The micro market industry is booming, with a growing focus on offering on-trend food and beverage options that cater to evolving consumer preferences. Use the following strategies to boost customer satisfaction in vending and micro markets across commercial and noncommercial settings.

Satisfy Cravings with Snacks

In today’s fast-paced world, consumers often turn to snacks to satisfy their cravings. To meet this demand, micro market and vending operators should consider the following:

Taste Is King: Taste is the top priority when it comes to snacks. According to Technomic, 72% of consumers prioritize flavor when selecting a snack.1 So, offering a variety of snacks with high-quality taste and savory flavors can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. For example, Kettle Brand® chips come in a variety of bold, on-trend flavors to satisfy cravings, such as Backyard Barbeque®, Honey Dijon, Jalapeno, and Dill Pickle.

Seize the Impulse: Nearly half of all foodservice snack purchases (49%) are driven by impulse.2 To capitalize on this trend, stock your micro market and vending areas with enticing, eye-catching snacks and beverages that encourage spur-of-the-moment purchases. Since consumers have savory and sweet cravings, make sure you offer a selection of both close to the register. 

Offer Healthy, Better-For-You Options

The demand for healthier food and beverage items has been on the rise. In fact, healthy items (including plant-based) were the top-growing category in vending and micro markets, up 40% year-over-year, according to the latest State of the Vending & Micro Market Industry report.3 Here’s how to cater to this trend while still appealing to a wide range of consumers:

Diversify with Plant-Based Products: The combined sales of plant-based products in the vended and micro market segment have risen from $1.8 billion to $2 billion. Ensure your micro market includes a variety of plant-based snack and beverage options to attract health-conscious consumers. 

Protein Snacks: An increasing number of customers are looking for snacks that have protein—46% find this appealing.1 Stock products like Campbell’s® Chunky® Microwavable Bowls, which offer between 9-17g of protein per bowl, for protein-minded consumers.

Variety of Beverages: Beverages play a crucial role in micro market and vending offerings. Packaged cold beverages continue to generate a significant portion of revenue in micro market and vending settings.3 Featuring a wide variety of beverages is essential, including better-for-you beverages with a natural source of energy. Consider V8 +ENERGY®, a nutritious beverage with naturally sourced energy from green and black tea. This drink is made from fruits and vegetable juice, is rich in B vitamins, and provides 80 mg of caffeine.

Feature Well-Known Brands

Recognizable brands can significantly impact customer satisfaction, so incorporating them into your micro market and vending offerings is vital. More than half (56%) of consumers consider the brand of food or beverage a crucial factor when choosing a snack.1 

Operators should prioritize customer preferences when selecting which brands to feature. Offering proven consumer favorites can enhance customer satisfaction, which is why Campbell’s Foodservice is a perfect fit for micro market and vending settings. 

The Campbell’s Foodservice portfolio of well-known brands—Campbell’s® Chunky®, V8®, Kettle Brand®, Cape Cod®, Snyder’s of Hanover®, Lance®, Snack Factory®, Milano®, and more—enhances customer satisfaction by providing reliable, high-quality options.

Learn more about Campbell’s Foodservice for Micro Markets.

1 Technomic Snacking Consumer Trend Report 2022.

2 “Snacking Away From Home,” July 2023 Consumer Omnibus, Campbell’s Foodservice and Datassential 

3 2022 State of the Vending & Micro Market Industry Report, Vending Market Watch, 2023