Gone are the days of relying solely on convenience stores or restaurants to pick up food while on the go. In today’s foodservice world, micromarkets are emerging as a popular trend for many types of businesses. The trend is noteworthy with investment in automation, cleanliness, freshness, diverse menu items, and quality of experience.
Fast and Convenient Service
As the need for fast and convenient service with minimal human contact continues, many businesses such as colleges and healthcare facilities are looking for alternative options to merchandise their food products. Because of this, micromarkets are a fast-growing trend that has proven to be a great option for foodservice operations to remain open with limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With technology and demand, these stores of convenience are now shifting to “micromarkets” to separate themselves from the nuances associated with “convenience stores.” For example, in many fuel stations, airports, universities, and workplaces, micro-markets are opening, and for good reason. Store owners are experiencing smaller financial risk and greater profit with less labor.
More Choices, Faster Service
Offering a micromarket option in your facility gives the consumer more choices for products so that they are not limited by vending machines or having to enter a restaurant to get food to go. The ease of selection and purchase makes it easier for customers to quickly find what they are looking for while on-the-go. Not to mention, operators are able to benefit from less labor costs and more impulse purchases.
Store owners are realizing the margin for profit growth. As of 2016, the revenue for convenience stores grew from $1 billion to double that in 2018. With our food culture being a mix of fast, healthy, and affordable, the taste has always been compromised, but this is not true anymore.
Micromarkets can range from 300 square feet up to around 1,200 square feet. The largest typically has an elevated coffee program and freshly prepared food by an on-site employee, the middle level likely has specialty coffee and maybe other beverages like kombucha or tea, and the lower tier is mostly vending machines and refrigerated or heated open-air merchandisers with packaged food only.
Selecting the right equipment for a micromarket is important to make visits as easy as possible for guests. If you’re considering exploring how a micromarket setup can work for your foodservice facility, let the experts at Federal Industries help you explore the possibilities. With non-refrigerated, refrigerated, and heated display case options, there are many solutions that Federal offers that can fit well within your footprint.