Some Retailers Turn to Micro Markets in Canada – We Explain Why
The retail landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years … and one of the most prominent changes is the rise of automated retail.
From vending machines to micro-markets, this form of retail is growing — and the pandemic has further accelerated this process.
The concept of micro-markets came into existence to take consumer convenience to another level. They were initially envisioned for office environments – self-serve kiosks where employees could purchase food and/or beverages.
Micro-markets were different from vending machines because they offered fresher and healthier options such as salads, sandwiches, yogurt, fruits, etc. Additionally, they accepted prepaid cards, so employees didn’t have to worry about carrying their wallets for every single visit to the breakroom.
Within a short span of time, the presence of micro-markets started to show an impact. They helped employees make healthier food choices and contributed positively to employee satisfaction.
Due to this positive impact, similar versions of these compact point-of-sale systems and space-saving retail solutions are now being replicated in other places such as malls.
In fact, restaurants in particular, are truly embracing this retail channel.
The Canadian foodservice industry is evolving, and you can see that the micro-markets trend has been adopted by many smaller restaurants in major urban centres. Resto Biz shares a great example. The Square One’s Food District, a 34,000 square foot expansion, features multiple such micro-restaurants.
The Globe and Mail observes a similar trend. Due to the rents increasing in big cities and growing concern for issues around fair wages, food costs and – now a global pandemic – many restaurant owners are seriously thinking about shrinking their spaces.
While this is still a new concept in Canada, it is being adopted quickly.
If you’re in the food industry, this form of retail can work for you too! You can either choose to have a fully automated micro-market or decide to have a small number of staff members run micro-spaces.
The decision is really up to you! Additionally, these are some of the advantages you can expect:
- Offer more convenience to your customers.
- Be in more places.
- Reduce fixed and variable costs.
We can get you set up in the micro-markets space and help you manage everything ranging from inventory management and stock replenishment to quality assurance and training your staff!
Get in touch today to see how we can support you with our unique, customizable retail solutions. Call 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.
Have you considered expanding into micro-markets? Let us know on social media. Storesupport Canada is on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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