Automatic Merchandiser - 44

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Turn Conversations Into
Micro Market Solutions

Operators need to be proactive in
servicing reopening accounts
By Bob Tullio, Contributing Editor

THERE IS ONE THING THAT MICRO

market operators can count on when
their clients begin to repopulate
offices in a meaningful way. As the
old saying goes, "there will be plenty
of cooks in the kitchen." Operators
will be dealing with office managers,
facility managers, HR managers, even
top executives. All will be focused on
two priorities: employee safety and
employee happiness.
TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH

It will be critical for operators to take
a proactive approach, especially from
a design standpoint. Markets that are
worn out, made with wire shelves
or other materials that are difficult
to clean, or assembled without any
special design consideration will not
only be vulnerable to competition, but
vulnerable to extinction.
Beyond keeping their employees
safe, businesses are concerned about
liability and may encourage employees
to work from home.
"Liability is a huge issue, which is
why business groups are lobbying for
protection from liability pertaining to
COVID-19," said Andrew Valdivia,
area president at Arthur J. Gallagher &
Co. "For businesses, it is a potentially
scary situation."
Valdivia added that employers
must do everything they can to limit
the risk of infection in their workplace,
which only puts added pressure on
micro market operators.
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Automatic Merchandiser * August 2020

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INITIATE THE
CONVERSATION

"The first thing that every operator
needs to do is talk to their client and
ask them what they need to see to be
comfortable with their micro market
moving forward," said Steve Orlando,
co-founder of Fixturelite, the leading supplier of micro market retail
displays, seating and design features.
"That is the beginning of the process
and it is a process that needs to be
initiated by the operator."
Once a client defines their concerns and spells out their objectives,
a micro market operator can begin
outlining a plan that addresses design,
traffic flow, sanitization, signage,
cleanliness and touch-free options.

TAKE CONTROL,
COMMUNICATE PLANS,

BE FLEXIBLE

C. J. Recher, vice president of Five
Star Food Service, said communication with clients is critical. "Our field
management staff is in constant communication with clients determining
how we can best serve them and care
for their employees safely. That is our
highest priority," he said. Recher added
that his company is communicating
in person, via memos, its website and
social media.

Arthur Siller, vice president of
Evergreen Refreshments, said his
company makes good use of signage to
support its efforts.
"In our clients' locations, we have
put procedures in place pertaining to
sanitization of any equipment [and]
have minimized client and field visits,"
he said. "But, at the same time, we are
being as transparent as possible with
signage relating to contactless payment
systems and our sanitization schedules."

IMPLEMENT
SOLUTIONS

A complete market redesign might
be part of the plan and the discussion
regarding that redesign will probably
happen via video conference with
all the aforementioned "cooks in the
kitchen." For this conversation, operators will need to be prepared.
"The Fixturelite Design Tool is
perfect for a Zoom call," said Orlando.
"Put it on a shared screen and present
the design options in a professional
way. This is how micro markets are
sold today."
For the micro market client who
wants to maximize touchless surfaces,
payment apps are gaining support.
"Operators need to keep up with
technology if they plan to survive," said
Steve Closser, co-founder of Translucent, the industry's leading micro market consulting firm. "Apps are gaining
acceptance like never before, especially
as offices repopulate."
EVERYTHING IS "ON THE TABLE"

Since there is no "pandemic playbook,"
there are plenty of options open to
discussion, including the possibility of adding an attendant to a micro
market - either a shared cost or paid

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