Office Refreshments

21 September 2023

Foodservice in the workplace is changing, partly due to the growth in new hybrid working patterns after the pandemic. In office environments in particular the traditional catering service may have been scaled back to better suit the fluctuating customer numbers, creating a new gap that vending and automated retail fill really efficiently.

Laura Barwell, Head of Sales at VMC explains,

“Well stocked vending machines with fast and reliable payment options ensure that customers can still access food-on-the-go 24/7 when they are in, without the need for any extra staffing and in some cases even reducing the staffing need. But where we are seeing real growth is in automated self-service style retail solutions, and this is why we’ve developed a new kiosk solution. The VMC kiosk will provide a freestanding ordering and payment service point like those seen in fast food restaurant chains, but with added features that we think make it even more versatile.”

Laura continues,

“We wanted our kiosk work harder than others, so we’ve added the ability to scan and purchase physical products alongside pre-ordering, ideal for grab and go style meal deals. The client can also customise their kiosk by adding a Flex reader or PED (or both) and choosing their own screen size, everything from small till sized screens right through to floor mounted large units are available. These touchscreen stations make scanning and ordering super easy for the customer and can also communicate other useful info at point of purchase like allergens and nutritional information. As ever, our supporting Flex software and mobile app will also offer customisable features like loyalty, meal deals and promotions and ability to track and report on transactions.”

“Vending, alongside automated self-service retail solutions like kiosks are now playing an important supporting role in the new hybrid office environment, proving themselves to be a versatile and cost-effective long-term solution. So, if you’re looking to grow your vending operation or integrate it more directly with your catering function then self-service technology could help you to achieve this.”

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