arena first,” said 32M COO Patrick McMullan.  “Europe is far more advanced in mobile and chip technology usage than the U.S. and we are thrilled with the growth opportunity this enhancement will bring to us.  Thanks to our market partners in Sweden, we met this innovative company and look forward to working with them to take our market share to another level.”

32M is envisioning this technology to help it grow its other self-checkout businesses.  “We see this as another payment and identification option that not only can be used in our markets but our other self-checkout / self-service applications that we are now deploying which include convenience stores and fitness centers,” added Mr. McMullan.

Employees will be chipped at the 32M inaugural “chip party” hosted at their headquarters in River Falls, WI on August 1, 2017.

32M based in River Falls, WI, is considered a leader in micro market technology.  With its’ patented technology and industry-leading smart phone application and inventory intelligence, 32M has grown to over 2,000 kiosks in operation in nearly 20 different countries plus it operates over 6,000 kiosks in its’ corrections industry business, TurnKey Corrections. For more information on 32M visit http://www.32Market.com or http://www.BreakRoomRehab.com or follow them on Twitter, @32Market, on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn by typing in 32Market.

BioHax International is a company based in Sweden on the forefront of implanted chip technology. Osterland was recently a guest speaker on the TED Talks. Visit http://www.BioHaxSweden.com for additional information.

32M is inviting the press to attended and partake in the event on August 1st, 2017 at 11 AM CST in River Falls, WI for more information please contact 32M directly.

Why 32M? Because PCI …

Why 32M? Well to be honest on this topic we could go on for days … But we won’t!
Here is one major reason why you should choose 32M:

Your transactions are safe with us!

Something we are super proud of is the time and effort we have put in to hold the highest level of PCI and PA-DSS certification in the industry.
That’s right the HIGHEST LEVEL! 

What do PCI and PA-DSS mean? 

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is the set of rules established by the Payment Card Industry to protect cardholder information. PA-DSS was implemented in an effort to provide the definitive data standard for software vendors that develop payment applications. The standard aims to prevent developed payment applications for third parties from storing prohibited secure data including magnetic stripe, CVV2, or PIN. In that process, the standard also dictates that software vendors develop payment applications that are compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

Do small businesses need to be PCI Compliant?

PCI applies to all merchants who process credit or debit card transactions regardless of the size or number of transactions. Merchants must be able to demonstrate PCI compliance across all IT systems that store, transmit, or track cardholder data.

What’s the benefit of being PCI Compliant?

By making sure your business is PCI Compliant, you protect your customers’ personal data from breaches, prevent against unscheduled business downtime and ensure that customers trust your brand.

You also protect your business from paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties and fees that can include:
• Investigation of your point-of-sale (POS) system
• Non-compliance fines with VISA and MasterCard
• Reimbursement for purchases made using stolen cards
• Replacement for stolen credit cards
• Higher transaction fees from your bank

Want to learn more about 32M and what we can do for you?
Call our reliable sales staff below!

 

Three Square MEALS & MORE!

Micro markets change more than just the atmosphere of the location where employees get their breakfast, lunch or snacks. Yes, micro markets expand the number of products that are available to employees at a location and even change out the type/size/quality/etc. of the products that can be stocked.

In traditional vending, an operator is stuck using a planogram that is created based on products that will fit together to maximize the space available in their specific vending machine. As you can imagine this can severely limit your product options!

Micro markets create opportunities unseen in traditional vending:

• Take-Home Dinners
• Fresh Foods
  (check out tryhealthbinge.com’s  gourmet-to-go meals for inspiration)
• Larger Products (laundry detergent, windshield washer fluid, etc.)
• Non-Food Products
• OTC Medications

On average a micro market attracts 18% more visits per day and an average of 1.2 sales per day per visit, as compared with .7 sales in vending areas. Of course, this varies by location. BUT …

Take these numbers to an even higher level by introducing aspects to your micro market that are not even possible with traditional vending.

• Customize your market experience to your customer demographic
• Add popular products like take-home dinners
• Seasonal products like ice scrapers, hand warmers, sunscreen, etc.
• Holiday based products: gift cards, greeting cards, candies, etc.

At 32M, we’ve been providing options for non-food product sales and encouraging our operators to see the success of these add-on items since day 1.  Learn more about the options we can help you stock here: Ahead of the Trend Non-Food Sales.

