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30 Aug

Posted at 09:25h in Beverage Vending Machines

Micro-Markets in the San Francisco

When it’s a micro-market!

At first glance, a San Francisco consumer might see a micro-market and think it is just a decorated space with vending machines, but that is not the case. A micro-market is a cafe-style break room that offers a wide variety of healthy fresh foods as well as snacks and beverages. Not only is it a place to grab a bite to eat, but it is also a relaxing environment to catch up with colleagues during the workday. The micro-market experience is not the only thing that separates a micro-market from a vending machine. How the micro-market is run behind the scenes is a key differentiator.

Since the vending industry’s inception, vending operators have developed multiple best practices that are used to help drive success including inventory placement, tracking, and analysis. Successful micro-markets have caused operators to realize that what it takes to create a successful micro-market is quite different from a successful vending situation. Two important areas to consider are product placement and the size of the SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) count.

Product Placement

Location, location, location isn’t only a phrase used in real estate. It also influences how a San Francisco consumer sees products in a vending machine and how that same consumer makes a decision about which product to purchase. To cause an individual to look at all of the products in the vending machine, snacks are placed in strategic spots by color. Items in micro-markets, on the other hand, should be placed in a way that is similar to a convenience store—top sellers placed high and low, and promotional products placed at eye level. Grouping like items, such as healthy snacks, together is also recommended so consumers know where to find them.

SKU Counts

Micro-Markets in the San Francisco Generically, a SKU is a unique number assigned to a product that identifies the price, product options, and manufacturer. SKUs help a retailer track inventory, perform stock-takes, identify shrinkage, replenish inventory, and identify profits. Vending operators traditionally kept small SKU counts and worked toward eliminating unnecessary SKUs. Micro-markets, on the other hand, require larger SKU counts to be able to offer San Francisco consumers different choices in flavor, size, texture, type, etc. Micro-market operators, for example, have been able to determine that fresh food is in demand by tracking SKU counts. Results from a recent survey support those observations as more than 25% of micro-market sales are from fresh food.

Both the behind the scenes’ activities and the consumer’s’ experience with a micro-market are very different when compared to the same activities and experiences with a vending machine. The micro-market experience is about more than what is placed where; it’s the ultimate employee perk. The micro-market is a unique break room created for your employees to enjoy a healthy snack or freshly prepared meal any time of day. Addressing food preferences, diet restrictions, and requested food selections are just a few of the ways that PVS Refreshments tailors the micro-market to your organization’s needs.

For more information about the benefits of a micro-market or how to transform your San Francisco office break room into the ultimate break room, call us at 844.527.4800.

06 Aug

Posted at 01:55h in Health

Gluten Free Snacks in the San Francisco

With the number of San Francisco individuals who have to navigate life without gluten because of an illness like Celiac Disease, it is helpful to know that gluten-free foods are now more readily available. A recent report from Research and Markets, Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S. 6th Edition, projected that sales of gluten-free foods in the following categories—Salty Snacks, Crackers, Fresh Bread, Pasta, Cold (ready-to-eat) Cereal, Baking Mixes, Cookies, Flour, and Frozen Bread/Dough—are expected to grow to more than $2 billion by 2020. That is a lot of gluten-free food and snacks.

So, what exactly is gluten? The Celiac Disease Foundation defines gluten as “a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley, and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye.” Gluten behaves as the glue that holds food together. Several different categories of ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, and protein do not naturally have gluten. Creating snacks and other grain-based products requires additional knowledge about how each gluten-free ingredient works as the many of the frequently used grains contain gluten.

There are, however, many plant-based gluten-free ingredient options that are now being used to create healthy, tasty, and filling snacks. The following are a few that San Francisco employees might be familiar with:

Whole Grain, Gluten-Free Ingredients
  • Amaranth
  • Buckwheat groats (or kasha)
  • Corn (maize)
  • Gluten-free oats
  • Millet
  • Quinoa
  • Sorghum
  • Teff
  • Wild Rice/Brown Rice
Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Ingredients
  • Arrowroot
  • Pulses (beans, lentils & chickpeas)
  • Cassava
  • Chia
  • Flax
  • Nut flours
  • Soy
  • Tapioca
  • White Rice

Gluten Free Snacks in the San Francisco

Researchers from Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., 6th Edition found that “pulse-based [ingredients] are particularly valuable in improving the nutrient quality of gluten-free products, as they are richer in fiber, protein, and micronutrients than GF [gluten-free] staples rice and tapioca flour. The appeal of ancient and sprouted grains is much like that of pulses. For food processors [or manufacturers], these ingredients provide whole food, plant-based protein sources that enhance appearance, deliver unique tastes and textures, pack a nutritional wallop, and invite variety and innovation.”

With such a wide variety of ingredients and the different ways that they can be used, the availability of tasty gluten-free snacks in the San Francisco has grown to include many different salty and sweet snack choices. Gluten-free salty snacks often include rice and corn puffs flavored with aged cheddar or popped potato chips with barbecue flavoring. Sweet treats vary from cookies made with rice or oat flour to gluten-free Greek yogurt with a wide variety of fruit choices.

Have you considered offering both gluten-free and traditional snacks and beverages in your office break room? PVS Refreshments offers both traditional options as well as products that are gluten-free for those who need gluten-free choices. We can also help you determine the best mix of choices to offer in your office break room. For more information, contact PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800.

26 Jul

Posted at 10:42h in Snack Vending Machines

Mobile Payments in the San Francisco

“There will be exponential growth in mobile payments in the U.S. over the next five years.”  

– “The Mobile World of Retail,” a BRP Special Report

In the almost three years since Apple Pay was launched, the ability to make a mobile payment with a smartphone has become just one of several ways that a mobile device can impact the shopping experience for today’s consumers. BRP Consulting recently determined five key ways that mobile devices are impacting the retail experience: customer identification, customer engagement, associate training and task management, mobile POS, and mobile payment. For the San Francisco vending and micro-market providers, the ability to make a mobile payment is something that cannot be ignored.

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ May 2016 report, 55% of the United States’ population was mobile payment users. 72% of those users fell into the Millennial or Gen X generations. While Millennials and Gen Xers enjoy the rewards, discounts, alerts, and electronic receipts that mobile payment solutions offer, they, 74% of Millennials and 70% of Gen Xers, are also very concerned about the risk of identity theft and loss of funds that might come with using mobile payment options. This block to using mobile payments results from a lack of understanding if mobile payments are faster, safer, or easier to use than traditional payment methods.

Mobile Payments in the San Francisco For mobile payments to be successful in the long run, there must be additional San Francisco consumer education about:

  • the length and ease of a transaction using a mobile device as compared to a traditional transaction
  • how loyalty rewards programs can be tied to a mobile wallet, and how that can improve the overall shopping experience   
  • the enhanced security features and faster checkout that mobile wallets offer

Consumer education about using mobile payment systems does not need to be long and drawn out. A recent USA Technologies study found “that call-to-action messages [on vending machines] underscoring speed, convenience and security of Apple Pay can act as an electronic gateway for consumers to learn about and use the mobile wallets already installed on their phones.” Not only did this information educate consumers, but it also increased mobile payment usage by 135.2% and increased overall sales by 36.5%.  Knowledge really does make a difference.

Offering San Francisco employees the option of using mobile payments to purchase a healthy snack or beverage in the office break room not only educates them about mobile payments, but it also gives them an alternative way to purchase a much-needed meal,  snack, or beverage. Taking a break to stay hydrated or eat something supports their physical and mental health, and in the long run, helps your bottom line. To learn more about mobile payments, and how our vending and micro-market services can benefit your organization, call PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800.