n 2014, it is no longer just the
early adopters launching micro
markets. It is vendors in every
market, of every size and every level
of vending technology, and it's growing
fast. What's driving this innovation?
In a word, consumers.
Consumers want variety. They
want value, more payment options
and fresh food ingredients. Micro
markets meet all of these demands
and in a way that give operators
more insight, control and merchan-
dising opportunities than they ever
had before. Micro market suppliers
have reported an increase in calls
from vending operators looking to
launch a micro market because one
of their top locations said a competi-
tor just pitched them a market and
they want it. While perhaps not the
best way to enter a new segment of
the industry, it clearly shows we
have gone beyond industry-spurred
change and are now answering the
I
Micro
markets
today...and
tomorrow
Consumers are driving micro market growth and we
will see saturation in just over 5 years. But upgrades
in software, operational effciencies and technology
will keep things proftable in the foreseeable future.
By Emily Refermat, Editor
M I C R O M A R K E T S O U T L O O K
32 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com October 2014