From over the counter medications and laundry/hygiene items (think hairspray, combs, toothpaste, floss, deodorant) to electronic accessories such as charging banks to device specific accessories and cords.

Have you ever been “up a creek” without your iPhone/Android charging cord?
Yup, us too! Trust us, it’s a common issue and therefore a commonly purchased item!

The trend of Quality AND Quantity is the next big piece of micro market success. Quality and quantity are normally a this vs. that situation.  Not anymore! Customers want the best of both worlds which means balancing quality and quantity.  Lucky for you, 32M backs up their operators with a smarter system that recommends appropriate product par levels and product adjustments based on your customers’ buying patterns!

Essentially, customers want a lot of variety to choose from as well as products that make their lives easier, BUT they also want those products to be quality.  We’ll paint you a picture … you walk into your workplace micro market, you find a high-quality fresh salad or sandwich and a new flavored water product you want to try for lunch. Delicious and meets your nutritional needs! On your way to the kiosk to check out you notice a charging cord for your phone on sale and think that would be great to have because you forgot to plug your phone in last night. And as you are checking out you see that there is a great deal on take-home lasagna roll-ups and think about taking that home for dinner, that way you don’t have to run to the store after work! Awesome! 

Not only did that employee find things that made their day better, but made their life easier; And the operator made additional sales that with traditional vending they never would have had the chance to get.

What would you rather have?

this? or THIS!

this? or THIS!

this? or THIS!

Micro markets … they’re more than just lunch.
Think Three Square Market for your Three Square Meals a day, and so much more!

And Everything In Between!

In Your Face … Nutritional Facts

Maybe you saw our press release?!

Another industry-first feature under our belt, check out our newest add-on, Nutritional Fact information displaying directly on the kiosk.  

This new feature is just one of many new features to be released between now and the NAMA OneShow in April 2017. With industry requirements moving towards complete transparency regarding nutritional information, Three Square Market pushed the envelope to apply this advancement well before regulatory demand.  The addition of a Calorie Consumption feature, to be added in 2017, the wellness initiative options with 32M are top notch.

The 32M nutrition information will be a seamless upgrade for all operators globally, going out in the latest software update.  New markets opened in December will see this advancement from day one.

Have questions? Want to learn more? 32Market.com

Are you being watched?! Or are you watching?!

Here’s a great blog posted by Mondelez International,
“3 Unique ways to use micro market video surveillance beyond fighting theft.”
Really makes us wonder … who’s watching us?!

Here’s the blog: (P.S. It features a few of our favorite operators!)

3 UNIQUE WAYS TO USE MICRO MARKET VIDEO SURVEILLANCE BEYOND FIGHTING THEFT

By Staff at VendingMarketWatch.com

Video cameras in micro markets are commonplace. In the unattended retail space, video cameras act to dissuade employees from dishonestly taking product. They are also beneficial for micro market operators when it becomes known that employees are misusing the concept. When shrinkage begins to increase above a normal level of 1 to 2 percent in micro markets, operators use video surveillance to find perpetrators.

But can video surveillance be used for more than just simply catching would-be thieves? While the answer isn’t as simple as it appears, some operators report that they do indeed use their video surveillance in unique ways.

• REENERGIZE THE MARKET THROUGH MERCHANDISING

Video surveillance can be used to look at micro market merchandising and analyze whether or not layout is working. On a quarterly basis, pay close attention to the pattern of movement where customers are stopping and looking at items in different markets. By learning where your consumers move in the market, it’s likely you’ll find issues with product placement and layout. Try rotating items to keep a fresh look in the market and pinpoint where ‘dead product’ is located.

John Ward, president of Serenity Market Vending in Rockford, IL, uses video surveillance to refresh his micro markets and recommends that operators rotate slow movers out and wait one month to bring them back. “This causes customers to take notice when the products return and they have a renewed interest in the items,” he said.

The next time you’re watching a video for theft, look closely at the places your customers are spending the least amount of time and take a moment to evaluate ways to increase traffic in those areas. Be sure to include a sign in your market, too that informs customers that there are cameras.

• CHECK COMPLIANCE AND OPERATION

Video surveillance can also be used to ensure the market is operating as expected. Five Star Food Service, located in Chattanooga, TN, uses one of its full-time loss prevention employees to look at video in its markets to check on compliance, execution and ensuring that all cameras and DVR’s are operating correctly.

