Working at a manufacturing company shouldn't mean there are limited options for healthy food or beverages. You can help improve this experience for your employees by taking advantage of a micro market or micro mart. This self-service kiosk provides your workers with the experience of a convenience store and is a vending market customized for providing a wide selection of food and beverages. They're different from vending machines because they offer a convenience store atmosphere where your employees get to freely select their products and pay for them at the kiosk.
Micro markets offer several benefits that manufacturers can leverage, and there's no denying that some are an ideal fit for companies in the manufacturing industry. We've helped narrow the different reasons down and put together some of the top benefits for investing in a micro market. Here are five principle advantages of micro markets for manufacturing companies...
1. Micro Marts Help Enhance Corporate Culture
A positive corporate culture is vital to attracting and retaining employees, and micro markets are one way you can create a positive corporate culture. For example, you can promote employee wellness by offering a wide selection of healthy choice snacks for your workers to choose from, including protein shakes and salads. You can improve the employee experience and help increase job satisfaction rates by offering fresh food and beverage selections they prefer. For example, you can conduct a survey to discover the healthy food and beverage options your employees desire and then stock the micro market with their preferences.
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2. You Can Promote Schedule Adherence
Instead of your employees venturing off the work premises, they can buy healthy snacks and beverages right from a micro market on site. With an on-site micro market, you can provide an additional way for employees to access the healthy foods or beverage preferences they like. This helps reduce the need to leave the premises so that your manufacturing employees can get to work on time and adhere to their schedules.
3. Micro Marts Provide Convenience
Micro markets offer convenience as a standard. This self-service kiosk makes it simple to serve your workers the beverages and food they prefer thanks to its ability to house multiple types of food. Micro markets also offer the convenience of self-service. Employees just pick up the food and beverages they want and check out at the kiosk. It also offers the convenience of being available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That means you can have a micro market that serves all your shifts, unlike a staff-run cafeteria.
Micro markets also provide an option for accessing food in non-public places, such as in the employee break room. That means employees can enjoy the convenience of eating food that is set up just for them rather than worrying about a shortage of their favorite snack should on-site visitors use the device. There's little worry to concern yourself over employee pilferage, too, as micro marts are equipped with security cameras to deter theft. Workers also can enjoy the convenience of choosing their food fast. For example, your employees can select the foods they want using a touchscreen display on the micro market. Studies show that touchscreen technology helps improve the speed of tasks and reduce response rates by as much as 20 percent.
4. The Hassle-Free Service
One of the biggest advantages of using micro markets is that you don't have to worry about the hassle of leasing or purchasing the equipment. These self-service kiosks can also facilitate a cashless and paperless environment. Micro markets don't require cash, unlike most vending machines. Instead, your employees can simply add cash to their accounts or swipe their credit or debit card to make a payment at these modern self-serve kiosks. They can also opt to have receipts emailed to them, which helps reduce paper waste.
5. Micro Marts are Better Than a Cafeteria
When you opt for a micro market, you can save more on costs in comparison to having a cafeteria center on the premises of your manufacturing company. An on-site cafeteria can be costly and requires large investments upfront. Cafeterias require expensive cooking equipment, walk-in coolers, washing stations, and grills. However, you can reduce or eliminate these costs when you invest in a micro market for your manufacturing company. There are fewer coolers and it's self-managed so you won't need extra workers to handle the kiosk. You can also buy food and beverages in bulk for more cost savings.
Micro Markets in Manufacturing Companies
Improving the work environment or offering convenience to your manufacturing employees may be as simple as offering next-level service with a micro market. Whether you're the head of human resources at your manufacturing company or the chief of people looking for innovative ways to save on costs and connect your manufacturing employees, a micro market can prove beneficial for achieving these goals.
Consider opting for a trusted distributor that can help you find and set up a micro market that best meets your needs right in the St. Cloud area, such as Bernick's. At Bernick's, we help you get set up with a micro market at no additional cost. That means you won't have to worry about leasing or purchasing your equipment.
