Vending machines have been a staple of break rooms at all types of businesses for many years. But a relatively new concept, the micro market, has started to gain momentum at businesses in Dallas, TX and across the United States.
A micro market is essentially a self-service miniature convenience store. These markets are stocked with a variety of items on open shelving that employees can take, and then check out themselves at an electronic kiosk.
There are a variety of pros and cons associated with each of these options. Let’s take a closer look so you can get a better sense of which is best suited for your business.
Vending machines
In general, there are fewer costs associated with vending machines in Dallas, TX. When you’re working with a full-service vending company, the installation, stocking and servicing of the equipment comes at no cost. Setting up the vending machine will take very little time, so you’ll be able to have the machine up and running for your employees very quickly. And, of course, they take up much less space than micro markets—most vending machines are just a few feet wide and a few feet deep, so they can easily be placed along open spots on walls in your break room or other common areas.
With regard to drawbacks, there are occasionally some service and mechanical issues that can be a nuisance. In some circumstances, malfunctions can result in people losing money in the machine, the machine not taking money or dispensing the wrong product. There are also the space limitations to consider—vending machines are only capable of holding so many products, and can only hold certain kinds of objects and packaging.
Micro markets
Micro markets offer a greater level of convenience in that employees don’t have to worry about having cash on them—they can simply grab the items they want off the shelves, and then check themselves out.
The big benefit to micro markets in Dallas, TX is that there is a much greater variety of food available in such a setup. The market could potentially hold hundreds of products, depending on how much space you dedicate to it, and can hold much healthier, fresher products than vending machines, in which they might be more likely to go bad.
The down side of micro markets is that they are costlier to set up for companies, as you need to have the shelving, counters and refrigerators installed. They also require more space than a vending machine. While they don’t need to be massive, there does need to be some dedicated square footage. Finally, there is always the risk that employees will easily be able to steal items in lieu of paying for them, but there are a number of measures you can implement to deter theft as much as possible.
Interested in learning more about the considerations that go into choosing a vending machine or a micro market in Dallas, TX? We encourage you to contact ABC Vending Co. today with any questions you have about our services.