The company developed a weekly remote compliance report that’s used to check if the markets are stocked correctly, placements of products are correct, and promotional information is in place. Additionally, the company routinely looks at the cameras and placements of cameras to ensure they are working correctly. “You would be surprised how many need to be replaced or repaired,” said Mark P. Stephanos, vice president, micro markets at Five Star. “[The report] has really assisted us with ensuring there is another set of eyes in the markets on a more frequent basis.”

• FIND FOOD TAMPERING

Food tampering in micro markets is a topic that has gained the attention of health department officials in the U.S. With no person present in a micro market, how will operators protect people from situations that may compromise food safety? NAMA, the association representing the $25 billion U.S. convenience services industry, is arguing that surveillance can be used as a way to find and prosecute any food tampering.

If a health official begins to question the safety of food items in a micro market, discuss that the markets are monitored via video surveillance 24/7. It’s also worth mentioning the levels of theft in your micro market. Larry Eils, NAMA’s health and safety knowledge source partner, told VendingMarketWatch.com, “If theft is under control, then tampering will be under control, too. That’s the argument we [NAMA] will likely take with the FDA.”

A GREAT TOOL TO USE

Video surveillance does not come without its fair share of issues, however. Sometimes the technology isn’t always up to snuff. Video footage often goes through the internet connection and pulls from the bandwidth of the connection which can slow performance down if the connection is not good at a site. The cost of good video footage can be a deterrence, too.

Plus, it takes a lot of time for operators to watch video footage — time that could be spent focusing on a proper micro market planogram, getting new products or putting a loyalty program together. In the end, though, operators should be watching their micro markets on a routine basis and using video surveillance could be one way to do this without physically traveling to the market itself.

It’s a tool that operators already own and that can be used in a variety of ways. Successful operators have reported using data from video surveillance to help drive planning on space to sales, redesign payment areas with more impulse space, and add more incremental equipment and new merchandisers that pull away from the wall.

When installing micro market security, think about how you can utilize the data it’s collecting and place the equipment in areas that will allow you a visual of the entire market. Think outside the box and use surveillance for more than fighting theft.

Three Square Market has even more ways that you can use your surveillance data thoughtfully and quickly! Give us a call to learn more!

Here is one of our favorite examples … and it’s a good laugh!

715.386.2233

Pros To Know

HUDSON, Wis. – December 17, 2015
Three Square Market (32M) is honored to be named 2015 Pros to Know by Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch. This is the second annual Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch Pros to Know Award, it recognizes vending, micro market and office coffee service industry professionals who are leading initiatives to help prepare their company, organization and the industry for the significant challenges of today’s business climate. This award highlights both individual and group achievements that promote industry innovation and future growth.

“It’s an honor to be recognized,” commented COO Patrick McMullan, “we have a great group of hard-working individuals ready to take on the challenges of the micro market, or break room market as we call it, arena. At 32M we pride ourselves on being the most innovative option out there.” 32M constantly strives to be at the leading edge of technology for micro market providers. Always aiming to be first, 32M was the first servicer to boast a patented smartphone app featuring checkout, school lunch programs, Version 3.1 PA-DSS certification, inventory intelligence, competition kiosk conversions, kiosk customization, automatic updates, 100% real-time reports and so much more. “If you’re looking for the best, its right here with 32M.” said McMullan.

“No idea is too far-fetched,” said Director of Operations, Matt Lardinois, “since the beginning it has been the ‘what if’s’ that have really changed the product that we are able to offer.” 32M sprang from a company called, TurnKey Corrections, which is an innovator in their field as well being the first to introduce kiosks to institutional commissary. “The kiosks have evolved over the years, but the really great part is ALL our kiosks are built in-house. From kiosks to software, everything we do is created from the ground up by our staff. 32M is really about making the operator and these markets more successful,” said Lardinois.

32M is a subsidiary of TW Companies, which owns TurnKey Corrections, Three Square Market, and American Institutional Supply. 32M now has opened over 1100 markets in less than 3 years and continues to forge new relationships that will grow their brand. To learn more about Three Square Market visit their websites www.32Market.com or www.BreakRoomRehab.com or follow them on social media.

