Micro Markets – an instant hit with staff

With an increasing number of businesses relocating to retail
parks away from city centres, providing staff with adequate lunchtime facilities can be challenging. While vending machines can offer snacks and refreshments, they are limited in their
product selection, and are not ideal when large numbers of staff go on lunch at the same time.

Coinadrink, a long established Walsall based vending operator, believe they have found the solution. Coinadrink have
developed a new kind of ‘micro-market’ service known as Express Refreshments. The company installs a bespoke store into any available space on their customer’s premises. This micro-market contains hundreds of products, all on display in accessible shelving units, allowing staff to browse, compare products and check
ingredients before they purchase something that simply isn’t possible with vending machines.
Fridges hold chilled products such as fresh milk, sandwiches, baguettes and wraps as well as yoghurts, salad pots and microwaveable meals. Cold cans and bottled drinks are also available, while a modern touch-screen beverage machine
provides delicious fresh bean coffee, hot chocolate and tea.
Customers can purchase their items via a self-service touch-screen terminal and are issued with a top-up card for easy payment, so there is no need to carry cash or enter pin numbers in store. If lost,
these cards can easily be replaced as the customer’s credit is stored online.
Being an online system has a number of other advantages. All stock levels are monitored, so items can be replenished before they run too low. Even the in-store fridges are tracked, so if the temperature
ever goes out of range, all the products in the fridge are automatically blocked from sale until they can be replaced.
The product range can be tailored to your specific requirements and can be updated based on the purchasing habits of your staff, ensuring the store always contains the most popular items.
Coinadrink know a lot more about their customers than a typical store, so can provide special offers and discounts that are relevant and of genuine interest. The first Express Refreshments store to
open was based at the Genesis Centre in Stoke‑on‑Trent and has been going down a storm with the staff there. Coinadrink are
constantly looking for new and appealing product lines, and their recently introduced ice cream range has been hugely popular
in the hot weather. With a wide choice of products, easy
self-checkout and secure online top-ups, micro-markets offer a convenient 24/7 catering solution. Instead of racing to the
shops each day, your staff can make the most of their lunch periods, socialise with their colleagues, and get back to work feeling refreshed.
To find out more about micro-markets and whether they would be suitable for your own business, you can call Express
Refreshments on: 0345 070376