Micro Market Matters: Tracking the Demand for Convenient Eating Options in Workplace

Office workers are busy. Statistics show that the average worker sends 40 emails each day and spends more than 15 hours in a given week on email alone! With such a frenetic pace to manage, your people don’t have time to waste when trying to track down a snack or meal. 

Vending machines have long been the office standard for convenient food, and they remain as relevant today as they’ve ever been. But, in many workplaces, vending machines alone no longer get the job done. Micro markets are sweeping the country because of the upgraded eating experience they provide. 

Are you thinking about adding a micro market to your building to boost employee satisfaction and make the work day more efficient at the same time? InReach is a leader in this space, and we will be happy to partner with you to bring this vision to life right away. Let’s chat today!

Understanding What Employees Want

Developing a clear understanding of what your employees would like to get out of in-office eating options requires putting yourself in their shoes. What would make your day better from a nutrition perspective if you were an office worker trying to excel at your job and grow your career? Three main things come to mind immediately:

• Convenience: This has to be at the top of the list. If any food service options in your office are going to be successful, they have to be convenient. This means they should be easy to access for everyone in the building, they shouldn’t take long to acquire, and many of the options should be portable enough to be eaten on the go. If the food services you present are time-consuming or cumbersome in some way, they’ll just be ignored. 
• Variety: You’ll never serve a large group of people with just a few different types of food items. Tastes vary too much from one person to the next to get by with a limited selection. In addition to tastes, dietary restrictions also play a role. Some people are going to want to pick from healthy snacks and meals, while others will want more of a treat to break up their busy day. More than half of all U.S. workers say they have a hard time eating healthy at lunch, and this is surely due in part to the lack of available healthy options. 
• Quality: Any progress you make on the first two points will be thrown out the window if your food offerings come up short on this last one. There is never any substitute for quality, no matter what type of food is being provided or sold. Always keep quality high on your list of priorities so your employees will be satisfied with what they get and will continue to use the food services you provide for months and years to come. 

If you can successfully check all three of these boxes, your food service program is sure to be a hit. Unfortunately, many of the traditional approaches that are used in offices come up short in one area or another. This is why micro markets are gaining popularity so quickly from coast to coast. By addressing what employees want most out of food in the office, and by getting around some common pain points, the right choice is clear.

Backing Up for a Moment

Before going any further, we need to quickly answer a question that may be moving to the front of your mind: what is a micro market? We’ve been talking about how this feature is an excellent solution for workplace food service, so let’s make sure we are on the same page about what it is and how it works. 

A micro market is a convenient shopping experience that leverages modern technology to make delicious meals, snacks, and drinks available to your people around the clock. The contents of each market can be customized to suit the needs and preferences of the people it is serving. More than just a store within your building, a micro market is a gathering place that will foster connections between your employees and become a favorite destination during the workday. These are flexible spaces that can be easily scaled up or down to fit in your space and serve your teams effectively.

A Micro Market Is an Easy Win

Everything that employees want out of eating options in an office setting is addressed with the addition of a micro market. Start with convenience. What could be easier than walking through a micro market located in the office to grab some snacks, a drink, or even a small meal before getting back to work? With the high-tech features included in modern micro markets, like digital payments, it won’t take long to make a purchase and carry on.

The variety of a good micro market is another prime selling point. Countless types of items can be included in the selection, making it easy to offer something for everyone. It’s particularly easy to provide diverse options when you partner with the team at InReach to get expert help assembling an inventory that covers many different taste preferences and dietary restrictions. 

As for quality? That comes down to working with the right vendors and stocking the right items. InReach always places a priority on quality, and our powerful buying network makes it easy for you to access the products you want to stock at competitive prices. 

Bringing Down Costs

If your office building is currently running a traditional cafeteria, switching to a micro market can deliver a similar—or even better—user experience while bringing down your costs considerably. The labor costs associated with a cafeteria alone are more than enough reason to make a change. You can continue to provide your people with plenty of food options without having to incur the ongoing expense of having workers staff the cafeteria throughout the day. 

Micro markets can also save your business money in other ways. Indirectly, you can get more out of your workers by keeping them on-site regularly for snack and meal breaks. Instead of walking or driving somewhere else to eat, a good micro market will encourage them to stick around. This means they’ll be in the building more, will likely spend more time working, and could deliver a better return on the investment you have made in their salary. 

One Piece of the Employee Satisfaction Puzzle

As a business owner or manager, you probably think a lot about employee satisfaction. You want your workers to be content in their roles, as that’s good for both them and the business. Adding a micro market might not be the only thing you need to do to keep those employees happy, but it’s definitely a big move in that direction. 

Remember that micro markets are about more than delivering calories; they can also bring people together. A feeling of connection in the workplace is vital for employee satisfaction, and few places foster relationships quite like common areas that offer food. It’s only natural that people will spend time in and around the market chatting, getting to know each other, and forming bonds that will enrich their daily lives. 

The Perfect Micro Market Is Now InReach

Don’t find yourself daydreaming about how much a micro market would benefit your office, and don’t waste any more time clogging your search engine with “micro markets near me” to get help. This project doesn’t have to be scary, as the InReach team will be here to support you every step of the way. 

Proudly part of Sodexo, InReach offers global reach, customized attention, and a large, growing buying network that keeps food costs low and quality high. Whether you are ready to start your micro market project today or you just have a few questions, connect with our team. We’d love to hear from you!