Tips for Selling Snacks in MicroMarkets
A micro market is a self-serve kiosk where people can buy fresh food and beverages. More than a vending machine, micro markets store the food in coolers and on shelves, for easy access. A single micro market can stock anywhere from 150 to 400 items, but vending machines can only hold 40. Consumers can pay with a credit card, email address, fingerprint or mobile app—super easy. Here are seven tips for selling snacks in micro markets.
Create a fresh atmosphere
One of the reasons people like micro markets is because they’re more than a vending machine. People want to feel like they’re eating fresh and healthy, not a bag of chips that’s been dangling behind a locked door since 2012. Decorate with bright graphics, promotional materials, and real plants. Use LED lighting so you can cut costs on electricity and promote the green aspect.
Listen to the customers
Healthy eating is one of the biggest trends in food service today, so make sure you’re accommodating that. Many people want no salt or low sodium, gluten free, high protein (like nuts!), and dried fruits. They want fresh, whole ingredients that have minimal processing, preservatives, and additives. Consider hosing a tasting event where your customers can fill out surveys so they feel like their opinions matter.
Introduce new items in a timely manner
Keep your micro market fresh by introducing a few new items each month, while still stocking your best-selling products in their dedicated spaces. You can also rotate old products around in hopes that people will suddenly see something new that they didn’t before.
Promote the new product
When you start stocking new products, promote them! Stock them near the entrance or display information about them on your digital advertising monitors. Sell them as part of a bundling or a buy-one, get-one offer. If you have the ability to send customers direct mailings or emails, do it! But not too many—then customers start to resent you.
Revisit past products
Sometimes old products didn’t sell well because people didn’t know about them or didn’t like the packaging. Try placing them in a different location or ask your customers for their thoughts on brand, flavor, price, packaging, etc. You might find that they will sell the next time you try and promote them.
Review the numbers
Keep track of your sales data, especially for new products or products that you’ve rotated so you can understand the impact of your adjustment. If you re-price or reposition something, you want to know how effective that move was. It can give you hints about what to do next time something isn’t selling.
Encourage the impulse buy
There’s always room for the impulse buy! Add a pastry stacker or a stand for mints, gum, and candy at the kiosk. And provide a space for customers to set down their items so they can use their hands to pay. Otherwise, they get frustrated.
Looking for great snacks to sell in your market?
For more tips on managing micro-markets, contact our team today.