Three Square Market Receives its First Micro Market Technology Patent

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.

Why I went and had a booth at the National Convenience Store Convention

Today, Jim Brinton, CEO of Avanti, published a blog on Vending Market Watch that details my participation in the National Convenience Store convention last week.  His last paragraph stating “I am taking my 40 years of being in vending and being protective” I hope is his intention of posting the blog.  If that is the case, I understand it and will certainly respect that.  But it by no means paints an accurate picture of why Three Square Market (32M) was at this convention.

Jim, a very successful vending operator who has built two great companies, Evergreen Vending and Avanti (along with his Avanti Northwest brand), is well respected in our industry.  He has built a nationally recognized brand and we are going to work endlessly to catch him and our peers to grow our business.  But in reading his article, I take objection to many of his points and believe it is important to clarify why we are there and what our experiences have been with convenience store owners.

First, Jim, one of the first people I met at the show is not only a convenience store owner (has over a dozen locations), but he is a proud micromarket operator.  In fact, he was in convenience stores long before he got in to markets.  And guess who he has a bunch of stores with?  Avanti. We have several successful Three Square Market operators who are also convenience store operators.  We also have operators who are hotel owners, restaurant proprietors, investors, hair salon owners and more.  Jim, they are already in this business – let’s not try and say this is limited to just vending.

I like you Jim, love vending operators.  We covet the relationships we have with them.  But I covet the relationships I have with all of my operators.  When the healthy vending craze started did you shun them?  When OCS operators got in to arena, did we push them out the door and say this was limited to just vending?  When markets moved from just being in white collar environments to gray collar locations, factories and now one of my most successful locations, charter schools, does that mean we are violating the edict?  How about improving the customer experience by offering mobile payment options versus solely relying on a kiosk – was that also a move in the wrong direction?  The answer to all of these is no.  It is called progress, growth and more.

Acknowledging the convenience store market brings credibility to our arena.  Business owners and the general public are no longer asking “what is a micro market?”  They know what it is because it solidifies that this is no longer a fad – it is here to stay.  What it should mean is that as we bring in more players, we should continue to see improved avenues for all vending operators to enter this arena and grow their businesses.  Vending has been in a slump but as recent as this month, the Automatic Merchandiser highlighted one of our operators who took a struggling 30 year company back to a growing profitable business through markets.  Micro markets has allowed that time and time again for 100’s of vending companies and will continue to for decades to come.

But my issue with the blog doesn’t end with that.  I find some of the statements to be far off-base as would some of my clients.  To say a convenience store operator “doesn’t understand how to deal with human resource personnel or customer service requests” is off base.  Many of these convenience store owners are large corporations who have their own HR Departments and clearly understand how to deal with these leaders.  And, if the attendees of this convention didn’t understand how to deal with customer requests, how are they even in business in this ever changing world of on-line shopping, telecommuting, unstable fuel markets and more.

Jim, I admire and respect your success.  But I have to say, telling me where I should be looking to grow my business is over the line.  I am going to lead our company no different than you by adding valued clients, relationships and more.  Recently we were approached by a major player to enter in to our other business, inmate commissary.  Rather than try to “protect” my business, I approached it as an opportunity to further grow my business.  I found a way to partner with them on their ideas and together, we are going to make growing together a major joint initiative for 2016.

Which is the final reason we attended the show.  We believe that several of our operators could benefit from tying our program to a convenience store operators or chains buying power, brand, loyalty programs and more. Instead of requiring that operators paste our brand name everywhere, we allow them to customize their locations – unlike anyone else. Allowing operators to partner with national brands potentially could bring identity and credibility unmatched in the industry.  It is time to think outside the kiosk and the staple of salts and sugars to grow this industry.  Partnering with some of these chains is an untapped opportunity and 32M intends to lead the kiosk providers in doing things that further enhances the services we offer to our clients and their client sites.  So when you see “1000’s of locations in your city”, you are exactly right – we are looking for ways outside of just planting a kiosk in a breakroom to ensure all of our clients grow their businesses profitably – there are 900,000 potential locations out there, let’s go get them and make them all successful.   It goes parallel to the mission we have at 32M:  Create success at every opportunity.  This was an opportunity to create new avenues for our company, our clients and potential new clients.  It was successful.

Patrick